2 Kings 4:8
in 2 Kings 4One 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd it fell on a day,.... Or so it was at a certain time: that Elisha passed to Shunem; a city in the tribe of Issachar; of which see Jos 19:18, where was a great woman; of great wealth and riches, of great benevolence and hospitality, and of great grace and piety; that feared sin, as the Targum paraphrases it; a woman of great credit and reputation on all accounts.
This site's exposition
passed to Shunem, where was
on 2 Kings 4:8-10
The Hebrew term rendered great woman marks wealth and social standing rather than fame, so this hospitality comes from a woman with means to build rather than merely to feed. Her own initiative, not a request from Elisha, provides a permanent room: a bed, a table, a stool, and a candlestick, furnishings for study and rest rather than display. A woman housing a wandering man of God has already run once through this ministry at Zarephath (1 Ki 17:9-19), and it runs again here with the disciple standing in his master's place.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
It happened, in the next days, that Elisha arrived at Shunem and passed it. After the ascension of Elijah, Elisha took his place and was appointed as the chief and prefect of the children of the prophets. Duty to his calling obligated him to visit …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He was modest and loth to be troublesome, humble and affected not to associate with those of the first rank; so that it was not without some difficulty that he was first drawn into an acquaintance there; but afterwards, whenever he went that way in his circuit, he constantly called there.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Elisha passed to Shunem - This city was in the tribe of Issachar, to the south of the brook Kishon, and at the foot of Mount Tabor. Where was a great woman - In Pirkey Rab. Eliezer, this woman is said to have been the sister of Abishag, the Shunammite, well known in the history of David. Instead of great woman, the Chaldee has, a woman fearing sin; the Arabic, a woman eminent for piety before God. This made her truly great.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Elisha passed to Shunem--now Sulam, in the plain of Esdraelon, at the southwestern base of Little Hermon. The prophet, in his journey, was often entertained here by one of its pious and opulent inhabitants.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And it fell on a day - The original of the expression here used, which occurs three times in the present narrative 2Ki 4:11, 2Ki 4:18, is also found in Job 1:6, Job 1:13; Job 2:1. The character of the expression perhaps supports the view that the author of Kings has collected from various sources his account of the miracles of Elisha, and has kept in each case the words of the original writer. A great woman - That is, “a rich woman.” Compare 1Sa 25:2; 2Sa 19:32.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֨י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַיּ֜וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וַיַּעֲבֹ֧ר | vaiyaavor | and he passed on | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֱלִישָׁ֣ע | ʾelisha' | Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שׁוּנֵ֗ם | shunem | Shunem | H7766 → | |
| וְשָׁם֙ | vesham | and [was] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אִשָּׁ֣ה | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| גְדוֹלָ֔ה | gedolah | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וַתַּחֲזֶק־ | vatachazek- | and she urged | H2388 → | 291 times |
| בּ֖וֹ | bo | <on> him | ||
| לֶאֱכָל־ | leekhol- | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לָ֑חֶם | lachem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וַֽיְהִי֙ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מִדֵּ֣י | midei | as often as | H1767 → | |
| עָבְר֔וֹ | avero | passed by he | H5674 → | 556 times |
| יָסֻ֥ר | yasur | he turned aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| שָׁ֖מָּה | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לֶאֱכָל־ | leekhol- | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| לָֽחֶם׃ | lachem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
וַיְהִ֨יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
הַיּ֜וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
וַיַּעֲבֹ֧רand he passed on
vaiyaavorH5674 →556 times
אֱלִישָׁ֣עElisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שׁוּנֵ֗םShunem
shunemH7766 →
וְשָׁם֙and [was] there
veshamH8033 →834 times
אִשָּׁ֣הa woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
גְדוֹלָ֔הgreat
gedolahH1419 →526 times
וַתַּחֲזֶק־and she urged
vatachazek-H2388 →291 times
בּ֖וֹ<on> him
bo
לֶאֱכָל־to eat
leekhol-H398 →810 times
לָ֑חֶםfood
lachemH3899 →298 times
וַֽיְהִי֙and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
מִדֵּ֣יas often as
mideiH1767 →
עָבְר֔וֹpassed by he
averoH5674 →556 times
יָסֻ֥רhe turned aside
yasurH5493 →299 times
שָׁ֖מָּהthere towards
shamahH8033 →834 times
לֶאֱכָל־to eat
leekhol-H398 →810 times
לָֽחֶם׃food
lachemH3899 →298 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 19:18Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 28:4
The Philistines came together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 28:4
Through
Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
it leads to
- Job 29:25
I chose their course and presided as chief. So I dwelt as a king among his troops, as a comforter of the mourners.
- Job 42:12
So the LORD blessed Job’s latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
- Judges 6:3
Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them,
- 1 Kings 4:30
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
- Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.
- Job 29:25
Through
1 Kings 1:3Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king.
it leads to
- Esther 2:4
Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
- Joshua 19:18
Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
- Esther 2:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomElishaElijah's successor with the firstborn's double portion; the prophet of the healed spring, the widow's oil, the Shunammite's son, N…
- PlaceJezreel ValleyShunemHome of the great woman who built the prophet's chamber on the wall; her son, given and raised, is one of Elisha's greatest signs.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 4:8; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.