2 Kings 4 summary meaning ai explained commentary

2 Kings 4 meaning explained in AI Summary

This chapter showcases Elisha's ministry, highlighting his power through God to perform miracles and help those in need.

1. Elisha helps the widow and her sons (vv. 1-7): A prophet's widow cries out to Elisha, burdened by debt and facing the enslavement of her sons. Elisha miraculously multiplies her oil, allowing her to pay off the debt and sustain her family.

2. Elisha and the Shunammite woman (vv. 8-37): A wealthy woman in Shunem shows hospitality to Elisha, providing him with food and lodging. In return, Elisha promises her a son, which comes to pass. Years later, the boy dies, but Elisha miraculously raises him back to life.

3. Elisha and the poisonous stew (vv. 38-41): While visiting the sons of the prophets, Elisha encounters a pot of poisonous stew. He throws flour into it, neutralizing the poison and saving the men from harm.

4. Elisha feeds one hundred men (vv. 42-44): A man brings Elisha twenty loaves of barley bread and some grain. Elisha miraculously multiplies the food, feeding one hundred men with leftovers remaining.

Key Themes:

God's Provision: Throughout the chapter, God provides for those in need through Elisha's miracles. He provides for the widow, the Shunammite woman, the sons of the prophets, and the hungry men.
The Power of Faith: The chapter emphasizes the importance of faith in God. The widow, the Shunammite woman, and the others who receive Elisha's help all demonstrate faith in God's power.
The Role of the Prophet: Elisha acts as God's instrument, performing miracles and offering guidance to those who seek him out. He embodies God's compassion and willingness to help those in need.

Overall, 2 Kings Chapter 4 is a testament to God's power and love, demonstrated through the miraculous ministry of Elisha.

2 Kings 4 bible study ai commentary

2 Kings 4 showcases the power and compassion of Yahweh working through his prophet Elisha. In a series of five distinct miracles, the chapter demonstrates God's ability to provide in times of debt (the widow's oil), bring life from barrenness (the Shunammite's son), overcome death itself (the son's resurrection), purify what is deadly (the poisoned stew), and multiply scarce resources (the feeding of the hundred). These acts serve as a powerful testament to God's authority over every aspect of human existence—financial, biological, and physical—contrasting sharply with the impotence of the Baal worship prevalent in the Northern Kingdom.

2 Kings 4 context

The events of 2 Kings 4 take place in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 9th century BC, likely under the reign of King Jehoram. This was a period of intense religious syncretism and apostasy, with the state-sponsored worship of Baal deeply entrenched. In this spiritually dark context, Elisha and the "sons of the prophets" represent a faithful remnant community dedicated to Yahweh. The culture was governed by strict customs of hospitality (key to the Shunammite story) and harsh debt laws (from which the first miracle provides release), which permitted creditors to take children as bondservants to pay off a family's debt. The miracles performed are not just displays of power but direct challenges to Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility and storm, demonstrating that Yahweh alone is the true source of life and provision.

2 Kings 4:1-7

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on the rest.”

In-depth-analysis

The woman's husband was one of the "sons of the prophets," part of a faithful community loyal to Yahweh, yet they were not immune to hardship.
The creditor's action, while legal under the custom of the time (see Lev 25:39), highlights a social crisis where the law was applied without mercy.
Elisha's first question, "What do you have in your house?" establishes a core principle: God often begins His miraculous work with the small thing a person already possesses and is willing to offer.
The instruction to "shut the door" emphasizes that the miracle is an act of private faith and dependence on God, not a public performance.
The miracle's extent was limited only by the woman's obedience and faith in gathering empty vessels. The oil stopped flowing only when there were no more jars to fill, symbolizing that God's provision is often limited by our capacity to receive.

Bible references

1 Kings 17:12-16: ‘...I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour... and a little olive oil...’ (Elijah and the widow of Zarephath provide for immediate need, a direct parallel).
John 2:6-7: '...six stone water jars... Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.' (Miracle involving filling vessels based on obedience).
Mark 6:38: ‘“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”... they said, “Five—and two fish.”’ (Jesus asks what the disciples have before a multiplication miracle).
2 Corinthians 4:7: 'But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.' (Theological connection of valuable contents in simple vessels).

