2 Kings 4 Study Notes: Elisha’s Miracles for the Needy
Elisha multiplies a poor widow’s oil so she can pay her debt and keep her sons from slavery. He promises a son to a hospitable woman of Shunem and later prays the boy back to life after he dies. He also makes a poisoned stew harmless during a famine and feeds a hundred men with twenty loaves.
General
After the widow said her only possession at home was a little oil, what did Elisha tell her to do (2 Kings 4:3-4)?
Answer: Gather many empty vessels from neighbors and fill them behind a closed door
Elisha first asked what she had at home, and she answered that she had only one jar of oil (4:2). He then told her to borrow empty containers from all her neighbors, plenty of them, then to go inside with her sons, close the door, and fill every one with oil, setting each full one aside (4:3-4). The LORD began with the little she already had, and the size of the miracle would depend on how many jars she gathered. Earlier, God had kept a widow’s flour and oil from running out in Elijah’s day (1 Kings 17:14), and Paul assures believers that God meets every need of His people (Philippians 4:19).
- 2 Kings 4:2 (BSB)““How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.””Elisha asks what she has in the house, and she names only a jar of oil.
- 2 Kings 4:3-4 (BSB)““Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.””Elisha tells her to borrow many empty jars, shut the door, and pour oil into them.
- 1 Kings 17:14 (BSB)“for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’””The LORD promised through Elijah that a widow’s flour and oil would not run out, a close parallel.
- Philippians 4:19 (BSB)“And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”Paul affirms that God supplies all the needs of His people.
Theological
What instructions did Elisha give the widow once she named her single jar of oil (2 Kings 4:3-4)?
Answer: Gather many empty vessels from neighbors and fill them behind a closed door
Elisha’s question about what she had (4:2) sets the small jar of oil at the center of the miracle. His command was to collect empty vessels widely, not sparingly, then to shut herself and her sons inside and fill each one (4:3-4). The provision would take place behind a shut door and would be measured by the vessels gathered at the prophet’s word. The account parallels the LORD’s word through Elijah that the widow’s flour and oil at Zarephath would not fail (1 Kings 17:14), and it reflects the steady pattern of God supplying His people’s needs (Philippians 4:19).
- 2 Kings 4:2 (BSB)““How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.””Elisha asks what she has in the house, and she names only a jar of oil.
- 2 Kings 4:3-4 (BSB)““Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.””Elisha tells her to borrow many empty jars, shut the door, and pour oil into them.
- 1 Kings 17:14 (BSB)“for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’””The LORD promised through Elijah that a widow’s flour and oil would not run out, a close parallel.
- Philippians 4:19 (BSB)“And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”Paul affirms that God supplies all the needs of His people.
General
After her son died, where did the Shunammite woman lay him before she left to find Elisha (2 Kings 4:21)?
Answer: On the bed in the upstairs room prepared for the prophet
The boy grew older, and one day while with his father among the reapers he cried out that his head hurt. A servant took the boy to his mother, and he stayed on her lap till midday and then died (4:18-20). She took him upstairs, placed him on the prophet’s own bed in the room she had built, shut him in, and left (4:21). Without telling her husband what had happened, she hurried to Elisha. She went straight to the prophet through whom the LORD had given the child. Elijah had once carried a dead boy up to his own bed in an upper room before praying for him (1 Kings 17:19), and the letter to the Hebrews remembers women who received their dead back raised to life (Hebrews 11:35).
- 2 Kings 4:18-20 (BSB)“And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters. “My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.”The boy complains of his head in the field, is carried to his mother, and dies on her lap at noon.
- 2 Kings 4:21 (BSB)“And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.”She lays him on the bed of the man of God, shuts the door, and goes out.
- 1 Kings 17:19 (BSB)“But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.”Elijah likewise laid a dead boy on his own bed in an upper room before praying for him.
- Hebrews 11:35 (BSB)“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.”Hebrews remembers women who received their dead back, raised to life, by faith.
Theological
Where did the Shunammite place her dead son before setting out for Mount Carmel (2 Kings 4:21)?
