2 Kings 4:8-37

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

8 One day Elisha went on to h Shunem, where a i 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 g 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 j 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 k 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, l about this time next year, you shall embrace a son." And she said, "No, my lord, g O man of God; m do not lie to your servant." 17 But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time l the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

Elisha Raises the Shunammite's Son

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, n 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 o and laid him on the bed of the g 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 g the man of God and come back again." 23 And he said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither p 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 q 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 r 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? s Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?'" 29 He said to Gehazi, t "Tie up your garment and u take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, v do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And u lay my staff on the face of the child." 30 Then the mother of the child said, w "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 x 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 y shut the door behind the two of them z 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 a 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 a 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. b Then she picked up her son and went out.

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 19:18
    Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:2
    And there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. The man was very rich; he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
    2 Samuel 19:32
    Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. He had provided the king with food while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy man.
  3. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:7
    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.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 5:20 - 21
    Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.
    2 Kings 5:25
    He went in and stood before his master, and Elisha said to him, "Where have you been, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant went nowhere.
    2 Kings 8:4 - 5
    Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.
  5. Cross References
    2 Samuel 19:13
    And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me and more also, if you are not commander of my army from now on in place of Joab.'
    2 Kings 5:1
    Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 18:14
    Is anything too hard for the Lord ? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.
    Genesis 17:21
    But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.
  7. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:7
    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. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:28
    Then she said, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me?'
  9. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:16
    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.
  10. Cross References
    Psalms 121:6
    The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
  11. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:32
    When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.
  12. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:7
    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.
  13. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:7
    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.
  14. Cross References
    Numbers 28:11
    At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord : two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish.
  15. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:25
    From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
  16. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:25
    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.
  17. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:16
    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.
  18. Cross References
    1 Kings 18:46
    And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
  19. Cross References
    Exodus 7:19
    And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'
    Exodus 14:16
    Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
    Acts 19:12
    So that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
  20. Cross References
    Exodus 7:19
    And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.
    Exodus 14:16
    Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.
    Acts 19:12
    So that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
  21. Cross References
    Luke 10:4
    Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.
  22. Cross References
    Ruth 3:13
    Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
  23. Cross References
    John 11:11
    After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.
  24. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:4
    Then go in and shut the door behind yourself an...
    Matthew 6:6
    But when you pray, go into your room and shut t...
    Matthew 9:25
    But when the crowd had been put outside, he wen...
    Mark 5:37
    And he allowed no one to follow him except Pete...
    Mark 5:40
    And they laughed at him. But he put them all ou...
    Luke 8:51
    And when he came to the house, he allowed no on...
  25. Cross References
    1 Kings 17:20
    And he cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?
  26. Cross References
    1 Kings 17:21
    Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.
    Acts 20:10
    But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.
  27. Cross References
    2 Kings 4:34
    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.
  28. Cross References
    1 Kings 17:23
    And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives.
    Hebrews 11:35
    Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
    2 Kings 8:1
    Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.
    2 Kings 8:5
    And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.