Cross references

Eph 3:20 (God is able to do immeasurably more), Mal 3:10 (God pours out blessings), Luke 1:37 (nothing is impossible with God).

2 Kings 4:8-17

One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” ...Elisha said... "About this time next year... you will hold a son in your arms.” "No, my lord!” she cried. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

In-depth-analysis

A "great woman" (ishah gedolah): This term denotes a person of significant wealth, influence, and noble character.
Discerning hospitality: Her hospitality is not generic; she perceives Elisha's identity as a "holy man of God" and provides for his specific needs without being asked. This demonstrates spiritual discernment.
The "prophet's chamber": The construction of a dedicated room shows intentional, selfless generosity. It becomes a place of blessing for both her and the prophet.
Elisha seeks to repay: The prophet, moved by her kindness, actively looks for a way to bless her, illustrating the principle that God rewards those who honor His servants.
A promise echoing history: The promise of a son to a barren, aging woman directly parallels God's promise to Abraham and Sarah (Gen 18). Her response, "do not lie to your servant," mirrors Sarah's initial disbelief born from long-unfulfilled hope.

Bible references

Genesis 18:10: 'Then the Lord said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."' (The direct parallel promise).
Hebrews 13:2: 'Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.' (Principle of godly hospitality).
Matthew 10:41: 'Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward...' (The reward for honoring God's servant).
Luke 1:26-38: 'The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!... You will conceive and give birth to a son...”' (Supernatural birth announcement).

Cross references

Gen 21:1-2 (Isaac's birth), 1 Sam 1:19-20 (Hannah conceives), Luke 1:13 (Zechariah's promise of a son).

2 Kings 4:18-37

The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. “My head! My head!” he said to his father. His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” ...and he died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out... when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet... He said to Gehazi... “Take my staff in your hand and run... lay my staff on the boy’s face.” ...But Gehazi came back and said, “The boy has not awakened.” When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord... he stretched himself out on him—mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm... the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

In-depth-analysis

"My head, my head!": Suggests a sudden, catastrophic event like a sunstroke or brain aneurysm.
The mother's active faith: She does not surrender to grief. She lays her son on the prophet's bed, symbolically placing him in God's care, and immediately seeks the only one she believes can help.
"It is well" (Shalom): Her famous response to Gehazi is not a denial of reality but a profound declaration of faith. She is confessing that, despite the circumstance of death, God's wholeness and peace (shalom) will prevail.
The failure of the staff: Gehazi, Elisha's representative, fails to revive the boy with the staff. This is a critical point: divine power is not a magical force invested in relics or transferable by proxy. It requires personal, intimate, faith-filled intercession from the "man of God."
The resurrection method: Elisha shutting the door, praying, and stretching himself over the boy demonstrates a deep, personal engagement. This posture, similar to Elijah's, is symbolic of God's life being imparted directly to the dead, a foreshadowing of the intimate way Christ overcomes death.
Seven sneezes: The number seven in Scripture often represents divine completion and perfection. The boy's revival is total and complete.

Bible references

1 Kings 17:21: 'Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord... And the Lord heard Elijah’s cry...' (The parallel resurrection by Elijah).
Hebrews 11:35: 'Women received their dead raised to life again.' (This verse in the "Hall of Faith" is a direct reference to the miracles performed by Elijah and Elisha).
Luke 7:14-15: 'Then he went up and touched the bier... The young man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.' (Jesus resurrects a widow's son).
Acts 20:10: 'Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”' (Apostolic ministry echoes the prophet's).

Cross references

Gen 2:7 (God breathes life), John 11:43-44 (Lazarus's resurrection), Mark 5:39-42 (raising Jairus' daughter), Acts 9:40 (Peter raises Dorcas).

Polemics

The failure of the staff is a direct polemic against the Canaanite belief in magic and charms. Baal worship was filled with rituals and objects believed to hold intrinsic power. This miracle shows that Yahweh's power is personal and relational, not magical. It flows through a submitted person (Elisha), not a detached object (the staff).