Answer: On the bed in the upstairs room prepared for the prophet
The promised son fell ill in the field and died on his mother’s lap at noon (4:18-20). She placed him on the prophet’s bed in the upper room, shut him in, and left at once for Elisha (4:21), keeping the death to herself. She turned at once to the prophet through whom the LORD had given the child. The scene echoes Elijah’s laying the widow’s son on the prophet’s bed in the upper room at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:19), and Hebrews counts such restorations among the triumphs of faith, when women had their dead given back to them alive (Hebrews 11:35).
- 2 Kings 4:18-20 (BSB)“And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the harvesters. “My head! My head!” he complained to his father. So his father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” After the servant had picked him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.”The boy complains of his head in the field, is carried to his mother, and dies on her lap at noon.
- 2 Kings 4:21 (BSB)“And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God. Then she shut the door and went out.”She lays him on the bed of the man of God, shuts the door, and goes out.
- 1 Kings 17:19 (BSB)“But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.”Elijah likewise laid a dead boy on his own bed in an upper room before praying for him.
- Hebrews 11:35 (BSB)“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.”Hebrews remembers women who received their dead back, raised to life, by faith.
General
During a famine at Gilgal, the prophets shouted that a pot of stew was deadly. How did Elisha make it safe (2 Kings 4:40-41)?
Answer: He threw some flour into it
Back in Gilgal during a famine, Elisha had a large pot of stew cooked for the group of prophets learning from him. One of them gathered wild gourds from a vine, not knowing what they were, and cut them into the pot (4:38-39). When the men tasted it, they shouted to Elisha that it would kill them (4:40). Elisha called for flour, threw it in, and told them to serve it, and nothing in it was harmful anymore (4:41). The text presents this as a miracle Elisha worked by means of a simple sign. Elisha had earlier healed Jericho’s bad water by throwing salt into it at the LORD’s word (2 Kings 2:21), and Moses saw bitter water made sweet when he threw in a log the LORD pointed out to him (Exodus 15:25).
- 2 Kings 4:38-39 (BSB)“When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.” One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.”During a famine at Gilgal, a man gathers wild gourds and cuts them into the stew without knowing what they are.
- 2 Kings 4:40-41 (BSB)“And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it. Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.”The men cry out that there is death in the pot, and Elisha throws in flour so nothing harmful remains.
- 2 Kings 2:21 (BSB)“and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’””Elisha earlier healed harmful water by casting in salt at the LORD’s word.
- Exodus 15:25 (BSB)“And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,”The LORD showed Moses a log that made bitter water sweet, another simple sign of God’s healing.
Theological
By what action did Elisha remove the harm from the poisoned stew at Gilgal (2 Kings 4:40-41)?
Answer: He threw some flour into it
Amid famine at Gilgal, a stew prepared for the prophetic company was spoiled by wild gourds gathered in ignorance (4:38-39), and the men cried out that death was in the pot (4:40). Elisha cast in flour and ordered it served, and the harm was gone (4:41). The text presents the change as a miracle worked through the prophet, with the flour as the outward sign. The miracle parallels Elisha’s healing of Jericho’s water with salt by the LORD’s word (2 Kings 2:21) and the sweetening of the waters of Marah through the log the LORD showed Moses (Exodus 15:25).
- 2 Kings 4:38-39 (BSB)“When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.” One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.”During a famine at Gilgal, a man gathers wild gourds and cuts them into the stew without knowing what they are.
- 2 Kings 4:40-41 (BSB)“And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it. Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.”The men cry out that there is death in the pot, and Elisha throws in flour so nothing harmful remains.
- 2 Kings 2:21 (BSB)“and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’””Elisha earlier healed harmful water by casting in salt at the LORD’s word.
- Exodus 15:25 (BSB)“And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,”The LORD showed Moses a log that made bitter water sweet, another simple sign of God’s healing.
General
When Elisha arrived and found the boy dead on the bed, what did he do first after shutting the door (2 Kings 4:33)?
