Thematic Bible: A woman who gave hospitality to elisha, and whose son he raised to life
Thematic Bible
Shunammite » A woman who gave hospitality to elisha, and whose son he raised to life
It happened one day that Elisha passed through to Shunem where there [was] a wealthy woman, and she urged him to eat bread; so it happened each time he passed through, he would stop there to eat. She said to her husband, "Please now, I know that he [is] a holy man of God who is passing {our way} regularly; let us make a small enclosed room [upstairs] and put a bed, table, chair, and lampstand there for him, so that when he comes to us, he can turn and stay there. read more.
One day it happened that he came there and went to the upper room and lay down there. He said to Gehazi his servant, "Call to this Shunammite," so he called to her, and she stood before him. He said to him, "Please say to her, 'Look, you took all this trouble, showing care for us; what is there [for me] to do for you? To speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She said, "I [am] living among my people." Then he said, "What may be done for her?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old." And he said, "Call for her," so he called for her and she stood in the doorway. And he said, "At this time {next spring}, you [will be] embracing a son." She said, "No, my lord, man of God! You must not tell a lie to your servant!" But the woman conceived, and she bore a son {in the spring}, which Elisha had promised to her. The child grew older, and it happened one day that he went out to his father [and] to the reapers. Then he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to the servant, "Carry him to his mother." So they carried him and brought him to his mother; he sat on her lap until noon and then died. She went up, laid him on the bed of the man of God, closed [the door], and went out behind it. She called to her husband and said, "Please send one of the servants and one of the female donkeys for me, so that I can go quickly up to the man of God and return." And he said, "Why are you going to him today? [It is] neither the new moon nor the Sabbath!" And she said, "Peace." She saddled the female donkey, and she said to her servant, "Drive along and go; you must not hold me back from riding, unless I tell you." So she went and came to the man of God by Mount Carmel. It happened when the man of God saw her {at a distance}, he said to Gehazi his servant, "There is this Shunammite. Now, please run to meet her and ask her, 'Is it peace for you? Is it peace for your husband? Is it peace for the boy?'" She said, "Peace." So she came to the man of God at the mountain, and she caught hold of his feet. Then Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is bitter, and Yahweh has hidden it from me and has not told me." Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say that you must not mislead me?" Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, you must not greet them; if anyone greets you, you must not answer them. You must put my staff on the face of the boy." Then the mother of the boy said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {as your soul lives}, I will surely not leave you." So he got up and went after her. Gehazi crossed over before them, and he put the staff on the face of the boy; but there was no sound, and there was no sign of life, so he returned to meet him. He told him, saying, "The boy did not wake up." When Elisha came to the house, here [was] the boy dead, lying on his bed. He went and closed the door behind the two of them and prayed to Yahweh. Then he went up and lay upon the child and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his palms on his palms. As he bent down over him, the flesh of the boy became warm. He returned and went {to and fro} in the house one time, then he went up and bent over him. Then the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. [Elisha] called to Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her and she came to him; then he said, "Pick up your son." She came and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.
One day it happened that he came there and went to the upper room and lay down there. He said to Gehazi his servant, "Call to this Shunammite," so he called to her, and she stood before him. He said to him, "Please say to her, 'Look, you took all this trouble, showing care for us; what is there [for me] to do for you? To speak for you to the king or to the commander of the army?'" She said, "I [am] living among my people." Then he said, "What may be done for her?" Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old." And he said, "Call for her," so he called for her and she stood in the doorway. And he said, "At this time {next spring}, you [will be] embracing a son." She said, "No, my lord, man of God! You must not tell a lie to your servant!" But the woman conceived, and she bore a son {in the spring}, which Elisha had promised to her. The child grew older, and it happened one day that he went out to his father [and] to the reapers. Then he said to his father, "My head, my head!" So he said to the servant, "Carry him to his mother." So they carried him and brought him to his mother; he sat on her lap until noon and then died. She went up, laid him on the bed of the man of God, closed [the door], and went out behind it. She called to her husband and said, "Please send one of the servants and one of the female donkeys for me, so that I can go quickly up to the man of God and return." And he said, "Why are you going to him today? [It is] neither the new moon nor the Sabbath!" And she said, "Peace." She saddled the female donkey, and she said to her servant, "Drive along and go; you must not hold me back from riding, unless I tell you." So she went and came to the man of God by Mount Carmel. It happened when the man of God saw her {at a distance}, he said to Gehazi his servant, "There is this Shunammite. Now, please run to meet her and ask her, 'Is it peace for you? Is it peace for your husband? Is it peace for the boy?'" She said, "Peace." So she came to the man of God at the mountain, and she caught hold of his feet. Then Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is bitter, and Yahweh has hidden it from me and has not told me." Then she said, "Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say that you must not mislead me?" Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, you must not greet them; if anyone greets you, you must not answer them. You must put my staff on the face of the boy." Then the mother of the boy said, "{As Yahweh lives} and {as your soul lives}, I will surely not leave you." So he got up and went after her. Gehazi crossed over before them, and he put the staff on the face of the boy; but there was no sound, and there was no sign of life, so he returned to meet him. He told him, saying, "The boy did not wake up." When Elisha came to the house, here [was] the boy dead, lying on his bed. He went and closed the door behind the two of them and prayed to Yahweh. Then he went up and lay upon the child and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his palms on his palms. As he bent down over him, the flesh of the boy became warm. He returned and went {to and fro} in the house one time, then he went up and bent over him. Then the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. [Elisha] called to Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her and she came to him; then he said, "Pick up your son." She came and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.