2 Kings 4:38-41

Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these men.” One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked some of its gourds... When they were eating the stew, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

In-depth-analysis

Famine setting: This detail establishes a context of desperation, where people might eat unfamiliar plants out of necessity.
"Wild gourds": Likely Citrullus colocynthis, a wild desert gourd that looks like a small watermelon but is a violent poison, causing severe cramps and even death.
"Death in the pot!": A literal and symbolic cry. In a time of famine, the very pot that should contain life-giving sustenance contains death.
The antidote: flour. Flour, a staple of life and bread-making, is used to neutralize the poison. The simple, common element, when applied by the prophet of God, purifies the deadly. This symbolizes God's word (bread of life) bringing life and safety to what is corrupted and harmful.

Bible references

Exodus 15:25: 'Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.' (Making the bitter water of Marah sweet).
John 6:35: 'Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry...”' (Jesus as the ultimate life-giving substance).
Mark 16:18: '...and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all...' (Promise associated with the spread of the Gospel).

Cross references

Num 21:8-9 (serpent on the pole), Col 2:14-15 (Christ neutralizing the curse), Acts 28:3-6 (Paul unharmed by a viper).

2 Kings 4:42-44

A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said. “How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

In-depth-analysis

Baal Shalishah: Literally "Lord of the Third Part." That a man from a town named after Baal brought his firstfruits offering to Elisha shows that true worship of Yahweh persisted even in pagan-influenced areas.
Firstfruits: This offering (see Lev 23:20) was legally designated for the priests at the temple. By bringing it to Elisha, the man recognizes the prophet as God's legitimate spiritual authority in a corrupt age.
The servant's doubt: Paralleling the disciples' later skepticism, the servant looks at the problem with human logic ("How can I set this..."). Elisha responds with divine authority ("For this is what the Lord says...").
The clear forerunner: This miracle is the most direct Old Testament prefigurement of Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000. It follows the same pattern: an inadequate supply, a command to serve in faith, a supernatural multiplication, and leftovers as a sign of God's abundant provision.

Bible references

John 6:9, 12: '“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves... but how far will they go...?” When they had all had enough to eat, he said... "Gather the pieces that are left over.”’ (The feeding of the 5,000, with barley loaves and leftovers).
Matthew 14:19-20: '...he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.' (Clear structural parallel of Jesus' miracle).
Deuteronomy 8:3: '...man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.' (God's word provides true sustenance).

Cross references

Matt 15:32-38 (feeding the 4,000), Luke 9:12-17 (Luke's account), Lev 23:17-20 (law of firstfruits).

2 Kings chapter 4 analysis

Elisha as a type of Christ: Elisha’s ministry in this chapter distinctly prefigures that of Jesus. He confronts debt (cleansed the temple of money-changers), barrenness (brought spiritual life), death (resurrected the dead), poison (His teaching purifies souls), and scarcity (fed the multitudes). His actions are of grace, provision, and life.
The contrast with Elijah: While Elijah was a prophet of fire, judgment, and confrontation on a national scale, Elisha's miracles here are personal, community-oriented, and restorative. Where Elijah called fire from heaven, Elisha purifies stew and multiplies bread. This reflects the "double portion" of Elijah's spirit (2 Kings 2:9)—not just twice the power, but a ministry of greater breadth and life-giving grace.
The escalation of faith and scope: The miracles progress from a private act of faith for one family (the widow) to a public act of generosity from one family (the Shunammite), to the deliverance of a community (the prophets), to providing for a large crowd (the 100 men). This shows an expanding ripple of God's grace.
Yahweh vs. Baal: Each miracle is a direct polemic. Baal was the god of fertility (Yahweh gives a son), storm and rain (Yahweh ends a famine), and agricultural provision (Yahweh multiplies bread). The chapter systematically proves Yahweh's total supremacy in every domain claimed by Baal.

2 Kings 4 summary

2 Kings chapter 4 details five miracles performed by Elisha that demonstrate Yahweh's complete authority over life's circumstances. Elisha multiplies a widow's oil to cancel her debt, promises and then resurrects the son of a Shunammite woman, purifies a poisoned stew for the prophets, and multiplies twenty loaves of bread to feed one hundred men. These acts powerfully illustrate God as the ultimate provider and life-giver, directly challenging the false worship of Baal in Israel.

