The story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman is found in 2 Kings 4:8-37. Here is an overview of the story:
There was a wealthy woman from Shunem who regularly provided food and lodging for Elisha whenever he passed through town. Recognizing her kindness, Elisha asked what could be done for her. The woman said she had no needs, as she lived comfortably with her husband. However, the woman had no children. Elisha told her that she would conceive and bear a son within a year’s time (2 Kings 4:8-16).
The prophecy came true, and the Shunammite woman gave birth to a son. When the child was older, he went out to the fields to be with his father. Suddenly he cried out “My head! My head!” and then collapsed. He was carried back home and placed on his mother’s lap, but died soon after. The woman immediately saddled a donkey and left in search of Elisha. When she found him, she reminded Elisha of her kindness and the son God had given her. The woman asked Elisha to come right away. Elisha sent his servant Gehazi ahead, telling him to lay Elisha’s staff on the child’s face. But when Gehazi did this, the boy did not wake up. When Elisha arrived, he went into the room alone with the boy. He prayed to God, laid himself on top of the child, and the child began to warm up. Elisha got up and walked around the house, then did the same thing again. This time when he stretched himself on top of the boy, the child sneezed seven times and awoke, alive again (2 Kings 4:17-35).
Some time later, there was a famine in the land. Elisha had returned to the area and told the Shunammite woman to take her family and live somewhere else for a while until the famine passed. She obeyed and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years. At the end of the seven years, she returned to Israel and sought an audience with the king in order to restore her land. Providentially she arrived just as Gehazi was telling the king about how Elisha raised her son from the dead. The king immediately granted her request to restore her land (2 Kings 8:1-6).
There are several key points we can take away from this story:
- The Shunammite woman’s kindness and hospitality towards Elisha was recognized and rewarded by God blessing her with a son.
- Elisha’s prophecy demonstrated God’s miraculous power and came true within the year.
- The sudden death of the Shunammite’s son illustrated our human vulnerability to tragedy despite material blessings.
- The woman had faith that Elisha could somehow help, even after her son had already died.
- Elisha’s raising of the woman’s son pointed towards God’s power over death itself.
- The later famine showed how the greatest earthly blessings can be lost.
- God providentially restored the Shunammite woman’s land just as she sought help.
Overall, this account displays God’s mercy towards a faithful woman by giving her a son in miraculous fashion, God’s ability to overcome death through His prophets, and His providence in caring for those who seek Him. Though trials will come to both the righteous and unrighteous, God remembers and cares for those who have been faithful to Him. We must trust in God’s plans and timing even when we undergo suffering and loss.
1. The Shunammite Woman’s Kindness and Hospitality
The story begins by introducing us to a wealthy Shunammite woman whose name is not given. When Elisha would pass through the town of Shunem where she lived, this woman would urge him to have a meal at her house. The Hebrew word used to describe her actions comes from a root meaning “to grab” or “to lay hold of.” This paints a picture of her enthusiastically inviting and persuading Elisha to receive her hospitality. She also instructed her husband that they should prepare a space for Elisha to rest when he came through town (2 Kings 4:8-10).
In ancient Near Eastern culture, providing food and shelter to traveling prophets was considered an honorable task. However, this Shunammite woman went above and beyond common hospitality. She eagerly and consistently welcomed Elisha, treating him almost as part of her own family. By having a furnished room built specially for Elisha’s use, the woman and her husband displayed great respect for Elisha’s role as a man of God.
Several details in the text indicate this woman’s wealth. She is called a “great woman,” which likely implies wealth and status. She had enough discretionary income to furnish a room for Elisha. She owned multiple oxen and servants who worked for her (2 Kings 4:18). She had no immediate material needs when Elisha asked how he could repay her kindness (2 Kings 4:13). Yet despite her comfortable lifestyle, she generously opened her home to Elisha without any thought of reward. Her hospitality was motivated by a genuine desire to serve God’s prophet.
Jesus later commended this kind of hospitality towards God’s servants when He told His disciples “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). The generosity of the Shunammite woman came from a faith that recognized Elisha was God’s prophet. Her actions echoed Abraham’s haste to welcome angelic visitors and show hospitality in Genesis 18. Her kindness was a selfless and honorable virtue.
2. Elisha’s Prophecy of a Son
After continually enjoying the Shunammite woman’s hospitality, Elisha asked his servant Gehazi what they could do to repay her kindness. Gehazi observed that she had no son and her husband was old. This would have been seen as a significant lack in that culture. Children, especially sons, were highly valued. They helped provide income, security in old age, and inheritance of family lands. Bearing children was also understood as evidence of God’s blessing. Without children, it could be assumed one was under God’s judgment (see Genesis 15:1-3).
Elisha told the Shunammite woman that about a year from that time she would embrace a son. This miraculous prophecy came to pass, just as Elisha had declared. The text states simply “And she conceived and bore a son” (2 Kings 4:17). God enabled the aging woman to conceive and deliver a child, despite the seeming impossibility.
This miracle of giving a barren woman a child echoes several similar stories in the Old Testament. The births of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, and Samuel all came about after God enabled previously barren women to conceive. The Shunammite woman’s story reinforces a major biblical theme of God intervening to bless those He favors with children. Her kindness towards Elisha led to the blessing of a son in her old age as a gift from God.