Answer: He called on the LORD in prayer
Elisha went in, shut the door with only himself and the boy inside, and called on the LORD (4:32-33). Then he lay on the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands, and the boy’s body grew warm. After walking back and forth in the room, he stretched out over him again; the child sneezed seven times, then his eyes opened (4:34-35). Elisha had Gehazi call the mother and told her to take her son; she bowed down before him and took him (4:36-37). The life came from the LORD who heard the prayer, just as He had listened to Elijah and restored a widow’s son (1 Kings 17:22). Peter likewise sent everyone out, knelt, and prayed before Tabitha was raised (Acts 9:40), and James says a righteous person’s prayer has great power (James 5:16).
- 2 Kings 4:33 (BSB)“So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.”Elisha shuts the door on himself and the boy and prays to the LORD.
- 2 Kings 4:34-35 (BSB)“Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm. Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.”Elisha stretches himself over the boy twice, and the boy sneezes seven times and opens his eyes.
- 2 Kings 4:36-37 (BSB)“Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.”The mother is called, falls at Elisha’s feet, and takes up her son.
- 1 Kings 17:22 (BSB)“And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.”The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer and a widow’s son came back to life, a close parallel.
- Acts 9:40 (BSB)“Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.”Peter sent everyone out and prayed before Tabitha was raised.
- James 5:16 (BSB)“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.”James says the prayer of a righteous man has great power.
Theological
According to 2 Kings 4:33, what was Elisha’s first act once he had shut himself in with the dead child?
Answer: He called on the LORD in prayer
Alone with the dead child behind a closed door, Elisha’s first act was prayer to the LORD (4:32-33). He then lay over the child until the body warmed, paced the room, and lay over him again, until the child sneezed seven times, then his eyes opened (4:34-35). Summoned, the mother bowed down at his feet in homage and received her son (4:36-37). The restoration is the LORD’s answer to prayer, as at Zarephath, where He heard Elijah and the child lived (1 Kings 17:22); Peter’s raising of Tabitha follows the same order of prayer first (Acts 9:40), and James affirms the great power of a righteous man’s prayer (James 5:16).
- 2 Kings 4:33 (BSB)“So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.”Elisha shuts the door on himself and the boy and prays to the LORD.
- 2 Kings 4:34-35 (BSB)“Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm. Elisha turned away and paced back and forth across the room. Then he got on the bed and stretched himself out over the boy again, and the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.”Elisha stretches himself over the boy twice, and the boy sneezes seven times and opens his eyes.
- 2 Kings 4:36-37 (BSB)“Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite woman.” So he called her and she came. Then Elisha said, “Pick up your son.” She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.”The mother is called, falls at Elisha’s feet, and takes up her son.
- 1 Kings 17:22 (BSB)“And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.”The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer and a widow’s son came back to life, a close parallel.
- Acts 9:40 (BSB)“Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.”Peter sent everyone out and prayed before Tabitha was raised.
- James 5:16 (BSB)“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.”James says the prayer of a righteous man has great power.
General
What happened when Gehazi laid Elisha’s staff on the dead boy’s face (2 Kings 4:31)?
Answer: Nothing happened; the boy made no sound or movement
Gehazi went ahead and did as he was told, but the boy gave no sound and showed no sign of life. Gehazi went back to Elisha and reported that the child had not woken (4:31). The text does not explain why nothing happened. The boy came back to life only after Elisha himself arrived, closed himself in with the boy, and called on the LORD (4:32-35). Peter later told a crowd not to stare at him and John as if their own power or piety had healed a lame man (Acts 3:12).
- 2 Kings 4:31 (BSB)“Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.””Gehazi lays the staff on the boy’s face, but there is no sound or response, and he reports that the boy has not awakened.
- 2 Kings 4:33 (BSB)“So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.”After the staff fails, Elisha shuts himself in with the boy and prays to the LORD.
- Acts 3:12 (BSB)“And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”Peter denies that any healing came by the apostles’ own power or godliness.
Theological
What was the result of Gehazi’s laying the prophet’s staff on the child (2 Kings 4:31)?