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2 Kings 4 AI Image Audio and Video

2 Kings chapter 4 kjv

¹ 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.
² 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.
³ Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
⁴ 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.
⁵ 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.
⁶ 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.
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
⁹ And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
¹⁰ Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
¹¹ And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
¹² And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
¹³ And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
¹⁴ And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
¹⁵ And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
¹⁶ And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
¹⁷ And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
¹⁸ And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.
¹⁹ And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
²⁰ And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
²¹ And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
²² And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
²³ And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
²⁴ Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
²⁵ So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
²⁶ Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well:
²⁷ And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.
²⁸ Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
²⁹ Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
³⁰ And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
³¹ And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
³² And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
³³ He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
³⁴ And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
³⁵ Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
³⁶ And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.
³⁷ Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
³⁸ And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
³⁹ And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
⁴⁰ So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
⁴¹ But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
⁴² And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
⁴³ And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
⁴⁴ So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings chapter 4 nkjv

¹ A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves."
² So Elisha 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 but a jar of oil."
³ Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors?empty vessels; do not gather just a few.
⁴ And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones."
⁵ So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.
⁶ Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another vessel." So the oil ceased.
⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest."
⁸ Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
⁹ And she said to her husband, "Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.
¹⁰ Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there."
¹¹ And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there.
¹² Then he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite woman." When he had called her, she stood before him.
¹³ And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?' " She answered, "I dwell among my own people."
¹⁴ So he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old."
¹⁵ So he said, "Call her." When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
¹⁶ Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!"
¹⁷ But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
¹⁸ And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.
¹⁹ And he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to a servant, "Carry him to his mother."
²⁰ When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
²¹ And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.
²² Then she called to her husband, and said, "Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back."
²³ So he said, "Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath." And she said, "It is well."
²⁴ Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you."
²⁵ And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!
²⁶ Please 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."
²⁷ Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me."
²⁸ So she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?"
²⁹ Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child."
³⁰ And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
³¹ Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."
³² When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.
³³ He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
³⁴ And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
³⁵ He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
³⁶ And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."
³⁷ So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.
³⁸ And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets."
³⁹ So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.
⁴⁰ Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
⁴¹ So he said, "Then bring some flour." And he put it into the pot, and said, "Serve it to the people, that they may eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
⁴² Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, "Give it to the people, that they may eat."
⁴³ But his servant said, "What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?" He said again, "Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: 'They shall eat and have some left over.' "
⁴⁴ So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings chapter 4 niv

¹ The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves."
² Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a small jar of olive oil."
³ Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few.
⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."
⁵ She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.
⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat.
⁹ She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God.
¹⁰ Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."
¹¹ One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there.
¹² He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him.
¹³ Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?'?" She replied, "I have a home among my own people."
¹⁴ "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi said, "She has no son, and her husband is old."
¹⁵ Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.
¹⁶ "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord!" she objected. "Please, man of God, don't mislead your servant!"
¹⁷ But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
¹⁸ The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.
¹⁹ He said to his father, "My head! My head!" His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother."
²⁰ After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.
²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
²² She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."
²³ "Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath." "That's all right," she said.
²⁴ She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you."
²⁵ So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite!
²⁶ Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?'?" "Everything is all right," she said.
²⁷ When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why."
²⁸ "Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?"
²⁹ Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don't greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face."
³⁰ But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.
³¹ Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, "The boy has not awakened."
³² When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.
³³ He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
³⁴ Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy's body grew warm.
³⁵ Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
³⁶ Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." And he did. When she came, he said, "Take your son."
³⁷ She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
³⁸ Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, "Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets."
³⁹ One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.
⁴⁰ The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, "Man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
⁴¹ Elisha said, "Get some flour." He put it into the pot and said, "Serve it to the people to eat." And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
⁴² A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
⁴³ "How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.'?"
⁴⁴ Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings chapter 4 esv