3. The Son’s Death and Resurrection
The narrative then jumps ahead an unspecified number of years. The Shunammite woman’s son has grown to young childhood or perhaps early teens. One day he is out in the fields with his father and the servants where a harvest is taking place. With no warning, the boy suddenly cries out “My head, my head!” Then immediately after, the text states he slumped over or sat down and died (2 Kings 4:19-20).
No specific cause of death is given. The boy seems to suffer intense head pain and collapse very rapidly. This may have been indicative of sunstroke or sudden seizure. Whatever the medical cause, the death is presented as extremely abrupt and unforeseen. One moment the boy is well and helping his father. The next, he suffers sudden pain and dies instantly. No amount of earthly wealth or comfort can prevent tragedy.
Rather than remaining at home in her grief, the Shunammite woman immediately puts her hope in Elisha. She has her husband send a servant with instructions to take her to Mount Carmel where Elisha is currently staying. Her words to the servant indicate her faith that somehow Elisha can help, though her son is already dead. She tells the servant not to stop unless she tells him to.
When the woman reaches Elisha at Mount Carmel, she falls at his feet and reminds him of her hospitality and how he blessed her with a son. She declares she will not leave Elisha but instead demands “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” (2 Kings 4:30). Though her son is already dead, the woman clearly believes Elisha has power from God to intervene.
Elisha immediately sends Gehazi back to the woman’s house with instructions to lay Elisha’s staff on the boy’s face. Perhaps he thinks his staff, as a symbol of God’s power, will be enough to raise the boy. But when Gehazi does this, the boy remains dead. Saying the staff represents Elisha’s power is not the same as Elisha actually calling directly on God himself.
When Elisha arrives at the house himself, he goes into the room alone with the boy. He prays directly to God, lays himself on top of the child just as he did with the staff, and the boy begins to warm up again. After walking around a bit, Elisha lays on him again, and the boy finally awakens and sits up. Elisha brings the living boy out to his grateful mother.
Elisha’s raising of the woman’s son is the first instance in the Bible of a prophet bringing someone back to life through their prayers. Only Elijah previously had raised someone from death. Jesus later raises several people, including Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, and the son of the widow of Nain. Elisha’s resurrection miracle confirms that he acts as God’s representative and shows God’s power to overcome even death.
4. The Famine and Restoration of Land
The final episode in the story occurs some unspecified number of years later, again indicating the passage of time. There is a severe famine affecting Israel. Food supplies are depleted causing potential starvation. Elisha is back in the region and tells the Shunammite woman to take her household and go live in the land of the Philistines until the famine passes. Food will be available there.
The woman obeys Elisha and sojourns in Philistine territory for seven years. This indicates an extended famine that made growing crops in Israel impossible. At the end of this time, the woman returns to Israel from Philistia. Upon her return, she finds her lands have been confiscated. The famine apparently allowed others to seize her property.
The Shunammite woman immediately goes before the king to request that her land be restored to her. At exactly this providential moment, Gehazi is telling the king the story of how Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son from death. Just as the woman from Shunem makes her appeal, the king has just heard of her connection to Elisha’s miracle. He promptly orders that all her confiscated lands be restored to her, along with all the crops that have grown on the land since her absence.
The famine serves as a reminder that even the greatest earthly prosperity can be lost through natural disaster, war, or other calamities. The Shunammite woman loses all the wealth and comfort she once enjoyed. She becomes displaced and dependent during her seven years living in Philistia. However, her faithfulness is remembered by God. He providentially coordinates events so that her land is restored just when she returns and appeals to the king.
God’s sovereignty rules over all powers on earth, including kings. He providentially directed the king’s heart to restore the Shunammite woman’s property and provide back-compensation for her losses. Her trust in God and His prophet Elisha ultimately saved her from destitution after the famine.
5. Lessons and Application
The extended narrative of the Shunammite woman and Elisha provides us several lessons applicable to believers today:
- Kindness displayed for God’s servants is kindness displayed for God. The woman’s hospitality towards Elisha was in essence hospitality towards God. Her actions were based in faith and done in service to God.
- Consistent generosity, even in small acts, can have great reward. By regularly welcoming Elisha, the woman displayed true devotion. She gave freely though she was wealthy.
- God is the one who enables miracles and gives life. The woman recognized Elisha represented God’s power. She looked to God through Elisha.
- Suffering may come despite earthly blessings. The woman’s wealth could not prevent her son’s death. Loss comes to all.
- God is able to overcome death. Physical death does not limit God’s power and purposes.
- God remembers and cares for His faithful ones. Even when the woman lost everything, God ensured she was repaid for her service to Elisha.
- God’s timing and plans are above human understanding. We must trust Him when facing loss and hardship that does not seem to make sense.
As with all biblical narratives, this account gives us a glimpse of God’s dealings with humanity and how He directs events according to His sovereign will. If we serve Him humbly and faithfully as the Shunammite woman did, we can trust that He knows our situations and will care for us even in the midst of suffering and loss. God’s power and miraculous provision are not limited by earthly circumstances.