And Elisha declared, "At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord," she said. "Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God." And Elisha declared,Elisha spoke as the Lord’s appointed prophet and Elijah’s successor in the Northern Kingdom. His word carried divine authority, not merely personal goodwill toward the Shunammite woman who had shown him faithful hospitality. 2Ki 7:1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD!…
Deu 18:18-19 I will raise up for them a prophet like you…
1Ki 17:13-14 “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her…
“At this time next year, God set the fulfillment within a definite period, as He had done when He promised Abraham and Sarah that Isaac would be born. The timing placed the outcome beyond human planning and made clear that the child would be God’s gift. Gen 17:21 But I will establish My covenant with Isaac…
Gen 18:10 Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you…
Gen 18:14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD?…
you will hold a son in your arms.” The woman had no son, and her husband was old. A son would bring joy, security, and the continuation of the family line, yet the promised child would also become a living testimony to God’s power. The Lord fulfilled Elisha’s word, and she bore a son at the appointed time. Luk 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,…
Gen 21:1-2 Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said…
1Sa 1:20 So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth…
“No, my lord,” she said. Her respectful address recognized Elisha’s office, but her response revealed a heart reluctant to hope for what had long seemed impossible. The promise touched a deeply guarded sorrow. 1Sa 1:15-16 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled…
Gen 18:15 But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said,…
Luk 1:18 “How can I be sure of this?” Zechariah asked the angel.…
“Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.” She did not accuse Elisha of deliberate deceit so much as plead that he would not awaken hope only to leave her disappointed. God would prove the reliability of His word through the child’s birth and later through the child’s restoration to life, showing that His mercy reaches into the deepest needs of His people. 1Ki 17:24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know”…
Num 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man,…
1Ki 17:18 “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity?”…
Persons / Places / Events 1. ElishaA prophet of God who succeeded Elijah. Known for performing miracles and being a conduit of God's power and messages. 2. Shunammite WomanA wealthy and hospitable woman from Shunem who showed kindness to Elisha by providing him with a place to stay. She is central to this account as the recipient of Elisha's prophecy. 3. ShunemA town in the territory of Issachar, where the Shunammite woman lived. It is significant as the setting for this miraculous event. 4. Prophecy of a SonThe event where Elisha prophesies that the Shunammite woman will have a son, despite her initial disbelief. 5. Man of GodA term used to refer to prophets like Elisha, emphasizing their role as messengers and representatives of God's will. Teaching Points Faith in God's PromisesDespite her initial disbelief, the Shunammite woman's account encourages believers to trust in God's promises, even when they seem impossible. Hospitality and BlessingThe Shunammite woman's hospitality towards Elisha demonstrates how acts of kindness can lead to unexpected blessings from God. God's TimingThe prophecy's fulfillment "at this time next year" reminds us that God's timing is perfect and often requires patience and trust. Role of ProphetsElisha's role as a "man of God" underscores the importance of spiritual leaders who convey God's messages and guide His people. Miracles and FaithThe miraculous birth of the Shunammite woman's son illustrates the power of faith and God's ability to work beyond human limitations. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the Shunammite woman's initial reaction to Elisha's prophecy reflect common human responses to seemingly impossible promises from God? 2. In what ways can we practice hospitality in our own lives, and how might this open us to receiving God's blessings? 3. How does the account of the Shunammite woman encourage us to trust in God's timing, especially when waiting for answers to our prayers? 4. What role do spiritual leaders play in our lives today, and how can we discern true messages from God through them? 5. How can we strengthen our faith to believe in God's power to perform miracles in our lives, as seen in the account of the Shunammite woman? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 18:10-14The promise of a son to Sarah, Abraham's wife, parallels the promise to the Shunammite woman, highlighting themes of divine intervention and fulfillment of God's promises. 1 Samuel 1:17-20Hannah's prayer for a child and the subsequent birth of Samuel mirrors the Shunammite woman's experience, emphasizing faith and God's response to human desires. Luke 1:13-20The announcement of John the Baptist's birth to Zechariah shares similarities with Elisha's prophecy, showcasing God's power to bring life and fulfill promises. People Elisha, GehaziPlaces Baal-shalishah, Edom, Gilgal, Mount Carmel, ShunemTopics FALSE, Arms, Elisha, Embrace, Embracing, Handmaid, Hold, Lie, Maidservant, Maid-servant, Mislead, Nay, O, Objected, Round, Season, Servant, TermDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Kings 4:16 5126 arm 2 Kings 4:11-17 5733 pregnancy 2 Kings 4:14-17 1416 miracles, nature of 2 Kings 4:15-17 7773 prophets, role 2 Kings 4:16-17 5061 sanctity of life
