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2 KINGS 4

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. These miracle stories are similar to the miracles of Elijah.
   
   
2. They are recorded to illustrate the "double portion" of Elijah's spirit on Elisha. Elisha did twice as many recorded miracles as Elijah.
   
   
3. These miracles show YHWH's concern and care for ordinary people.
   1. even non-Israelite people
   2. rich and poor
   
   
4. 2 Kings 4:27 shows that prophets did not have full knowledge about all things. It was a selective revelation.
   
   
5. 2 Kings. 4:34-35 is an example of healing/restoration in stages (i.e., Jesus healing blindness in stages, i.e., Mark 8:23-25). This would be a faith test for the prophet.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:1-7
  ¹Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." ²Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." ³Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. ⁴And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full." ⁵So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. ⁶When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not one vessel more." And the oil stopped. ⁷Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

4:1 "the wives" Prophets were usually married. The rabbis viewed marriage as a requirement. Notice YHWH's repeated command to be fruitful and multiply (i.e., Gen. 1:28; 9:1,7).

SPECIAL TOPIC: CELIBACY

▣ "the sons of the prophets" Originally the prophets lived in communal groups (i.e., 1 Sam. 10:5,10; 19:20; 2 Kgs. 2:3; 4:1,38; 5:22). They were unconnected to the later court prophets.

▣ "feared the Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FEAR (OT).

▣ "my two children to be his slaves" The confiscation of the children as servants was one way to pay a debt (i.e., Exod. 21:7; Neh. 5:5). This practice of Hebrew servitude is discussed in Lev. 25:39-55; Deut. 15:12-15.

For a good brief discussion on "Israelite slaves" see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 80-90.

4:2 "a jar of oil" Olive oil was a basic part of the Mediterranean diet. This is similar to Elijah's miracle in 1 Kgs. 17:14-16.

The word "jar" (BDB 692) occurs only here. Some see it as a flask for pouring or anointing.

4:4 "shut the door" Elisha did several acts behind closed doors (i.e., 2 Kgs. 4:4,5,33; 9:3,10). Why?

1. People may not understand the uniqueness of the event and its background.
2. It could promote a "give me a miracle" mentality.
3. Not all of YHWH's actions are for public knowledge (i.e., "do not cast your pearls before swine").

4:7 "the man of God" This was a way of designating a speaker for YHWH (i.e., v. 9). This title first appears in Jdgs. 13:6,8. It is common in Samuel and Kings, but not Chronicles.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHET (the different Hebrew terms)

▣ "debts" This NOUN (BDB 674) occurs only here.

1. the LXX views it as "interest"
2. the Targums as "creditor"
3. NJB has "redeem your pledge"

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:8-10
  ⁸Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. ⁹She said to her husband, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually. ¹⁰Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there."

4:9 Apparently Elisha made a regular circuit of visits to the sons of the prophets in different cities.

▣ "a holy man of God" The ADJECTIVE "holy" (BDB 872) is used only here for a prophet. It is often associated with temple/shrine servants.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY

4:10 "the upper chamber" Small rooms (i.e., a walled room) on the flat roofs were common in the ANE. They were mostly used in the hot months. This especially prepared room would have had a stair access outside the house.

This was a quiet place to study and pray as well as sleep.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:11-16
  ¹¹One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested. ¹²Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him. ¹³He said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?'" And she answered, "I live among my own people." ¹⁴So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Truly she has no son and her husband is old." ¹⁵He said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶Then he said, "At this season next year you will embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant."

4:13 The woman had no ulterior motives in helping the propeht!

▣ This verse contains both the VERB (BDB 353, KB 350, Qal PERFECT) and the NOUN "to tremble." Here, it denotes a holy awe of Elisha, the man of God. She wanted to help God's servant/spokesman.

4:14 "she has no son and her husband is old" Leprosy and barrenness were considered curses from God. The Bible records several miracles like this.

1. Abraham and Sarah, Gen. 18:1-15
2. Jacob and Rebekah, Gen. 25:21
3. Manoah and his wife, Jdgs. 13:2ff
4. Hannah, 1 Sam. 1:3ff
5. Elizabeth, Luke 1:39

4:16 "do not lie" This sounds harsh to us but it was not meant or taken that way in Hebrew language. Today we might say, "You're putting me on."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:17
  ¹⁷The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:18-25a
  ¹⁸When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. ¹⁹He said to his father, "My head, my head." And he said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother." ²⁰When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died. ²¹She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door behind him and went out. ²²Then she called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return." ²³He said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath." And she said, "It will be well." ²⁴Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, "Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you." ²⁵So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel.

4:19 "My head, my head" Their young miraculous son went into the field at harvest time with his dad but apparently had a sun stroke. However, the exact nature of the illness is not stated. It could also have been a brain hemorrhage or meningitis.

4:20-21 This lady believed Elisha could help!

4:22 The lady did not tell her husband that the boy was dead.

