2 Kings 4:8

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) And it fell on a day.—Rather, And it came to pass at that time. Literally, during that day, referring to the period of the miracle just related. Perhaps, too, the contrast of the poor and rich woman is intentional.

Passed.—Crossed over—scil., the plain of Jezreel, which he would have to do, whether he went from Samaria, or from Carmel to Shunem, which lay on the slope of Little Hermon, about midway between the two.

A great woman—i.e., of high rank, or rich (1Samuel 25:2; 2Samuel 19:33). Rabbinic tradition identifies her with Abishag the Shunammite of 1Kings 1:3 (!). In that case she must have been at this time more than 200 years old.

So it was.—It came to pass.

Passed by.—Crossed over, as above.

He turned in.—He would turn aside (frequentative). For the phrase, see Genesis 19:2.

Benson Commentary

2 Kings 4:8. Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman — Great for estate, or birth and quality. And she constrained him to eat bread — Pressed him with great importunity, and at length, with great difficulty, prevailed with him to dine with her. As oft as he passed by he turned in thither — She made him so welcome, that he did not scruple, when he had occasion to go that way, to step in there and refresh himself; which she probably invited him to do.

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

And it fell on a day - The original of the expression here used, which occurs three times in the present narrative 2 Kings 4:11, 2 Kings 4:18, is also found in Job 1:6, Job 1:13; Job 2:1. The character of the expression perhaps supports the view that the author of Kings has collected from various sources his account of the miracles of Elisha, and has kept in each case the words of the original writer.

A great woman - That is, "a rich woman." Compare 1 Samuel 25:2; 2 Samuel 19:32.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2Ki 4:8-17. Promises a Son to the Shunammite.

8. Elisha passed to Shunem—now Sulam, in the plain of Esdraelon, at the southwestern base of Little Hermon. The prophet, in his journey, was often entertained here by one of its pious and opulent inhabitants.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

To Shunnam a city in Issachar, near Mount Carmel, Joshua 19:17,18, whither the prophet frequently went.

Was a great woman; for estate, or birth and quality. See Genesis 24:35 1 Samuel 25:2.

She constrained him, by her importunate desire.

To eat bread; to take his repast there.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And it fell on a day,.... Or so it was at a certain time:

that Elisha passed to Shunem; a city in the tribe of Issachar; of which see Joshua 19:18,

where was a great woman; of great wealth and riches, of great benevolence and hospitality, and of great grace and piety; that feared sin, as the Targum paraphrases it; a woman of great credit and reputation on all accounts. The Jews say (u) she was the sister of Abishag the Shunammite, and the mother of Iddo the prophet:

and she constrained him to eat bread; she had observed him at all times pass that way, and guessed by his habit and deportment that he was a religious man, and therefore took an opportunity to invite him into her house, and take a dinner with her; but he being modest and shy, she was obliged to use some pressing language, and be importunate with him, that he would accept of her invitation, which he did:

and so it was, that, as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread; being made very welcome, and encouraged by the free and kind entertainment he met with, as often as he had occasion to come that way, he called and took a meal with her; and this it seems was pretty often, for Shunem was not far from Carmel, which he frequented, and lay in the way to Samaria, Bethel, and Jericho, places he often visited, the schools of the prophets being there.

(u) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 57. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8–17. Elisha promises a son to the hospitable Shunammite (Not in Chronicles)

8. And it fell on a day] From its use elsewhere the Hebrew noun, as here, with the article signifies ‘on that day’, ‘at that time’, and indicates a closer connexion with the preceding narrative than would be gathered from the A.V. But see below, verses 11 and 18.

Elisha passed to Shunem] In Joshua 19:18, Shunem is among the places allotted to the tribe of Issachar. It is also mentioned as the place where the Philistines encamped before the battle of Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4). It has been identified with Solam, a village situate on the little Hermon about 3 miles north of Jezreel. When Elisha was travelling either from Samaria or Jezreel to Carmel, Shunem lay on his road. The place is mentioned as being the home of Abishag (1 Kings 1:3) and from that is derived the Jewish tradition which makes the Shunammite woman of the present narrative to have been the sister of Abishag.

a great woman] The adjective is used to signify wealthy in 1 Samuel 25:2, of Nabal, and 2 Samuel 19:32 of Barzillai, who is described as ‘a very great man’. As the Shunammite woman had a husband still alive, it would be more natural to speak of him as ‘great’ in the sense of ‘rich’, and perhaps here the meaning is rather ‘influential’. She was clearly a person of independent character, and one who could act when the occasion demanded it.

she constrained him to eat bread] The journeys of Elisha to and fro had somehow become known to her and she offered him hospitality. This was the usual way in the East, where houses for public entertainment were uncommon.

as oft as he passed by] Apparently the allusion is to such rounds as the chief of the prophetic colleges would make to the different centres at which they were gathered. That Elisha’s visits were frequent is clear from the next verse.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 8-37. - 2. The promise of a child to the Shunammite woman, and the restoration of the child to life. Verse 8. - And it fall on a day, that. The expression seems to be archaic. It occurs only here and in the opening chapters of the Book of Job (Job 1:6, 13; 2:1). The most literal rendering would be, and the day came when. Elisha passed to Shunem. Shunem was a village of Galilee, situated in the territory assigned to Issachar (Joshua 19:18). It is reasonably identified with the modern Solam, at the south-eastern foot of the Gebel Duhy, or "Little Hermon," a "flourishing village encompassed by gardens" (Porter), and "in the midst of the finest corn-fields in the world" (Grove), on the edge of the Plain of Esdraelon. Elisha, in his progression to different parts of the northern kingdom, happened to come on one occasion to Shunem. Where was a great woman. Houbigant strangely translates, "a tan woman," maintaining that a woman would not be called "great" in the sense of "wealthy" during her husband's lifetime; but no other commentator has accepted his view. The meaning seems to be that she was a woman of substance, one well-to-do, perhaps one that had brought her husband the bulk of his wealth. And she constrained him to eat bread; i.e. she invited him in as he passed her house, and would take no denial. Compare Lot's pressing hospitality, as related in Genesis 19:1-3. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. Elisha, it appears, had frequent occasion to pass through Shunem on his way from Carmel to visit the cities of Galilee, or versa. It became his habit, on these journeys, to eat his meals at the house of the rich Shunammite. Hence arose a kindly feeling on both sides and a close intimacy. 2 Kings 4:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The Shunammite and her Son. - 2 Kings 4:8. When Elisha was going one day (lit., the day, i.e., at that time, then) to Shunem (Solam, at the south-western foot of the Lesser Hermon; see at 1 Kings 1:3), a wealthy woman (גּדולה as in 1 Samuel 25:2, etc.) constrained him to eat at her house; whereupon, as often as he passed by that place in his subsequent journeys from Carmel to Jezreel and back, he was accustomed to call upon her (סוּר as in Genesis 19:2).