5726 old age, attainment 2 Kings 4:16-22 5720 mothers, examples Library When the Oil Flows
'And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.'--2 KINGS iv. 6. The series of miracles ascribed to Elisha are very unlike most of the wonderful works of even the Old Testament, and still more unlike those of the New. For about a great many of them there seems to have been no special purpose, either doctrinal or otherwise, but simply the relief of trivial and transient distresses. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureA Miracle Needing Effort
'So she went, and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26. Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband! is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. 27. And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Infant Salvation
Now, let every mother and father here present know assuredly that it is well with the child, if God hath taken it away from you in its infant days. You never heard its declaration of faith--it was not capable of such a thing--it was not baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ, not buried with him in baptism; it was not capable of giving that "answer of a good conscience towards God;" nevertheless, you may rest assured that it is well with the child, well in a higher and a better sense than it is well …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861 That the Grace of Devotion is Acquired by Humility and Self-Denial
The Voice of the Beloved Thou oughtest to seek earnestly the grace of devotion, to ask it fervently, to wait for it patiently and faithfully, to receive it gratefully, to preserve it humbly, to work with it diligently, and to leave to God the time and manner of heavenly visitation until it come. Chiefly oughtest thou to humble thyself when thou feelest inwardly little or no devotion, yet not to be too much cast down, nor to grieve out of measure. God ofttimes giveth in one short moment what He …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ Extracts No. Ix.
[As the objector here begins to give up his ground, his letters from this place will be given nearly entire. He commences this number as follows, viz.] "Dear sir and brother--Your reply to my seventh number has been received, and hereby duly acknowledged. I have just given it a second reading, with peculiar care and attention; and I must add, generally speaking, with peculiar satisfaction too; for as it has tended in some degree to revive my almost extinguished faith in divine revelation, so it …
Hosea Ballou—A Series of Letters In Defence of Divine Revelation Abram's Horror of Great Darkness.
"And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him." If we consider the sketch, given us in scripture, of the life of this patriarch, we shall find that few have had equal manifestations of the divine favor. But the light did not at all times shine on him. He had his dark hours while dwelling in this strange land. Here we find an horror of great darkness to have fallen upon him. The language used to describe his state, on this occasion, …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects The Soul.
Man as we behold him is not all there is of man. He is a wonderful being. He stands in the highest order of God's creation. He Is A Compound. Man was created a physical and spiritual organism. He possesses an animal and a spiritual life. Thus he is connected with two worlds. The physical creation is termed the "outward man," and the spiritual, the "inward man." "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16. "For we know …
Charles Ebert Orr—The Gospel Day Answer to the Jewish Rabby's Letter.
WE Are now come to the letter of Mr. W's Jewish Rabby, whom Mr. W. calls his friend, and says his letter consists of calm and sedate reasoning, p. 55. I on the other hand can see no reason in it. But the reader than not need to rely upon my judgment. Therefore I will transcribe some parts of it, and then make some remarks. The argument of the letter is, that the story of Lazarus's being raised is an imposture; or else the Jews could not have been so wicked, as to be on that account provoked against …
Nathaniel Lardner—A Vindication of Three of Our Blessed Saviour's Miracles Supplementary Note to Chapter ii. The Year of Christ's Birth.
The Christian era commences on the 1st of January of the year 754 of the city of Rome. That our Lord was born about the time stated in the text may appear from the following considerations-- The visit of the wise men to Bethlehem must have taken place a very few days after the birth of Jesus, and before His presentation in the temple. Bethlehem was not the stated residence of Joseph and Mary, either before or after the birth of the child (Luke i. 26, ii. 4, 39; Matt. ii. 2). They were obliged to …
William Dool Killen—The Ancient Church Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 2 Kings 4:16 NIV2 Kings 4:16 NLT2 Kings 4:16 ESV2 Kings 4:16 NASB2 Kings 4:16 KJV
2 Kings 4:16 Commentaries
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