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| 1 And a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets hath cried unto Elisha, saying, 'Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and thou hast known that thy servant was fearing Jehovah, and the lender hath come to take my two children to him for servants.' |
A certain woman – Josephus claims that this woman was the widow of Obadiah. R3430:6
Of the wives – Indicating that the school of the prophets was not a monastic order. R3430:3
Sons of the prophets – See comments on 2 Kings 2:3.
Unto Elisha – Her cry to the prophet of the Lord was a cry to the Lord himself. R3431:3
Fear the LORD – That is, he reverenced, worshipped and sought to serve the Lord. R3430:6
To be bondmen – According to the terms of the law her sons must serve the creditor until the debt was paid or until the Jubilee year. R2345:3
Represents how the whole world of Adam's family was sold under sin and obligated to pay the wages of sin, death. R3430:3
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| 2 And Elisha saith unto her, 'What do I do for thee declare to me, what hast thou in the house ' and she saith, 'Thy maid-servant hath nothing in the house except a pot of oil.' |
Elisha – Elisha may also typify the Ancient Worthies (See 2 Kings 2:14). R5780:1, R4758:2; B265; R3417:2
What shall I do – Showing the Lord's willingness to help us to pay our honest debts; and our responsibility to pay them. R2345:5
What hast thou – During the Millennium the Lord will bless what people may have according to their faith. R5780:4
We should look to see what we have in our possession. R5419:3, R5780:4
God can use our humblest talent to his praise. R5419:2
Hath not any thing – The woman did not appeal for divine aid until she was in extremities, and neither should we. R3431:3
A pot of oil – God is pleased to bless the use of things which we have rather than to send us other things. R2345:5
Olive oil was used for light, cooking, and as butter in those days; a household necessity and an article of ready sale. R3431:2
The Lord used what she had on hand. R5419:4
Olive oil is used in the Scriptures as a symbol of the holy Spirit. R3431:4
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| 3 And he saith, 'Go, ask for thee vessels from without, from all thy neighbours empty vessels let [them] not be few; |
Even empty vessels – It is for us to see that we are emptied vessels; empty that he may fill us with his Spirit. R3431:5
Borrow not a few – Her faith was tested and developed by the prophet's requirement that she and her sons should cooperate in the borrowing of vessels. R3431:4, R2345:5
The fact that she was able to borrow from her neighbors implies a good reputation. R3431:2
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| 4 and thou hast entered, and shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and hast poured out into all these vessels, and the full ones thou dost remove.' |
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| 5 And she goeth from him, and shutteth the door upon her, and upon her sons; they are bringing nigh unto her, and she is pouring out, |
She poured out – Reminding us that during the Millennial age his Spirit shall be poured upon all flesh. (Joel 2:28) R3431:4, R558:4
A beautiful picture of restitution blessings. R4758:5, R2345:5
Thus, as we acknowledge divine mercies and render thanks, the blessing is only increased. F687
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| 6 and it cometh to pass, at the filling of the vessels, that she saith unto her son, 'Bring nigh unto me a vessel more,' and he saith unto her, 'There is not a vessel more;' and the oil stayeth. |
The vessels were full – Illustrating the blessed rewards of faith that the Lord will grant during the Millennium. R5780:4
Representing how the antitypical Elisha will help the poor to secure the oil of joy for the spirit of heaviness in the Millennium. B266
Every vessel fitted for its reception shall be filled with the Spirit to its full. R3431:4, R558:4
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| 7 And she cometh and declareth to the man of God, and he saith, 'Go, sell the oil, and repay thy loan; and thou [and] thy sons do live of the rest.' |
Pay thy debt – Justice was not to be violated. R5780:4, R2345:5
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| 8 And the day cometh that Elisha passeth over unto Shunem, and there [is] a great woman, and she layeth hold on him to eat bread, and it cometh to pass, at the time of his passing over, he turneth aside thither to eat bread, |
A great woman – Evidently widely known as a good and wise woman, and probably possessed of a large estate. R3431:3, R2345:6
The kind of greatness, too, which recognizes goodness and reverences the Lord and those who are his. R2345:6
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| 9 and she saith unto her husband, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have known that a holy man of God he is, passing over by us continually; |