Answer: Nothing happened; the boy made no sound or movement
Gehazi carried out the instruction exactly, yet there was neither voice nor response, and he reported that the boy had not awakened (4:31). The text gives no reason for the failure; it simply records that the child was restored only when Elisha came in person and called on the LORD (4:32-35). Such life-giving power belongs to God rather than to His servants, as Peter insisted when the crowd stared at the apostles (Acts 3:12).
- 2 Kings 4:31 (BSB)“Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.””Gehazi lays the staff on the boy’s face, but there is no sound or response, and he reports that the boy has not awakened.
- 2 Kings 4:33 (BSB)“So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.”After the staff fails, Elisha shuts himself in with the boy and prays to the LORD.
- Acts 3:12 (BSB)“And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”Peter denies that any healing came by the apostles’ own power or godliness.
General
When the Shunammite clung to Elisha’s feet and Gehazi tried to thrust her aside, what did Elisha say (2 Kings 4:27)?
Answer: Let her be; she is deeply troubled, and God has kept the cause from me
As she came near, Elisha sent Gehazi to ask whether she, her husband, and her child were well, and she answered only that all was well (4:25-26). But when she reached Elisha she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi stepped in to shove her aside, but Elisha told him to leave her alone, because she was greatly distressed, and the LORD had kept the reason hidden from him (4:27). Then she asked whether she had ever asked him for a son, and reminded him she had begged not to be deceived (4:28). A prophet knew only what God chose to reveal. Moses taught that secret matters are the LORD’s while what He reveals belongs to His people (Deuteronomy 29:29), and Amos says the Lord reveals His plans to the prophets who serve Him (Amos 3:7).
- 2 Kings 4:27 (BSB)“When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.””Elisha tells Gehazi to leave her alone, for she is in deep distress and the LORD has hidden the cause from him.
- 2 Kings 4:28 (BSB)“Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’””She reminds Elisha that she never asked for a son and begged not to be deceived.
- Deuteronomy 29:29 (BSB)“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.”The secret things belong to the LORD, while what He reveals belongs to His people.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”The Lord reveals His plans to His servants the prophets, so they know what He chooses to make known.
Theological
How did Elisha respond when Gehazi moved to push the grieving Shunammite away (2 Kings 4:27)?
Answer: Let her be; she is deeply troubled, and God has kept the cause from me
Having assured Gehazi only that all was well (4:25-26), the woman threw herself at Elisha’s feet. When Gehazi moved to thrust her away, Elisha restrained him: her soul was deeply troubled, and the LORD had concealed the matter from him (4:27). Her reproach, reminding him she had not asked for a son (4:28), finally disclosed it. The prophet’s knowledge is derivative, not innate; he knows what the LORD discloses and nothing more. Hidden matters are the LORD’s (Deuteronomy 29:29), and He reveals His counsel to the prophets who serve Him as He wills (Amos 3:7).
- 2 Kings 4:27 (BSB)“When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she clung to his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone, for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.””Elisha tells Gehazi to leave her alone, for she is in deep distress and the LORD has hidden the cause from him.
- 2 Kings 4:28 (BSB)“Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’””She reminds Elisha that she never asked for a son and begged not to be deceived.
- Deuteronomy 29:29 (BSB)“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.”The secret things belong to the LORD, while what He reveals belongs to His people.
- Amos 3:7 (BSB)“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”The Lord reveals His plans to His servants the prophets, so they know what He chooses to make known.
General
True or False: After Elisha sent Gehazi ahead with his staff, the Shunammite agreed to go home and wait while Elisha stayed at Mount Carmel.
Answer: False
This is false. Elisha told Gehazi to tuck up his robe, take the prophet’s staff, hurry without stopping to greet anyone, and place it on the child’s face (4:29). But the mother swore by the living LORD and by Elisha’s own life that she would not leave him, so Elisha got up and went with her (4:30). She insisted that Elisha himself come, not only his servant with the staff. Jacob likewise refused to let go until he received a blessing (Genesis 32:26), and Jesus taught His followers to keep praying without giving up (Luke 18:1).
- 2 Kings 4:29 (BSB)“So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.””Elisha sends Gehazi ahead with his staff to lay it on the boy’s face.
- 2 Kings 4:30 (BSB)“And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.”The mother swears she will not leave Elisha, so he gets up and follows her.
