Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. IV.IV.—VIII. THE WONDROUS WORKS OF ELISHA THE PROPHET. (1-7) He multiplies the widow’s oil. (Comp. 1Kings 17:12 seq.) (1) Of the wives of the sons of the prophets.—This shows that “the sons of the prophets” were not young unmarried men leading a kind of monastic life under the control of their prophetic chief. Those who were heads of families must have had their own separate homes. (See Note on 1Kings 20:35.) Thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord.—She makes this the ground of her claim on the prophet’s assistance. In 1Kings 18:3; 1Kings 18:12 it is said of Obadiah, Ahab’s steward, that he “feared the Lord,” and on account of this slight resemblance, the Targum, Josephus, and Ephrem Syrus identify the dead man of this verse with Obadiah, who is supposed to have spent all his property in maintaining the prophets (1Kings 18:4) (!) Possibly the widow meant to say that her husband’s debts were not due to profligate living (Thenius). The creditor is come to take unto him my two sons.—According to the law (Leviticus 25:39). They would have to continue in servitude until the year of jubilee. The ancient Roman law was more severe, for it contained no provision for the future release of the unhappy debtor. (Comp. also Matthew 18:26, and Notes.)
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. (2) What hast thou?—The form of the pronoun here, and in 2Kings 4:3; 2Kings 4:7; 2Kings 4:16; 2Kings 4:23 infra, is peculiar, and points, as the present writer believes, to the northern origin of the narrative, rather than to later composition.A pot of oil.—Usually explained, vas unguentarium, an “oil-flask.” Keil says that ’āsûk rather denotes “anointing,” unctio, and ’āsûk shèmen, “an anointing in (or with) oil,” i.e., oil enough for an anointing. But it seems better to take the word as a verb: “save (whereby) I may anoint myself with oil” (Micah 6:15). Vulgate, “parum olei, quo ungar.” The Jews, like the Greeks and Romans, anointed themselves after the bath (2Samuel 12:20).
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. (3) Abroad.—Literally, from the outside (of the house); out of doors.Borrow not a few.—See margin. Do not scant, or stint, namely, to borrow.
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. (4) And when . . . thou shalt shut.—And go in and shut the door. The object was to avoid disturbance from without; perhaps, also, because publicity was undesirable in the case of such a miracle. (Comp. our Lord’s injunction of secrecy on those whom He healed, and His exclusion of the people, in Luke 8:51; Luke 8:54.)Thou shalt set aside.—By the help of thy sons (2Kings 4:5-6).
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. (5) From him.—Mē’ittô, the correct form. (Comp. 2Kings 3:11.)Who brought . . . poured out.—There should be a semicolon at “sons.” The rest is literally, They were bringing to her, and she was pouring continually (mĕyaççèqeth, only here). She did not leave her pouring. The story is evidently abridged in this verse.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. (6) Her son.—Probably the eldest. The LXX. has plural here and in the verb that follows.Stayed.—Heb., stood—i.e., halted, stopped. (Comp. Luke 8:44, ἡ ῥύσις ἔστη.) Bähr makes the word mean continued—i.e., to flow (!).
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. (7) Then she came.—And she went in.He said.—LXX., “Elisha said.” Thy debt.—Right. Margin incorrect. And live thou and thy children.—Heb., and thou—thy sons—thou mayest live. Clearly “and” has fallen out before the second word. Many MSS. and all the versions have it. Thou.—’Attî, an archaism, perhaps retained in the dialect of northern Israel (1Kings 14:2). Of the rest.—On what is left over—i.e., of the price of the oil. (8–37) The Shunammitess and her son.
And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. (8) And it fell on a day.—Rather, And it came to pass at that time. Literally, during that day, referring to the period of the miracle just related. Perhaps, too, the contrast of the poor and rich woman is intentional.Passed.—Crossed over—scil., the plain of Jezreel, which he would have to do, whether he went from Samaria, or from Carmel to Shunem, which lay on the slope of Little Hermon, about midway between the two. A great woman—i.e., of high rank, or rich (1Samuel 25:2; 2Samuel 19:33). Rabbinic tradition identifies her with Abishag the Shunammite of 1Kings 1:3 (!). In that case she must have been at this time more than 200 years old. So it was.—It came to pass. Passed by.—Crossed over, as above. He turned in.—He would turn aside (frequentative). For the phrase, see Genesis 19:2.
And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. (9) An holy man of God.—The term “holy” is not a merely ornamental or conventional epithet of the “man of God” (i.e., prophet) as such, but denotes the special moral elevation of Elisha.Continually.—At stated intervals, regularly.
A bed.—The four things mentioned are the only essentials in Oriental furnishing. A stool.—A chair of state. The same word means throne. Candlestick.—Lamp-stand.
Chamber.—Upper chamber. Lay—i.e., lay down to rest.