Unto her husband – Manifesting a commendable wifely deference to his wishes. R2346:1
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| 10 let us make, I pray thee, a little upper chamber of the wall, and we set for him there a bed, and a table, and a high seat, and a candlestick; and it hath been, in his coming in unto us, he doth turn aside thither.' |
A little chamber – Every home, if possible, should have such a guest chamber for the Lord's servants. R2346:1, R3432:1
Present day arrangements for public hotels are calculated to hinder the development of the spirit of hospitality. R3432:1
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| 11 And the day cometh, that he cometh in thither, and turneth aside unto the upper chamber, and lieth there, |
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| 12 and he saith unto Gehazi his young man, 'Call for this Shunammite;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth before him. |
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| 13 And he saith to him, 'Say, I pray thee, unto her, Lo, thou hast troubled thyself concerning us with all this trouble; what to do for thee is it to speak for thee unto the king, or unto the head of the host ' and she saith, 'In the midst of my people I am dwelling.' |
What is to be done – Those who accept the favors of others and lack the desire to do as much in return are lacking the Lord's spirit. R2346:2
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| 14 And he saith, 'And what to do for her ' and Gehazi saith, 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband [is] aged.' |
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| 15 And he saith, 'Call for her;' and he calleth for her, and she standeth at the opening, |
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| 16 and he saith, 'At this season, according to the time of life, thou art embracing a son;' and she saith, 'Nay, my lord, O man of God, do not lie unto thy maid-servant.' |
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| 17 And the woman conceiveth and beareth a son, at this season, according to the time of life, that Elisha spake of unto her. |
The woman conceived – The miraculous interposition of divine power quickening the dormant and inoperative forces. R560:6*
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| 18 And the lad groweth, and the day cometh that he goeth out unto his father, unto the reapers, |
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| 19 and he saith unto his father, 'My head, my head;' and he saith unto the young man, 'Bear him unto his mother;' |
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| 20 and he beareth him, and bringeth him in unto his mother, and he sitteth on her knees till the noon, and dieth. |
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| 21 And she goeth up, and layeth him on the bed of the man of God, and shutteth [the door] upon him, and goeth out, |
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| 22 and calleth unto her husband, and saith, 'Send, I pray thee, to me, one of the young men, and one of the asses, and I run unto the man of God, and return.' |
To the man of God – Her faith in the prophet corresponds very well to our faith in the Lord Jesus. R3432:4
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| 23 And he saith, 'Wherefore art thou going unto him to-day neither new moon nor sabbath!' and she saith, 'Peace [to thee]!' |
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| 24 And she saddleth the ass, and saith unto her young man, 'Lead, and go, do not restrain riding for me, except I have said [so] to thee.' |
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| 25 And she goeth, and cometh in unto the man of God, unto the hill of Carmel, and it cometh to pass, at the man of God's seeing her from over-against, that he saith unto Gehazi his young man, 'Lo, this Shunammite; |
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| 26 now, run, I pray thee, to meet her, and say to her, Is there peace to thee is there peace to thy husband is there peace to the lad ' and she saith, 'Peace.' |
It is well – Avoiding the questions of Elisha's servant. R3432:3
An answer of faith having full confidence in the power of God, through the prophet, to awaken her son from the dead. R2346:2
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| 27 And she cometh in unto the man of God, unto the hill, and layeth hold on his feet, and Gehazi cometh nigh to thrust her away, and the man of God saith, 'Let her alone, for her soul [is] bitter to her, and Jehovah hath hidden [it] from me, and hath not declared [it] to me.' |
Hid it from me – It was not by any power that the prophet himself possessed that he had any special knowledge, but by revelations from the Lord. R2349:6
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| 28 And she saith, 'Did I ask a son from my lord did I not say, Do not deceive me ' |
