I find the nameless people in the Bible are often so interesting! This Shunammite woman is no exception. The first mention of this woman calls her a "great woman." No other
woman in the Bible receives this distinction. According to John Gill's
commentary, she was "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." Wow! She definitely needs to be studied.
Verses: 2 Kings 4:8-37
Background –
parents, husband, children, siblings
We only know this woman was married and had one son, the names of her husband and son are not given either.
What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?
There are three events that occur in this chapter regarding the Shunammite woman. Each begins with the phrase "it fell on a day." There is no time given, just "it fell on a day."
The first time we read about the Shunammite woman was when Elisha passed by 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." She was mindful of the man of the God. "She had observed him at all times pass that way, and guessed by his habit and deportment that he was a religious man, and therefore took an opportunity to invite him into her house, and take a dinner with her." (John Gill)
She wasn't content with giving the man of God food, "she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 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."
Matthew Henry's Commentary said, "So well pleased was she with her guest, and so desirous of his company, that she would not only bid him welcome to her table, but provide a lodging-room for him in her house, that he might make the longer stay, not doubting but her house would be blessed for his sake, and all under her roof edified by his pious instructions and example - a good design, yet she would not do it without acquainting her husband, would neither lay out his money nor invite strangers to his house without his consent. She suggests to him, 1. That the stranger she would invite was a holy man of God, who therefore would do good to their family, and God would recompense the kindness done to him; perhaps she had heard how well paid the widow of Sarepta was for entertaining Elijah. 2. That the kindness she intended him would be no great charge to them; she would build him only a little chamber. Perhaps she had no spare room in the house, or none private and retired enough for him, who spent much of his time in contemplation, and cared not for being disturbed with the noise of the family. The furniture shall be very plain; no costly hangings, no stands, no couches, no looking-glasses, but a bed, and a table, a stool, and a candlestick, all that was needful for his convenience, not only for his repose, but for his study, his reading and writing."
Verse 11 also begins with "it fell on a day." Elisha had returned and he wanted to do something good for this kind woman. He was willing to speak to the king on her behalf, but she replied, "I dwell among mine own people." "She was content and satisfied with her present state of life, and the situation she was in, and with her friends and neighbours she lived among, and did not care to remove, though it was to a higher rank of life, and to greater dignity and honour; and she had no suit to make to the king or general, nothing to complain of; and she had friends enough to speak for her, should she want any assistance." (John Gill)
Elisha did not speak directly to the woman, but through his servant Gehazi. When she did not ask for anything Elisha said, "What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old."
Elisha then spoke directly to her, "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." "The expression, “do not lie,” which is harsh to us, accords with the plain, straightforward simplicity of ancient speech. It would not mean more than “deceive.” (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
Verse 17 says, "And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life." Just as Elisha had told her, a son was born. The shame of her barrenness was gone.
The first time we read about the Shunammite woman was when Elisha passed by 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." She was mindful of the man of the God. "She had observed him at all times pass that way, and guessed by his habit and deportment that he was a religious man, and therefore took an opportunity to invite him into her house, and take a dinner with her." (John Gill)
She wasn't content with giving the man of God food, "she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 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."
Matthew Henry's Commentary said, "So well pleased was she with her guest, and so desirous of his company, that she would not only bid him welcome to her table, but provide a lodging-room for him in her house, that he might make the longer stay, not doubting but her house would be blessed for his sake, and all under her roof edified by his pious instructions and example - a good design, yet she would not do it without acquainting her husband, would neither lay out his money nor invite strangers to his house without his consent. She suggests to him, 1. That the stranger she would invite was a holy man of God, who therefore would do good to their family, and God would recompense the kindness done to him; perhaps she had heard how well paid the widow of Sarepta was for entertaining Elijah. 2. That the kindness she intended him would be no great charge to them; she would build him only a little chamber. Perhaps she had no spare room in the house, or none private and retired enough for him, who spent much of his time in contemplation, and cared not for being disturbed with the noise of the family. The furniture shall be very plain; no costly hangings, no stands, no couches, no looking-glasses, but a bed, and a table, a stool, and a candlestick, all that was needful for his convenience, not only for his repose, but for his study, his reading and writing."