¹ Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."
² And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
³ Then he said, "Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few.
⁴ Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside."
⁵ So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her.
⁶ When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." Then the oil stopped flowing.
⁷ She came and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest."
⁸ One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food.
⁹ And she said to her husband, "Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way.
¹⁰ Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there."
¹¹ One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.
¹² And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." When he had called her, she stood before him.
¹³ And he said to him, "Say now to her, 'See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She answered, "I dwell among my own people."
¹⁴ And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."
¹⁵ He said, "Call her." And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
¹⁶ And he said, "At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant."
¹⁷ But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.
¹⁸ When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers.
¹⁹ And he said to his father, "Oh, my head, my head!" The father said to his servant, "Carry him to his mother."
²⁰ And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died.
²¹ And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out.
²² Then she called to her husband and said, "Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again."
²³ And he said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." She said, "All is well."
²⁴ Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, "Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you."
²⁵ So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Look, there is the Shunammite.
²⁶ Run at once to meet her and say to her, 'Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?'" And she answered, "All is well."
²⁷ And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, "Leave her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me."
²⁸ Then she said, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?'"
²⁹ He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."
³⁰ Then the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
³¹ Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened."
³² When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.
³³ So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
³⁴ Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm.
³⁵ Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
³⁶ Then he summoned Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, "Pick up your son."
³⁷ She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.
³⁸ And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, "Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets."
³⁹ One of them 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 cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.
⁴⁰ And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
⁴¹ He said, "Then bring flour." And he threw it into the pot and said, "Pour some out for the men, that they may eat." And there was no harm in the pot.
⁴² A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, "Give to the men, that they may eat."
⁴³ But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and have some left.'"
⁴⁴ So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.

2 Kings chapter 4 nlt

¹ One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves."
² "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied.
³ And Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.
⁴ Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled."
⁵ So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another.
⁶ Soon every container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar," she said to one of her sons. "There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
⁷ When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over."
⁸ One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.
⁹ She said to her husband, "I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God.
¹⁰ Let's build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by."
¹¹ One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest.
¹² He said to his servant Gehazi, "Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her." When she appeared,
¹³ Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tell her, 'We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" "No," she replied, "my family takes good care of me."
¹⁴ Later Elisha asked Gehazi, "What can we do for her?" Gehazi replied, "She doesn't have a son, and her husband is an old man."
¹⁵ "Call her back again," Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway,
¹⁶ "Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!" "No, my lord!" she cried. "O man of God, don't deceive me and get my hopes up like that."
¹⁷ But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
¹⁸ One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters.
¹⁹ Suddenly he cried out, "My head hurts! My head hurts!" His father said to one of the servants, "Carry him home to his mother."
²⁰ So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died.
²¹ She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there.
²² She sent a message to her husband: "Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back."
²³ "Why go today?" he asked. "It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath." But she said, "It will be all right."
²⁴ So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, "Hurry! Don't slow down unless I tell you to."
²⁵ As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, "Look, the woman from Shunem is coming.
²⁶ Run out to meet her and ask her, 'Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?'" "Yes," the woman told Gehazi, "everything is fine."
²⁷ But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the LORD has not told me what it is."
²⁸ Then she said, "Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn't I say, 'Don't deceive me and get my hopes up'?"
²⁹ Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel ; take my staff and go! Don't talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child's face."
³⁰ But the boy's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I won't go home unless you go with me." So Elisha returned with her.
³¹ Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child's face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, "The child is still dead."
³² When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet's bed.
³³ He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD.
³⁴ Then he lay down on the child's body, placing his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the child's eyes, and his hands on the child's hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child's body began to grow warm again!
³⁵ Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
³⁶ Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. "Call the child's mother!" he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, "Here, take your son!"
³⁷ She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.
³⁸ Elisha now returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. One day as the group of prophets was seated before him, he said to his servant, "Put a large pot on the fire, and make some stew for the rest of the group."
³⁹ One of the young men went out into the field to gather herbs and came back with a pocketful of wild gourds. He shredded them and put them into the pot without realizing they were poisonous.
⁴⁰ Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, "Man of God, there's poison in this stew!" So they would not eat it.
⁴¹ Elisha said, "Bring me some flour." Then he threw it into the pot and said, "Now it's all right; go ahead and eat." And then it did not harm them.
⁴² One day a man from Baal-shalishah brought the man of God a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from the first grain of his harvest. Elisha said, "Give it to the people so they can eat."
⁴³ "What?" his servant exclaimed. "Feed a hundred people with only this?" But Elisha repeated, "Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the LORD says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!"
⁴⁴ And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the LORD had promised.