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| 29 And he saith to Gehazi, 'Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go; when thou dost meet a man, thou dost not salute him; and when a man doth salute thee, thou dost not answer him; and thou hast laid my staff on the face of the youth.' |
Take my staff – Much after the same style that the Apostle Paul sent napkins and handkerchiefs to the sick. R3432:3
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| 30 And the mother of the youth saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth if I leave thee;' and he riseth and goeth after her. |
I will not leave thee – Possibly realizing that the servant was not such a man as his master. R3432:3
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| 31 And Gehazi hath passed on before them, and layeth the staff on the face of the youth, and there is no voice, and there is no attention, and he turneth back to meet him, and declareth to him, saying, 'The youth hath not awaked.' |
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| 32 And Elisha cometh in to the house, and lo, the youth is dead, laid on his bed, |
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| 33 and he goeth in and shutteth the door upon them both, and prayeth unto Jehovah. |
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| 34 And he goeth up, and lieth down on the lad, and putteth his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and stretcheth himself upon him, and the flesh of the lad becometh warm; |
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| 35 and he turneth back and walketh in the house, once hither and once thither, and goeth up and stretcheth himself upon him, and the youth sneezeth till seven times, and the youth openeth his eyes. |
Then he returned – The Lord is pleased to exercise his power, either slowly or quickly, according to circumstances and conditions. R2346:5
Walked ... to and fro – Apparently the prophet was perplexed by this case. R2346:4
Child opened his eyes – This restoration of life was a foreshadowing of the great Times of Restitution. HG336:1
Picturing coming restitution work of the Millennium, when all the sleeping dead will be awakened. R5781:2; B266; R4758:5
Was merely awakened, not "resurrected," not "raised to life again." F703, F704; R2346:5
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| 36 And he calleth unto Gehazi, and saith, 'Call unto this Shunammite;' and he calleth her, and she cometh in unto him, and he saith, 'Lift up thy son.' |
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| 37 And she goeth in, and falleth at his feet, and boweth herself to the earth, and lifteth up her son, and goeth out. |
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| 38 And Elisha hath turned back to Gilgal, and the famine [is] in the land, and the sons of the prophets are sitting before him, and he saith to his young man, 'Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.' |
There was a dearth – Representing a lack of spiritual food. B266
Sons of the prophets – Representing theologians. B266; R558:4.
See comments on 2 Kings 2:3.
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| 39 And one goeth out unto the field to gather herbs, and findeth a vine of the field, and gathereth of it gourds of the field the fulness of his garment and cometh in and splitteth [them] into the pot of pottage, for they knew [them] not; |
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| 40 and they pour out for the men to eat, and it cometh to pass at their eating of the pottage, that they have cried out, and say, 'Death [is] in the pot, O man of God!' and they have not been able to eat. |
Death in the pot – Deadly doctrines, error and superstition, combined with Satan's great falsehood. R4758:4, R558:4
This will be effectually offset by the blessings of the Lord through his glorified Kingdom. R4758:4
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| 41 And he saith, 'Then bring ye meal;' and he casteth into the pot, and saith, 'Pour out for the people, and they eat;' and there was no evil thing in the pot. |
That they may eat – May represent a healing of the food of theologians by the putting of an antidote into their poisonous mess. R558:4
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| 42 And a man hath come from Baal-Shalishah, and bringeth in to the man of God bread of first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in its husk, and he saith, 'Give to the people, and they eat.' |
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| 43 And his minister saith, 'What do I give this before a hundred men ' and he saith, 'Give to the people, and they eat, for thus said Jehovah, Eat and leave;' |
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| 44 and he giveth before them, and they eat and leave, according to the word of Jehovah. |
And they did eat – Representing that spiritual food shall be made wholesome and plentiful. B266; R558:4
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