- Genesis 32:26 (BSB)“Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.””Jacob refused to let go until he was blessed, an example of persistent seeking.
- Luke 18:1 (BSB)“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:”Jesus taught His disciples to pray always and not lose heart.
Theological
True or False: Once Gehazi was dispatched with the staff, the mother consented to leave Elisha and return home ahead of him.
Answer: False
This is false. Elisha dispatched Gehazi with his staff in haste (4:29), but the mother bound herself by oath, by the life of the LORD and of the prophet, that she would not leave him; so Elisha rose and followed her (4:30). She held to the prophet himself rather than his servant and staff. It recalls Jacob’s refusal to release the one who wrestled him without a blessing (Genesis 32:26) and the persevering prayer Jesus commends (Luke 18:1).
- 2 Kings 4:29 (BSB)“So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.””Elisha sends Gehazi ahead with his staff to lay it on the boy’s face.
- 2 Kings 4:30 (BSB)“And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.”The mother swears she will not leave Elisha, so he gets up and follows her.
- Genesis 32:26 (BSB)“Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.””Jacob refused to let go until he was blessed, an example of persistent seeking.
- Luke 18:1 (BSB)“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:”Jesus taught His disciples to pray always and not lose heart.
General
True or False: The oil kept pouring until there were no empty vessels left to fill.
Answer: True
This is true. The widow’s sons kept bringing jars and she went on filling them. When every jar was full and her son told her none were left, the oil stopped (4:5-6). The supply was limited only by the number of jars she had gathered. In the same way, the LORD kept a widow’s flour and oil from running out in Elijah’s time, just as He had said (1 Kings 17:16). Scripture says that all creatures look to God, who gives them their food at the right time (Psalm 145:15).
- 2 Kings 4:5-6 (BSB)“So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.”The widow pours oil into the jars her sons bring until none are left, and then the oil stops.
- 1 Kings 17:16 (BSB)“The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.”The widow’s flour and oil at Zarephath did not run out, according to the LORD’s word through Elijah.
- Psalm 145:15 (BSB)“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.”The psalmist praises God for giving all who look to Him their food in season.
Theological
True or False: The flow of oil ended at the moment no further empty vessel remained.
Answer: True
This is true. The oil multiplied as long as vessels were supplied and ceased only when the son reported that none remained (4:5-6). The measure of the provision was set by the vessels gathered in obedience to the prophet’s word. The miracle echoes the LORD’s word fulfilled at Zarephath, where flour and oil did not fail according to what He had promised by Elijah (1 Kings 17:16), and it displays the providence by which God gives all creatures their food in due season (Psalm 145:15).
- 2 Kings 4:5-6 (BSB)“So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing.”The widow pours oil into the jars her sons bring until none are left, and then the oil stops.
- 1 Kings 17:16 (BSB)“The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.”The widow’s flour and oil at Zarephath did not run out, according to the LORD’s word through Elijah.
- Psalm 145:15 (BSB)“The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.”The psalmist praises God for giving all who look to Him their food in season.
General
What did Elisha tell the widow to do with the oil once every jar had been filled (2 Kings 4:7)?
Answer: Sell it, settle the debt, and live with her sons on what was left
When she told Elisha what had happened, he told her to sell the oil, pay off what her husband owed, and then support herself and her sons with the money left over (4:7). The LORD did more than rescue her for a moment: the debt was paid, her sons stayed free, and the family had something to live on. God’s law describes Him as the one who defends children without fathers and widows (Deuteronomy 10:18), and the psalmist says He sustains them (Psalm 146:9). Jesus taught that the Father knows what His children need (Matthew 6:32).
- 2 Kings 4:7 (BSB)“She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.””Elisha tells the widow to sell the oil, pay her debt, and live on the rest with her sons.
- Deuteronomy 10:18 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.”The LORD secures justice for the fatherless and the widow.
- Psalm 146:9 (BSB)“The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.”The LORD sustains the fatherless and the widow.
- Matthew 6:32 (BSB)“For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”Jesus says the heavenly Father knows what His people need.
