2 Kings 4:8

Contextual Overview

⁸One day Elisha went to Shunem. A prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to eat some food. So whenever he passed by, he stopped there to eat. ⁸ It fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. 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. ⁸ One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. ⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem, where an important woman lived. She begged Elisha to stay and eat. So every time Elisha passed by, he stopped there to eat. ⁸ One day Elisha traveled to Shunem, where a prominent woman lived. She insisted that he stop for a meal. So whenever he was passing through, he would stop in there for a meal. ⁸Now there came a day when Elisha went over to Shunem, where there was a prominent and influential woman, and she persuaded him to eat a meal. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he stopped there for a meal.⁸ Now a day came when Elisha went over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she urged him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat food.⁸ And on a time Elisha came to Shunem, and there a woman of great estimation constrained him to eate bread: and as he passed by, he turned in thither to eate bread. ⁸Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she prevailed upon him to eat food. Now it happened, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat food.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

it fell on: Heb. there was, 2 Kings 4:11, 2 Kings 4:18

Shunem: This city was situated in the tribe of Issachar, five miles south from mount Tabor, according to Eusebius; and is probably the place which he calls Sanim, in Acrabatene, in the neighbourhood of Samaria or Sebaste. 2 Kings 4:12, Joshua 19:18, 1 Samuel 28:4, 1 Kings 1:3

a great woman: 2 Samuel 19:32, Job 1:3, Job 32:9, Luke 1:15

she constrained him: Heb. she laid hold on him, Genesis 19:3, Judges 19:20, Proverbs 7:21, Luke 14:23, Luke 24:29, Acts 16:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 38:1 - turned 1 Samuel 28:23 - compelled him 2 Kings 5:1 - a great Psalms 107:39 - they are Matthew 10:41 - that receiveth a prophet Matthew 25:17 - he also Hebrews 13:2 - not

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
As time passed, it happened that Kayin brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.

Genesis 4:3
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord .

Genesis 4:3
And in the course of time Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground to Yahweh,

Genesis 4:3
Later, Cain brought some food from the ground as a gift to God.

Genesis 4:3
At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord .

Genesis 4:3
And in the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground.

Genesis 4:3
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.

Genesis 4:3
And in processe of time it came to passe, that Kain brought an oblation vnto the Lorde of the fruite of the ground.

Genesis 4:3
So it happened in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground.

Genesis 4:3
One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord ,

Gill's Notes on the 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.

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 4:8. Elisha passed to Shunem — This city was in the tribe of Issachar, to the south of the brook Kishon, and at the foot of Mount Tabor.

Where was a great woman — In Pirkey Rab. Eliezer, this woman is said to have been the sister of Abishag, the Shunammite, well known in the history of David.

Instead of great woman, the Chaldee has, a woman fearing sin; the Arabic, a woman eminent for piety before God. This made her truly great.