2 Kings 4 Elisha multiplieth the widow’s oil, 2 Kings 4:1–7. He is lodged by a Shunammite woman, who is barren: he promiseth her a son; which is born, 2 Kings 4:8–17; dieth, and is raised by Elisha, 2 Kings 4:18–37.

The sons of the prophets, though they were wholly devoted to sacred employment, were not excluded from marriage, no more than the priests and Levites. Thy servant did fear the Lord; his poverty therefore was not procured by his idleness, or prodigality, or rather, wickedness; but by his piety,…

What shall I do for thee? how shall I relieve thee, who am myself poor? What hast thou in the house, which may contribute to the payment of thy debts, or, at least, to the satisfaction of thy creditors, who may perchance deal favourably with thee through my persuasion? Save a pot of oil; which was…

Shut the door upon thee; partly, that none may hinder thee from minding thy work of filling and removing the vessels, which will require attention and diligence; partly, that thou alone mayest enjoy the benefit of it; partly, lest any of thy creditors should break in upon thee, and seize upon thy…

Unto her son; to one of them, for she had two, 2 Kings 4:1. The oil stayed, to teach us, that we should not waste any of God’s good creatures, and that God would not work miracles unnecessarily.

First do justice to others, and then take care of thyself and children.

To Shunnam a city in Issachar, near Mount Carmel, Josh. 19:17–18, whither the prophet frequently went. Was a great woman; for estate, or birth and quality. See Gen. 24:35, 1 Sam. 25:2. She constrained him, by her importunate desire. To eat bread; to take his repast there.

An holy man of God; a prophet, as Judg. 13:6, and that of eminent holiness, by our kindness to whom we shall procure a blessing to ourselves.

Let us make a little chamber on the wall, that he may be free from the noise of family business, and enjoy that privacy which, I perceive, he desireth for his prayers and meditations.

i.e. Before the prophet, in the door of his chamber, as it is said, 2 Kings 4:15. The relation seems to be a little perplexed, but may be thus conceived.

What is to be done for thee? wherewith shall I recompense all thy care and kindness to me and my servant? To the king, or to the captain of the host; with whom he justly had great power for his eminent service, 2 Kings 3:0.

What then is to be done for her? hast thou observed any thing which she wants or desires? For the prophet kept himself much in his chamber, whilst Gehazi went more freely about the house, as his occasions led him.

Out of reverence, humility, and modesty, waiting till he came to her, or called her further in to him.

According to the time of life; of which phrase See Poole on “Gen. 18:10”. Do not lie unto thine handmaid; do not delude me with vain hopes. She could not believe it for joy, and supposed the prophet might say thus either for her trial, or from his own private judgment and affection, and not by…

His head was grievously pained; which possibly came from the heat of the harvest season, to which he was exposed in the field.

Shut the door upon him; partly in hopes that this might contribute something to the child’s restitution to life, she having in all probability had an account of the like miracle done by Elijah, 1 Kings 17:21; and partly that she might for the present conceal the death of the child; which if it had…

New moon and sabbath were the chief and usual times in which they resorted to the prophets for instruction, for which he supposed she now went, not suspecting but that the child was well by this time. It shall be well; my going will not be troublesome to him, nor prejudicial to thee or me. Heb.

So it was in some respects, because it was the will of a wise and good God, and therefore best for her. Or, it shall be well: though the child be dead, I doubt not by God’s blessing upon thy endeavours it shall live again, and do well.

She caught him by the feet; she fell at his feet, and touched them, as a most humble and earnest suppliant. Compare 1 Sam. 25:24, Matt. 28:9. Withal, she intimated, what she durst not presume to express in words, that she desired him to go along with her.

This child was not given to me upon my immoderate desire, for which I might have justly been thus chastised, as Rachel was, Gen. 30:1, compared with Gen.

Gird up thy loins; tie up thy long garments about thy loins for expedition. See 1 Kings 18:46. Make no delays nor stops by the way, neither by words nor actions, but go with all possible speed. Compare Luke 10:4.

I will not leave thee, until thou goest home with me. For she had no great confidence in Gehazi, nor was her faith so strong as to think that the prophet could work so great a miracle at this distance, and by his staff; which possibly was one reason why this did no good. Compare Matt. 9:18, Matt.

Neither voice, nor hearing, i.e. neither speech nor sense, nor any sign of life, to wit, in the child; which disappointment might proceed from hence, that Elisha having changed his mind, and yielded to her importunity to go with her, did alter his course, and not join his fervent prayers with…

Upon them twain; upon himself and the dead child, that he might pray to God without distraction, and might more freely use all those gestures and means which he thought fit.

He went up, and lay upon the child; and although some ceremonial uncleanness might seem to be contracted by the touch of this dead body, yet that was justly to give place to a moral duty, and to an action of so great piety and charity as this was, especially when done by a prophet, and by the…

Walked in the house to and fro: he changeth his postures for his own necessary refreshment, and walked to and fro, exercising his mind in prayer to God, and faith, for the accomplishment of this work.

Come in unto him, Heb. come to him, to wit, to the door of his chamber; where probably he met her with this joyful message.

She went in; into his chamber, and, after she had done him honour, to the bed where the child lay, whence she took him, and went her way.

Elisha came again to Gilgal; where he came with Elijah, 2 Kings 2:1; where was a school of the prophets, whom he designed to comfort concerning the present dearth and their other discouragements, and to confirm in the profession and practice of religion, and to instruct in the duties of the present…

A wild vine; a plant called coloquintida, whose gourds or leaves resemble the leaves of a vine, and are very bitter and pernicious to the eater.

There is death in the pot, i.e. some deadly thing; which they gathered from its excessive bitterness, by which possibly some of them might discern what it was.

He cast it into the pot, together with the pottage which they had taken out of it. There was no harm in the pot: the meal took away that hurtful quality, not by its natural power, which could do little in so short a time, but by the supernatural blessing of God upon it.

Bread of the first-fruits, which were the priest’s due, Num. 18:12; but these, and probably the rest of the priest’s dues, were usually brought by the pious Israelites, according to their ability and opportunity, to the Lord’s prophets; partly because they did a great part of the priest’s office,…