Theological
According to 2 Kings 4:7, how was the widow to use the multiplied oil?
Answer: Sell it, settle the debt, and live with her sons on what was left
Elisha directed her to sell the oil, discharge the debt, and live with her sons on the remainder (4:7). The provision was full: the creditor was satisfied, the sons were spared bondage, and the household was sustained. This is the character the law ascribes to the LORD, who upholds the cause of the orphan and the widow (Deuteronomy 10:18) and sustains them (Psalm 146:9), the Father who knows what His children need (Matthew 6:32).
- 2 Kings 4:7 (BSB)“She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.””Elisha tells the widow to sell the oil, pay her debt, and live on the rest with her sons.
- Deuteronomy 10:18 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.”The LORD secures justice for the fatherless and the widow.
- Psalm 146:9 (BSB)“The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.”The LORD sustains the fatherless and the widow.
- Matthew 6:32 (BSB)“For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”Jesus says the heavenly Father knows what His people need.
General
Why did the woman from Shunem want to build a small upstairs room for Elisha (2 Kings 4:9-10)?
Answer: She saw that he was a holy servant of God and wanted to lodge him
A prominent woman in Shunem first urged Elisha to eat at her home, and after that he stopped there whenever he passed through (4:8). She told her husband she was sure this frequent visitor was a holy man who served God, and she asked to build a small upstairs room furnished with bed, table, chair, and lamp so he could stay there (4:9-10). She based her plan on recognizing him as the LORD’s servant. The New Testament urges believers to show hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), and Jesus said anyone who welcomes a prophet for being a prophet will share in his reward (Matthew 10:41).
- 2 Kings 4:8 (BSB)“One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.”A prominent woman of Shunem urges Elisha to eat, and he stops there whenever he passes by.
- 2 Kings 4:9-10 (BSB)“Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.””She tells her husband Elisha is a holy man of God and proposes a small furnished room for him.
- Hebrews 13:2 (BSB)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”Believers are urged not to neglect hospitality.
- Matthew 10:41 (BSB)“Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.”Jesus says whoever receives a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.
Theological
What reason did the Shunammite give her husband for furnishing an upper room for Elisha (2 Kings 4:9-10)?
Answer: She saw that he was a holy servant of God and wanted to lodge him
The prominent woman of Shunem first pressed hospitality on Elisha, so that he regularly ate at her house (4:8). She then proposed to her husband a furnished upper room, grounding the request in her discernment that he was a holy servant of God (4:9-10). Her generosity is an honoring of the LORD whose servant he was. Scripture commends such hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), and Jesus promises that anyone who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will share in his reward (Matthew 10:41).
- 2 Kings 4:8 (BSB)“One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.”A prominent woman of Shunem urges Elisha to eat, and he stops there whenever he passes by.
- 2 Kings 4:9-10 (BSB)“Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.””She tells her husband Elisha is a holy man of God and proposes a small furnished room for him.
- Hebrews 13:2 (BSB)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”Believers are urged not to neglect hospitality.
- Matthew 10:41 (BSB)“Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.”Jesus says whoever receives a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.
General
How did the Shunammite woman answer when Elisha offered to speak on her behalf at the royal court or with the army’s commander (2 Kings 4:13)?
Answer: She said she was settled among her own people and asked nothing
Through Gehazi, his servant, Elisha thanked her for all her trouble and offered to speak on her behalf at the royal court or with the army’s commander. She replied that she had a home among her own people (4:13), and she asked for nothing. It was Gehazi who then pointed out that she had no son and that her husband was old (4:14); she had not asked for a child, as she later reminded Elisha (4:28). Paul says that godliness together with being content brings great gain (1 Timothy 6:6), and he too had learned contentment in every situation (Philippians 4:11).
- 2 Kings 4:13 (BSB)“and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.”Elisha offers to speak for her to the king or army commander, and she answers that she has a home among her people.
- 2 Kings 4:14 (BSB)“So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.””Gehazi tells Elisha that she has no son and her husband is old.
- 1 Timothy 6:6 (BSB)“Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.”Paul calls godliness with contentment great gain.
