20 And when he had taken H5375 him, and brought H935 him to his mother, H517 he sat H3427 on her knees H1290 till noon, H6672 and then died. H4191
Now G1161 when G5613 he came nigh G1448 to the gate G4439 of the city, G4172 behold, G2532 G2400 there was G1580 a dead man G2348 carried out, G1580 the only G3439 son G5207 of his G846 mother, G3384 and G2532 she G846 was G2258 a widow: G5503 and G2532 much G2425 people G3793 of the city G4172 was G2258 with G4862 her. G846
Then G5119 G3767 said G2036 Jesus G2424 unto them G846 plainly, G3954 Lazarus G2976 is dead. G599
And he said, H559 Take now H3947 thy son, H1121 thine only H3173 son Isaac, H3327 whom thou lovest, H157 and get thee H3212 into the land H776 of Moriah; H4179 and offer him H5927 there for a burnt offering H5930 upon one H259 of the mountains H2022 which I will tell H559 thee of.
And Joseph H3130 dreamed H2492 a dream, H2472 and he told H5046 it his brethren: H251 and they hated H8130 him yet the more. H3254
As one H376 whom his mother H517 comforteth, H5162 so will I comfort H5162 you; and ye shall be comforted H5162 in Jerusalem. H3389
Son H1121 of man, H120 behold, I take away H3947 from thee the desire H4261 of thine eyes H5869 with a stroke: H4046 yet neither shalt thou mourn H5594 nor weep, H1058 neither shall thy tears H1832 run down. H935 Forbear H1826 to cry, H602 make H6213 no mourning H60 for the dead, H4191 bind H2280 the tire of thine head H6287 upon thee, and put on H7760 thy shoes H5275 upon thy feet, H7272 and cover H5844 not thy lips, H8222 and eat H398 not the bread H3899 of men. H582 So I spake H1696 unto the people H5971 in the morning: H1242 and at even H6153 my wife H802 died; H4191 and I did H6213 in the morning H1242 as I was commanded. H6680
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Kings 4
Commentary on 2 Kings 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
Great service Elisha had done, in the foregoing chapter, for the three kings: to his prayers and prophecies they owed their lives and triumphs. One would have expected that the next chapter would tell us what honours and what dignities were conferred on Elisha for this, that he should immediately be preferred at court, and made prime-minister of state, that Jehoshaphat should take him home with him, and advance him in his kingdom. No, the wise man delivered the army, but no man remembered the wise man, Eccl. 9:15. Or, if he had preferment offered him, he declined it: he preferred the honour of doing good in the schools of the prophets before that of being great in the courts of princes. God magnified him, and that sufficed him-magnified him indeed, for we have him here employed in working no fewer than five miracles.
2Ki 4:1-7
Elisha's miracles were for use, not for show; this recorded here was an act of real charity. Such also were the miracles of Christ, not only great wonders, but great favours to those for whom they were wrought. God magnifies his goodness with his power.
2Ki 4:8-17
The giving of a son to such as were old, and had been long childless, was an ancient instance of the divine power and favour, in the case of Abraham, and Isaac, and Manoah, and Elkanah; we find it here among the wonders wrought by Elisha. This was wrought in recompence for the kind entertainment which a good woman gave him, as the promise of a son was given to Abraham when he entertained angels. Observe here,
2Ki 4:18-37
We may well suppose that, after the birth of this son, the prophet was doubly welcome to the good Shunammite. He had thought himself indebted to her, but henceforth, as long as she lives, she will think herself in his debt, and that she can never do too much for him. We may also suppose that the child was very dear to the prophet, as the son of his prayers, and very dear to the parents, as the son of their old age. But here is,
2Ki 4:38-44
We have here Elisha in his place, in his element, among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them; and happy it was for them that they had one over them who naturally cared for their state, under whom they were well fed and well taught. There was a dearth in the land, for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein, the same that we read of, ch. 8:1. It continued seven years, just as long again as that in Elijah's time. A famine of bread there was, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom, who were taught, that they might teach others. Two instances we have here of the care he took about their meat. Christ twice fed those to whom he preached. Elisha was in the more care about it now because of the dearth, that the sons of the prophets might not be ashamed in this evil time, but, even in the days of famine, might be satisfied, Ps. 37:19.