◄ 2 Kings 4:28 ►
Then she said, "Did I ask you for a son, my lord? Didn't I say, 'Do not deceive me?'"
Study Bible
Then she said,
This phrase introduces the response of the Shunammite woman to Elisha. The Shunammite woman is a significant figure in 2 Kings 4, known for her hospitality and faith. Her dialogue with Elisha occurs after the death of her promised son, highlighting her distress and urgency. The setting is in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the time of the divided monarchy, a period marked by political instability and spiritual decline.

“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?
The Shunammite woman reminds Elisha that she did not request a son. This reflects her initial contentment and perhaps a fear of disappointment. Her address to Elisha as "my lord" shows respect and acknowledges his prophetic authority. The cultural context of ancient Israel placed great importance on having children, particularly sons, for lineage and inheritance. Her statement underscores the depth of her current grief, as she had not sought this blessing, which now seems lost.

Didn’t I say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”
This phrase recalls the earlier interaction between the woman and Elisha, where she expressed concern about being given false hope (2 Kings 4:16). Her use of "deceive" indicates a feeling of betrayal, as the joy of her son's birth has turned into sorrow. This moment parallels other biblical narratives where God's promises are tested, such as Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22). It also foreshadows the resurrection theme, as Elisha will later restore her son to life, prefiguring Christ's power over death. The woman's plea reflects a deep trust in God's promises, even amidst doubt and despair.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Shunammite Woman
A notable woman from Shunem who showed hospitality to Elisha and was blessed with a son as a result of Elisha's prophecy.

2. Elisha
A prophet of God who succeeded Elijah and performed many miracles, including the promise of a son to the Shunammite woman.

3. The Son
The child miraculously given to the Shunammite woman, whose sudden death prompts her plea to Elisha.

4. Shunem
A town in the territory of Issachar, where the Shunammite woman lived and where Elisha often visited.

5. Mount Carmel
The place where the Shunammite woman sought Elisha after her son's death, demonstrating her faith and determination.
Teaching Points
Faith in God's Promises
The Shunammite woman's account teaches us to hold onto God's promises even when circumstances seem dire.

The Power of Persistent Prayer
Her determination to seek Elisha demonstrates the importance of persistent prayer and seeking God's intervention.

God's Compassion and Understanding
God understands our deepest fears and disappointments, as seen in the Shunammite woman's honest plea to Elisha.

The Role of Prophets and Spiritual Leaders
Elisha's role highlights the importance of spiritual leaders who guide and intercede for God's people.

Trusting God's Timing
The account encourages believers to trust in God's timing and methods, even when they differ from our expectations.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the Shunammite woman's response to her son's death reflect her faith and understanding of God's promises?

2. In what ways can we relate the Shunammite woman's experience to our own challenges and disappointments?

3. How does the account of the Shunammite woman and Elisha encourage us to seek spiritual guidance and intercession in times of need?

4. What can we learn from the Shunammite woman's persistence in seeking Elisha about the nature of effective prayer?

5. How do other biblical accounts of miraculous births and resurrections reinforce the themes found in 2 Kings 4:28?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Samuel 1
The account of Hannah, who also experienced the pain of childlessness and the joy of a promised son, Samuel, parallels the Shunammite woman's experience.

Genesis 18
The promise of a son to Sarah and Abraham, highlighting God's power to fulfill promises against all odds.

Hebrews 11:35
References women receiving back their dead by resurrection, connecting to the miraculous restoration of the Shunammite woman's son.

Psalm 34:18
Speaks of the Lord being close to the brokenhearted, relevant to the Shunammite woman's distress and faith.

James 5:16
Emphasizes the power of a righteous person's prayer, as seen in Elisha's intercession for the Shunammite woman's son.
Sermons
Great TrialsD. Thomas 2 Kings 4:18-31
A Day in a Mother's LifeWilliam Forsyth, A. M.2 Kings 4:18-37
Concerning Accidents2 Kings 4:18-37
Death and RestorationC.H. Irwin 2 Kings 4:18-37
The Empty HomeF. S. Webster, M. A.2 Kings 4:18-37
The Lady of Shunem: 2. the Son Taken and RestoredJ. Orr 2 Kings 4:18-37
People
Elisha, Gehazi
Places
Baal-shalishah, Edom, Gilgal, Mount Carmel, Shunem
Topics
Deceive, Desire, Didn't, Hopes, Raise, Request
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 4:28

     9611   hope, nature of

2 Kings 4:25-31

     5178   running

2 Kings 4:27-28

     8027   faith, testing of

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 Scripture

A 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

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