- Philippians 4:11 (BSB)“I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.”Paul says he has learned to be content whatever his circumstances.
Theological
What was the Shunammite’s reply to Elisha’s offer of influence at the royal court or with the army’s commander (2 Kings 4:13)?
Answer: She said she was settled among her own people and asked nothing
Elisha, speaking through Gehazi, offered to repay her generosity with influence at court or with the army commander; she declined, saying she dwelt among her own people (4:13), and made no request. The idea of a son came from Gehazi’s observation that she was childless and her husband old (4:14), not from her request, as she later protested (4:28). Her answer fits the contentment Scripture calls great gain when joined to godliness (1 Timothy 6:6) and which Paul says he had learned (Philippians 4:11).
- 2 Kings 4:13 (BSB)“and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.”Elisha offers to speak for her to the king or army commander, and she answers that she has a home among her people.
- 2 Kings 4:14 (BSB)“So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.””Gehazi tells Elisha that she has no son and her husband is old.
- 1 Timothy 6:6 (BSB)“Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.”Paul calls godliness with contentment great gain.
- Philippians 4:11 (BSB)“I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.”Paul says he has learned to be content whatever his circumstances.
General
What happened after Elisha told the Shunammite she would have a son by the same time next year (2 Kings 4:16-17)?
Answer: She became pregnant and had a boy at the time Elisha had named
Elisha promised that about a year later she would be holding a son. She protested, begging Elisha not to mislead her (4:16). Yet she became pregnant and had a baby boy the next year, exactly as Elisha had said (4:17). The scene recalls God’s promise to Sarah, when He asked whether anything is too hard for the LORD and set a time for her son’s birth (Genesis 18:14); Sarah too bore her son at the exact time God had set (Genesis 21:2). The angel Gabriel later said that nothing God has spoken can fail (Luke 1:37).
- 2 Kings 4:16 (BSB)“And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.””Elisha promises she will hold a son next year, and she begs him not to lie to her.
- 2 Kings 4:17 (BSB)“But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.”She conceives and bears a son the next year, as Elisha had told her.
- Genesis 18:14 (BSB)“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.””God promised Sarah a son at an appointed time, asking whether anything is too difficult for the LORD.
- Genesis 21:2 (BSB)“So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.”Sarah bore her son at the very time God had promised.
- Luke 1:37 (BSB)“For no word from God will ever fail.””The angel affirms that no word from God will ever fail.
Theological
How was Elisha’s promise of a son to the Shunammite fulfilled (2 Kings 4:16-17)?
Answer: She became pregnant and had a boy at the time Elisha had named
Elisha announced a son within the year, and the woman begged him not to deceive her (4:16). The word came to pass precisely: she became pregnant and bore a boy at the season Elisha had named (4:17). The pattern mirrors the promise to Sarah, set at an appointed time and grounded in the question whether anything is too hard for the LORD (Genesis 18:14), and its exact fulfillment (Genesis 21:2). The prophetic word is the LORD’s word, and nothing God has spoken can fail (Luke 1:37).
- 2 Kings 4:16 (BSB)“And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.””Elisha promises she will hold a son next year, and she begs him not to lie to her.
- 2 Kings 4:17 (BSB)“But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.”She conceives and bears a son the next year, as Elisha had told her.
- Genesis 18:14 (BSB)“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.””God promised Sarah a son at an appointed time, asking whether anything is too difficult for the LORD.
- Genesis 21:2 (BSB)“So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.”Sarah bore her son at the very time God had promised.
- Luke 1:37 (BSB)“For no word from God will ever fail.””The angel affirms that no word from God will ever fail.
General
Why were a hundred men able to eat from only twenty barley loaves and still have food left over (2 Kings 4:43-44)?
Answer: The LORD had promised they would all eat with food to spare
Someone from Baal-shalishah brought Elisha twenty barley loaves made from the first grain of the harvest. Elisha told his servant to set it before the men, but the servant asked how so little could feed a hundred men (4:42-43). Elisha repeated the command and gave the reason: the LORD had said they would eat and have leftovers. They ate, and there was some left, exactly as the LORD had said (4:43-44). Jesus later did something greater, feeding thousands with five loaves of barley, with twelve baskets of pieces gathered afterward (John 6:9, 13). God’s word always accomplishes what He sends it to do (Isaiah 55:11).