His servant.—His young man (Genesis 22:3). She stood before him—i.e., before Gehazi. The sentence, “And when he had called her, she stood before him,” is an anticipation of the result, and might be placed within a parenthesis.
Thou hast been careful . . . with all this care.—Literally, trembled all this trembling. Comp. Luke 10:41 (τυρβάζῃ). Wouldest thou be spoken for to the king?—Literally, is it to speak for thee to the king? that is, dost thou stand in need of an advocate at court? Is there any boon thou desirest from the king? This shows what influence Elisha enjoyed at the time: but it does not prove that Jehu, whom he anointed, was already on the throne, for Jehoram respected and probably feared the prophet. The captain of the host.—The commander-in- chief, who was the most powerful person next the king. I dwell among mine own people.—Literally, In the midst of my people I am dwelling—scil., far from the court and courtly interests. I have nothing to seek from such exalted personages; I am a mere commoner living quietly in the country.
She hath no child.—Which was at once a misfortune and a reproach. (Comp. Genesis 30:23; 1Samuel 1:6-7; Luke 1:25; Deuteronomy 7:13-14; Psalm 128:3-4.)
She stood.—Or, took her stand. Modesty, or reverence for Elisha, prevented her from going farther.
According to the time of life.—Rather, at the reviving time—i.e., next spring; or, when the time revives—i.e., in the following year: a phrase occurring in Genesis 18:10; Genesis 18:15. Böttcher renders, “when the year has revolved,” assuming the ground meaning of the term “life” to be something joined in a circle. Thou shalt embrace.—Thou art about to embrace. Do not lie—i.e., raise no delusive hopes. (Comp. Isaiah 58:11.) We can imagine the emotion with which this would be said. (Comp. the incredulity of Sarah, Genesis 18:12-13.)
Said.—Promised. According to the time of life.—See Note on 2Kings 4:16.
A lad.—Rather, the young man. The servant waiting on him.
Brought him.—Brought him in—i.e., in-doors. Till noon.—We gather from this that the boy was hurt in the forenoon.
Asses.—She-asses. That I may run.—Notice the striking naturalness of the language, in which she promises to be back soon.
It is neither new moon, nor sabbath.—Comp. Amos 8:5. This remark is interesting, because it implies that the faithful in the northern kingdom were wont to visit prophets on these holy days for the sake of religious instruction and edification. Thenius suggests a doubt whether the later practice of resorting to the Scribes on these days has not here been transferred by an anachronism to the days of Elisha. (Comp. Numbers 18:11 seq.; Leviticus 23:3, for the legal mode of observing new moons and Sabbath days.) It shall be well.—Omit it shall be. The expression may be equivalent to our common “all right;” admitting the truth of what is said, yet persisting in one’s purpose. She did not want to be delayed, nor to have her faith shaken by argument.
Slack not thy riding for me.—Literally, restrain me not from riding—i.e., do not stop, or slacken speed. A halt for rest might naturally be taken, as the distance was considerable.
Afar off.—The same word (minnèged) as to view (chap 2Kings 2:7; 2Kings 2:15). Shunammite.—Syriac, Shulamite.
It is well.—She said this merely to avoid further explanation. She would open her grief to the prophet’s own ear, and to none other.
She caught him by the feet.—She laid hold of (clasped) his feet. Assuming the posture of an humble and urgent suppliant, and no doubt pouring out a flood of passionate entreaties for help. But (and) Gehazi came near to thrust her away.—He thought her vehemence a trespass upon the dignity of his master. (Comp. Matthew 19:13; John 4:27.) The Lord hath hid it from me.—Supernatural knowledge of every event was not a characteristic of the gift of prophecy. (Comp. 2Samuel 7:3 seq. for a somewhat similar case of ignorance on the part of a prophet.)
Did I desire (ask) a son of my lord?—Only the conclusion of her appeal is given. She says, Better to have had no son, than to have had one and lost him. The opposite of our poet’s “‘Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all.” But this last is the fruit of reflection; her words are the spontaneous outflow of a mother’s poignant sorrow. Or, perhaps, we should understand that grief does not allow her to specify the cause directly; she leaves the prophet to infer that from her questions.
Lay my staff upon the face of the child.—It seems to be implied that if the mother had had faith this would have sufficed for raising the child. (Comp. 2Kings 2:8; Acts 19:12.) Keil supposes that the prophet foresaw the failure of this expedient, and intended by it to teach the Shunammitess and his followers generally that the power of working miracles was not magically inherent in himself or in his staff, as they might imagine, but only in Jehovah, who granted the temporary use of that power to faith and prayer. In other words, Elisha was seeking to lift the minds of his disciples to higher and more spiritual conceptions of the prophetic office. But this seems doubtful.