4:23 "Why will you go to him today?" The husband knew that this was an unusual time. The donkey and servant were needed for harvest.

▣ "new moon" After the sighting of the first crescent, the next day was a special worship time (cf. Num. 10:10; 28:11-15; 1 Sam. 20:18-24; Hosea 1:13; Isa. 1:13-14).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, II. A., D.

4:25 "to Mount Carmel" This was about a 14-17 mile distance. It was apparently one of Elisha's regular stops.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:25b-28
  ^25bWhen the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, there is the Shunammite. ²⁶Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well." ²⁷When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me." ²⁸Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?"

4:27 "the Lord has hidden it from me" How much God revealed to the prophets is uncertain but this implies surprise that the prophet did not know about this event.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:29-31
  ²⁹Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad's face." ³⁰The mother of the lad said, "As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." And he arose and followed her. ³¹Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad's face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, "The lad has not awakened."

4:29 "gird up your loins" This means to pull the robe up between one's legs and tuck it into the sash in the front. It was a sign of hard work or urgency.

▣ "my staff" This was a symbol of

1. YHWH's power (like Moses' staff, but a different Hebrew word)
2. Elisha was His prophet

Elisha thought the boy was ill, not that he was dead. The staff would have helped an illness but not a resuscitation; for that Elisha himself was needed.

▣ "do not salute him" This means to dispense with normal ANE etiquette.

4:30 "As the Lord lives" This was an oath formula based on "YHWH," which is the Hebrew VERB "to be" from Exod. 3:14.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:32-37
  ³²When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. ³³So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the Lord. ³⁴And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. ³⁵Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. ³⁶He called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Take up your son." ³⁷Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out.

4:33 "shut the door behind them both" Apparently from context, only Elisha entered the room.

▣ "prayed to the Lord" Elisha knew who his power source was.

4:35 This shows the prophet's anxiety at not being able to effect a wanted response. God was working with Elisha's faith as much as restoring the boy's health. This healing is similar in many ways to Mark 8:22-26. Elisha was acting in the way of Elijah (cf. 1 Kgs. 17:21-23).

This VERB (BDB 155, KB 181, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) means "to bend" or "to crouch." It occurs only twice in the Bible.

1. Elijah praying on Mt. Carmel, 1 Kgs. 18:42
2. Elisha here

I think the NASB, Peshitta thought this was an act of resuscitation, but this is uncertain. I think the LXX and JPSOA have caught the essence of the act (i.e., prayer), not CPR.

▣ "sneezed seven times" This showed that "breath" (i.e., life) had returned. The "seven" sneezes was symbolic of a full restoration.

The word "sneeze" (BDB 284) occurs only here (NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 832). A different word (BDB 743) in Job 41:10 is also translated "sneeze," but it occurs only there. Therefore, exactly what the boy did seven times must remain uncertain. It seems to have something to do with

1. breathing (i.e., sigh, moan)
2. expelling evil or sickness (NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 1155; vol. 2, p. 1093, P-13)

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:38-41
  ³⁸When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets." ³⁹Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were. ⁴⁰So they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, "O man of God, there is death in the pot." And they were unable to eat. ⁴¹But he said, "Now bring meal." He threw it into the pot and said, "Pour it out for the people that they may eat." Then there was no harm in the pot.

4:38-41 This is another recorded miracle (and I am sure there were others), where he cares and provides for "the sons of the prophets."

4:39 "wild gourds" The UBS Fauna and Flora of the Bible, p. 124, identifies this as cirtullus colocynthis, which is not deadly but causes great stomach pain. It was dried and crushed to make a purgative medicine, today called "Apples of Sodom."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 4:42-44
  ⁴²Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat." ⁴³His attendant said, "What, will I set this before a hundred men?" But he said, "Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left over.'" ⁴⁴So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

4:42-44 Here again, Elisha cares and provides for another group (i.e., non-prophets). The location of Baal-shalishah is uncertain (see ABD, vol. 1, p. 553; AB, p. 59).

4:42 "brought the man of God" Apparently when visiting a prophet one should bring a gift (i.e., 1 Sam. 9:7; 1 Kgs. 14:3; 2 Kgs. 8:8,9).

The MT has "fresh fruit (BDB 502) in his sack" (BDB 862). There are several ways to understand this, as the translations make obvious.

1. fresh ears of grain in the man's sack
2. fresh ears of grain in the husk
3. fresh stacks (from Ugaritic root, NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 696)
4. LXX suggests "fresh fruit," not grain
5. KB 499 III suggests "new corn"

4:43-44 The miracle is confirmed by the left over food.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Could children be taken as a payment for debt?
2. What is unusual about v. 9?
3. What was the significance of Elisha's staff? Why did the staff not revive the boy?
4. Why did Elisha advocate secrecy in his prophetic actions (vv. 5,33)?
5. What did the seven "sneezes" represent?
6. What was the purpose of the two miracle stories at the close of the chapter?

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