- 2 Kings 4:42 (BSB)“Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.”A man from Baal-shalishah brings twenty barley loaves of firstfruits, and Elisha says to give them to the people.
- 2 Kings 4:43-44 (BSB)“But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.”The servant doubts, but Elisha cites the LORD’s word, and the men eat with some left over.
- John 6:9 (BSB)““Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?””At Jesus’ feeding, a boy had only five barley loaves and two fish for a great crowd.
- John 6:13 (BSB)“So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”After the crowd ate, twelve baskets of leftover pieces were gathered.
- Isaiah 55:11 (BSB)“so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.”God’s word accomplishes what He purposes and does not return empty.
Theological
What does 2 Kings 4:43-44 give as the basis for the hundred men eating and having bread to spare?
Answer: The LORD had promised they would all eat with food to spare
Twenty barley loaves of firstfruits brought from Baal-shalishah seemed absurdly short for a hundred men, as the servant objected (4:42-43). Elisha grounded his command in the LORD’s spoken word that they would eat and leave some over, and the narrative closes by noting the fulfillment according to that word (4:43-44). Many Christians have seen in it a foreshadowing of Jesus’ greater feeding using five loaves of barley, where the remnants filled twelve baskets (John 6:9, 13). The efficacy lies in the divine word, which never returns to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11).
- 2 Kings 4:42 (BSB)“Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha.”A man from Baal-shalishah brings twenty barley loaves of firstfruits, and Elisha says to give them to the people.
- 2 Kings 4:43-44 (BSB)“But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.”The servant doubts, but Elisha cites the LORD’s word, and the men eat with some left over.
- John 6:9 (BSB)““Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?””At Jesus’ feeding, a boy had only five barley loaves and two fish for a great crowd.
- John 6:13 (BSB)“So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”After the crowd ate, twelve baskets of leftover pieces were gathered.
- Isaiah 55:11 (BSB)“so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.”God’s word accomplishes what He purposes and does not return empty.
General
Why did the widow of a prophet in Elisha’s circle cry out to him for help (2 Kings 4:1)?
Answer: The man her husband owed was coming to make her boys slaves
The woman’s husband had belonged to the group of prophets who gathered around Elisha. Now he was dead, and she reminded Elisha that he had been a man who revered the LORD. A man her husband owed money to was about to take her two boys and make them his slaves to cover the debt (4:1). With no husband to provide for her, she turned to the LORD’s prophet. Scripture describes God as the one who protects widows and children without fathers (Psalm 68:5), and His law forbade Israel to mistreat them (Exodus 22:22). What follows shows the LORD caring for this helpless family.
- 2 Kings 4:1 (BSB)“Now the wife of one 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 now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!””A prophet’s widow tells Elisha her God-fearing husband has died and his creditor is coming to enslave her two children.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God describes Himself as the protector of widows and children without fathers.
- Exodus 22:22 (BSB)“You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.”The law commanded Israel not to mistreat any widow or orphan, showing God’s concern for such families.
Theological
What crisis brought the prophet’s widow to Elisha in 2 Kings 4:1?
Answer: The man her husband owed was coming to make her boys slaves
The widow’s late husband had been one of the prophetic company around Elisha, a man who feared the LORD; now his creditor was coming to claim her two sons as slaves in payment of the debt (4:1). Her appeal to the prophet is an appeal to the LORD, who names Himself the protector of widows and the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) and who bound Israel by law not to oppress them (Exodus 22:22). The miracle that follows displays that covenant care toward the weakest members of His people.
- 2 Kings 4:1 (BSB)“Now the wife of one 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 now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!””A prophet’s widow tells Elisha her God-fearing husband has died and his creditor is coming to enslave her two children.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God describes Himself as the protector of widows and children without fathers.
- Exodus 22:22 (BSB)“You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.”The law commanded Israel not to mistreat any widow or orphan, showing God’s concern for such families.