2 Kings 4:12

And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(12) Gehazi his servant.—First mentioned here. His name means “valley of vision,” and is perhaps derived from his native place, which may have got its name from being a haunt of prophets.

His servant.—His young man (Genesis 22:3).

She stood before him—i.e., before Gehazi. The sentence, “And when he had called her, she stood before him,” is an anticipation of the result, and might be placed within a parenthesis.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 4:12. She stood before him — The narrative seems to be a little perplexed, but may be thus conceived: it is in this verse recorded in the general, that the prophet sent Gehazi to call her, and that she came to him upon that call; then follows a particular description of the whole business, with all the circumstances; first, of the message with which Gehazi was sent when he went to call her, and of her answer to that message, (2 Kings 4:13,) and Gehazi’s conjecture thereupon, (2 Kings 4:14,) and then of her coming to the prophet at his call; which is there repeated to make way for the following passages.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:8-17 Elisha was well thought of by the king of Israel for his late services; a good man can take as much pleasure in serving others, as in raising himself. But the Shunammite needed not any good offices of this kind. It is a happiness to dwell among our own people, that love and respect us, and to whom we are able to do good. It would be well with many, if they did but know when they are really well off. The Lord sees the secret wish which is suppressed in obedience to his will, and he will hear the prayers of his servants in behalf of their benefactors, by sending unasked-for and unexpected mercies; nor must the professions of men of God be supposed to be delusive like those of men of the world.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A little chamber on the wall - The room probably projected like a balcony beyond the lower apartments - an arrangement common in the East.

A stool - Rather, "a chair." The "chair" and "table," unusual in the sleeping-rooms of the East, indicate that the prophet was expected to use his apartment for study and retirement, not only as a sleeping-chamber.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10. Let us make a little chamber—not build, but prepare it. She meant a room in the oleah, the porch, or gateway (2Sa 18:33; 1Ki 17:19), attached to the front of the house, leading into the court and inner apartments. The front of the house, excepting the door, is a dead wall, and hence this room is called a chamber in the wall. It is usually appropriated to the use of strangers, or lodgers for a night, and, from its seclusion, convenient for study or retirement.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

i.e. Before the prophet, in the door of his chamber, as it is said, 2 Kings 4:15. The relation seems to be a little perplexed, but may be thus conceived. It is in this verse recorded, in the general, that the prophet sent Gehazi to call her, and that she came to him upon that call; then follows a particular description of the whole business, with all the circumstances, first, of the message with which Gehazi was sent when he went to call her, and of her answer to that message, 2 Kings 4:13, and of Gehazi’s conjecture thereupon, 2 Kings 4:14, and then of her coming to the prophet at his call; which is there repeated to make way for the following passages.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said to Gehazi his servant,.... Who attended him wherever he went, and ministered to him, and lay very probably in the same chamber with him; he might be one of the sons of the prophets:

call this Shunammite; tell her I desire to speak with her:

and when he had called her, she stood before him; at the door of the chamber, in great reverence of him, and with much humility, waiting to hear what he had to say to her: this must be understood after what had further passed between Elisha and Gehazi, and between Gehazi and the woman, who returned to his master, and acquainted him with what she had said to him, upon which he was sent to call her, and she came.

Geneva Study Bible

And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

12. to Gehazi his servant] Gehazi is mentioned in this narrative, in ch. 2 Kings 5:20 and the following verses, and again in ch. 2 Kings 8:4. He probably stood in the same position to Elisha which the latter had held towards Elijah, though the men were utterly different in character. Gehazi appears from 2 Kings 8:4 to have been a person of consequence enough to be known to, and conversed with, by the king. See note there.

she stood before him] i.e. before Elisha. It is clear that Elisha’s character inspired great reverence, and though the Shunammite was his hostess she did not come unbidden into his presence.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 12. - And he said to Gehazi his servant. Gehazi is here mentioned for the first time. He seems to have been Elisha's "servant" in a lower sense than Elisha had been Elijah's. Still, his position was such that on one occasion (2 Kings 8:4, 5) a king of Israel did not disdain to hold a conversation with him. Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him; i.e. before Gehazi. Elisha communicates with the woman through his servant, or at any rate in his presence, probably to prevent any suspicion of impropriety arising in the mind of any one. The prophet of the Lord must not be evil spoken of. 2 Kings 4:12

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

After some time, when Elisha had spent the night in the chamber provided for him, he wanted to make some acknowledgment to his hostess for the love which she had shown him, and told his servant Gehazi to call her, and say to her: "Thou hast taken all this care for us, what shall I do to thee? Hast thou (anything) to say to the king or the chief captain?" i.e., hast thou any wish that I could convey to them, and intercede for thee? There is something striking here in the fact that Elisha did not address the woman himself, as she was standing before him, but told her servant to announce to her his willingness to make some return for what she had done. This was, probably, simply from a regard to the great awe which she had of the "holy man of God" (2 Kings 4:9), and to inspire her with courage to give expression to the wishes of her heart.

(Note: The conjecture that Elisha would not speak to her directly for the sake of maintaining his dignity, or that the historian looked upon such conversation with women as unbecoming in a teacher of the law (Thenius), is already proved to be untenable by 2 Kings 4:15, 2 Kings 4:16, where Elisha does speak to her directly.)

She answered: "I dwell among my people," i.e., not, I merely belong to the people (Thenius), but, I live quietly and peaceably among my countrymen, so that I have no need for any intercession with the king and great men of the kingdom. Ἀπραγμοσύνῃ χαίρω καὶ εἰρηνικῶς διάγω καὶ πρός τινα ἀμφισβήτησιν ούκ ἀνέχομαι (Theodoret).