Verse 11 also begins with "it fell on a day." Elisha had returned and he wanted to do something good for this kind woman. He was willing to speak to the king on her behalf, but she replied, "I dwell among mine own people." "She was content and satisfied with her present state of life, and the situation she was in, and with her friends and neighbours she lived among, and did not care to remove, though it was to a higher rank of life, and to greater dignity and honour; and she had no suit to make to the king or general, nothing to complain of; and she had friends enough to speak for her, should she want any assistance." (John Gill)
Elisha did not speak directly to the woman, but through his servant Gehazi. When she did not ask for anything Elisha said, "What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old."
Elisha then spoke directly to her, "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." "The expression, “do not lie,” which is harsh to us, accords with the plain, straightforward simplicity of ancient speech. It would not mean more than “deceive.” (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
Verse 17 says, "And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life." Just as Elisha had told her, a son was born. The shame of her barrenness was gone.
Did she
reach a place when she needed to reset?
If so, did she? For good or evil?
Finally, verse 18 says again "it fell on a day." Her son was now old enough to work in the field with his father, John Gill said he could have been as young as six or seven. He quickly became ill and by noon had died. How she responded to this great sorrow shows how great she truly was. She didn't sit and mourn but "laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 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." "Here is the sudden death of the child. All the mother's tenderness cannot keep alive a child of promise, a child of prayer, one given in love. But how admirably does the prudent, pious mother, guard her lips under this sudden affliction! Not one peevish word escapes from her." (Matthew Henry)
She showed great faith when telling her husband that she needed to get to the man of God. She said, "It shall be well." She did not waste one second but told her servant, "Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee." She had one focus - get to the man of God. Elisha saw her coming and sent Gehazi to find out what was going on. "Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well."
When she finally reached Elisha she fell at his feet. Gehazi tried to stop her, but Elisha quickly recognized her grief. "Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?" "Great grief shrinks from putting itself into words. The Shunammite cannot bring herself to say, “My son is dead;” but by reproaching the prophet with having “deceived” her, she sufficiently indicates her loss." (Albert Barnes)
Elisha sent Gehazi ahead, but "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." A beautiful miracle took place when Elisha arrived. Elisha, "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 he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 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." "Not from any virtue imparted to it by these motions and actions of the prophet, but from life being infused into it by the Lord, which caused an heat in the several parts of the body." (John Gill)
Her response to the miracle? "Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out." "In reverence of him, and with the most profound gratitude and thankfulness for the mercy received: she went out with great joy and gladness." (John Gill)
That is the last that we read of this great woman, but I think Elisha must have continued coming to their home. She must have shared the story of her son's birth and resurrection over and over! Her faith-filled "it is well," became reality.
Finally, verse 18 says again "it fell on a day." Her son was now old enough to work in the field with his father, John Gill said he could have been as young as six or seven. He quickly became ill and by noon had died. How she responded to this great sorrow shows how great she truly was. She didn't sit and mourn but "laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. 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." "Here is the sudden death of the child. All the mother's tenderness cannot keep alive a child of promise, a child of prayer, one given in love. But how admirably does the prudent, pious mother, guard her lips under this sudden affliction! Not one peevish word escapes from her." (Matthew Henry)
She showed great faith when telling her husband that she needed to get to the man of God. She said, "It shall be well." She did not waste one second but told her servant, "Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee." She had one focus - get to the man of God. Elisha saw her coming and sent Gehazi to find out what was going on. "Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well."
When she finally reached Elisha she fell at his feet. Gehazi tried to stop her, but Elisha quickly recognized her grief. "Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?" "Great grief shrinks from putting itself into words. The Shunammite cannot bring herself to say, “My son is dead;” but by reproaching the prophet with having “deceived” her, she sufficiently indicates her loss." (Albert Barnes)
Elisha sent Gehazi ahead, but "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." A beautiful miracle took place when Elisha arrived. Elisha, "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 he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 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." "Not from any virtue imparted to it by these motions and actions of the prophet, but from life being infused into it by the Lord, which caused an heat in the several parts of the body." (John Gill)
Her response to the miracle? "Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out." "In reverence of him, and with the most profound gratitude and thankfulness for the mercy received: she went out with great joy and gladness." (John Gill)
That is the last that we read of this great woman, but I think Elisha must have continued coming to their home. She must have shared the story of her son's birth and resurrection over and over! Her faith-filled "it is well," became reality.
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