The Living Word

KING JAMES VERSION

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

— Isaiah 40:8
Back to Books

2 Kings 4

Initializing audio...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
3
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
9
And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
11
And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
WhatsApp Copy
12
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
15
And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
17
And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
WhatsApp Copy
18
And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.
WhatsApp Copy
19
And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
WhatsApp Copy
20
And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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:
WhatsApp Copy
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:
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
28
Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
32
And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
WhatsApp Copy
33
He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
37
Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
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.
WhatsApp Copy
44
So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.
WhatsApp Copy
Previous Next

2 Kings 4 Study & Commentary

2 Kings 4 recounts four miracles of Elisha: the multiplication of the widow’s oil, the promise of a son to the Shunammite woman and his subsequent resurrection, the healing of the deadly pottage, and the feeding of one hundred men.

CONTEMPORARY APPLICATIONS

1. Empty Vessels Needed: The oil only stopped flowing when there were no more empty jars (v. 6). God’s grace is only limited by our capacity and willingness to receive it.
2. Faith that Says "It is Well": Even with her son dead, the Shunammite maintained her peace (v. 26). True faith trusts God’s character even when the situation looks hopeless.
3. God in the Everyday: From a debt-ridden widow to a poisoned pot, God cares about the practical and physical needs of His people. Nothing is too small for His intervention.

FORMAL PRAYER

O God of miracles, enlarge our capacity to receive Thy blessing. Help us to say "It is well" in the face of tragedy, trusting in Thy power to restore and sustain us. Amen.
Copied to clipboard!

Daily Devotional

Daily KJV Bible devotional reflection on the peace of God
"Refining your journey through the timeless wisdom of the King James Bible. Start your morning with a moment of devotion and find strength in His promises."
Explore All Devotionals