Wherefore he went again.—And he came back to meet him (Elisha). The child is not awaked.—The lad woke not. The Rabbis explain Gehazi’s failure by assuming that he had disobeyed his master’s injunction by loitering on the way. This is contradicted by the narrative itself. He had acted with all despatch. Others blame him on other grounds, which, in the absolute silence of the text, cannot be substantiated. The prophet says no word of censure when he receives the announcement of the failure. Bähr thinks that Elisha himself was at fault in supposing he could transfer the spirit and power of a prophet to his servant; and acted in over-haste without a Divine incentive. (Comp. 2Samuel 7:3 seq.) The true explanation is suggested in the Note on 2Kings 4:29. (Bähr is wrong in taking the staff to be other than a walking staff. A different word would be used for rod or sceptre.)
Them twain.—Himself and the body.
And lay upon the child.—Comp. 1Kings 17:21. What is hinted at there is described here (Thenius). Stretched himself upon the child.—Bowed himself. So LXX., Syriac, and Vulg. (Comp. 1Kings 18:42.) This expression summarises the preceding details. The flesh of the child waxed warm.—The life of the Divine Spirit which was in Elisha was miraculously imparted by contact to the lifeless body. (Comp. Genesis 2:7.)
Walked in the house to and fro.—Or, in the chamber. Elisha’s walking to and fro is an index of intense excitement. He was earnestly expecting the fulfilment of his prayer. Cornelius à Lapide thinks the prophet walked “ut ambulando excitaret majorem calorem quem puero communicaret” (!) The child sneezed.—The verb occurs here only. It denotes a faint rather than a loud sneeze. (Heb., ‘atîshāh; Job 41:10.) It is omitted by the LXX., which has, “and he bowed himself over the boy until seven times.” The repeated sneezing was a sign of restored respiration. (Comp. Luke 7:15.) Keil supposes that whereas Elijah raised the widow’s son at once, his successor only restored the Shunammite’s son by degrees; and that this betokens an inferiority on the part of Elisha. But the narrative in 1Kings 17:17 seq. is plainly abridged.
Bowed herself to the ground.—In deep veneration for the prophet of Jehovah.
(38) And Elisha came again.—Now Elisha had returned, commencing a new narrative. The word “return” refers to the prophet’s annual visit. (Comp. 2Kings 4:25, and 2Kings 2:1, Notes.) The story is not put in chronological sequence with the foregoing. And there was a dearth.—And the famine was. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him.—As disciples before a master; probably in a common hall, which served for lecture, work, and dining-room. (Comp. 2Kings 6:1; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1; Acts 22:3.) His servant.—Perhaps not Gehazi, but one of the sons of the prophets. So in 2Kings 4:43. Seethe pottage.—Genesis 25:29.
A wild vine.—Vulg., “quasi vitem silvestrem,” i.e., a running plant, like a vine. Wild gourds.—In 1Kings 6:18 a related word is used to describe one of the decorations of the Temple (“knops”). Wild gourds, or cucumbers (cucumeres agrestes, or asinini), are oval in shape, and taste bitter. Their Hebrew name (paqqû‘ôth) is expressive of the fact that when ripe they are apt to burst upon being touched. If eaten they act as a violent purgative. They were mistaken on the present occasion for edible gourds, a favourite food of the people (Numbers 11:5). The Vulg. renders “colocynth,” or coloquintida, a plant of the same family, bearing large orange-like fruits, which are very bitter, and cause colic (cucumis colocynthi, L.). Keil supposes this to be the “wild vine” intended. They knew them not.—And so did not stop the young man from his shredding.
And he said, Pour out.—The LXX. adds, “to Gehazi, his servant;” probably a gloss.
Bread of the firstfruits.—Comp. Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4, according to which all firstfruits of grain were to be given to the priests and Levites. Such presents to prophets appear to have been usual in ordinary times. On the present occasion, which was “a time of dearth” (2Kings 4:42 is connected by the construction with the preceding narrative), one pious person brought his opportune gift to Elisha. And full ears of corn in the husk thereof.—Heb., and karmel in his wallet. The word karmel occurs besides in Leviticus 2:14; Leviticus 23:14. The Targum and Syriac render “bruised grain;” the Jewish expositors “tender and fresh ears of corn.” In some parts of England unripe corn is made into a dish called “frumenty.” The word çiqlôn only occurs in this place. The Vulg. renders it by pera (“wallet”). The LXX. (Alex.) repeats the Hebrew in Greek letters. The Vatican omits the word. It reads: “twenty barley loaves and cakes of pressed fruit” (παλάθας). The Syriac gives “garment.” And he said—i.e., Elisha said. Give unto the people.—Comp. Matthew 14:16.
What, should I set this before an hundred men?—Or, How am I to set? &c. (Comp. Matthew 14:33.) He said again.—And he said. They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.—Heb., eating and leaving! an exclamatory mode of speech, natural in hurried and vehement utterance.
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