rd

2 Kings 4

1 God increaſeth the oyle to the poore widow by Eliſha. 12 He obteineth for the Shunammite a ſonne at Gods hand. 28 Who dying. 32 He raiſeth him vp againe. 40 He maketh ſwete the pottage. 42 And multiplieth the loaues.
1.ANd one of the wiues a of the ſonnes of the Prophetes cryed vnto Eliſhá, ſaying, Thy ſeruant mine houſband is dead, and thou knoweſt, that thy ſeruant did b feare the Lord: and the creditour is come to take my two ſonnes to be his c bondemen.
2.Then Eliſhá ſaid vnto her, What ſhal I do for thee? tel me, what haſt thou at home. And ſhe ſaid, Thine handmayd hathe nothing at home, ſaue a d pytcher of oyle.
3.And he ſaid, Go, and borowe thee veſſels abroade of all thy neighbours, emptye veſſels, & e ſpare not.
4.And when thou art come in, thou ſhalt ſhut the dore vpon thee & vpon thy ſonnes, and powre out into c all thoſe veſſels and ſet aſide thoſe that are ful.
5.5 So ſhe departed from him, and ſhut the dore vpon her,and vpon her ſonnes. And they broght to her,and ſhe powred out.
6.6 And when the veſſels were ful, ſhe ſaid vnto her ſonne,Bring me yet a veſſel. And he ſaid vnto her, There is no mo veſſels. And the oyle f ceaſed.
7.7 Then ſhe came and tolde the man of God. And he ſaid, Go,and ſel the oyle,& pay them that thou art in det vnto,and li- ue thou and thy children of the g reſt.
8.8 ¶And on a time Eliſhá came to Shuné,& there a woman of great eſtimation cõſtrai- ned him to eat bread: and as he paſſed by, he turned in thether to eat bread.
9.9 And ſhe ſaid vnto her houſbãd,Beholde, I knowe now, that this is an holie man of God that paſſeth by vs continually.
10.10 Let vs make h him a litle chamber, I pray thee,with walles, and let vs ſet him there a bed and a table & a ſtole, and a cã- dleſticke,that he may turne in thether whẽ he commeth to vs.
11.11 ¶And on a day,he came thether and tur- ned into the chamber,and laye therein,
12.12 And ſaid to Gehazí his ſeruãt,Call this Shunammite: and when he called her, ſhe ſtode before him.
13.13 Then he ſaid vnto him, Say vnto her now,Beholde, thou haſt had all this i great care for vs, what ſhal we do for thee? Is there anie thing to be ſpoke for thee to the King or to the captaine of the hoſte? And ſhe anſwered,I k dwel among mine owne people.
14.14 Againe he ſaid,What is then to be done for her? Then Gehazí anſwered,In dede ſhe hathe l no ſonne,and her houſband is olde.
15.15 Thẽ ſaid he,Call her. And he called her, and ſhe ſtode in the dore.
16.16 And he ſaid, * At this time appointed,ac- cording to the time of life, thou ſhalt em- brace a ſonne. And ſhe ſaid, Oh my lord, thou man of God, do not lye vnto thine handmaid.
17.17 So the womã conceiued,and bare a ſon- ne at that ſame ſeaſon,according to the ti- me of life,that Eliſhá had ſaid vnto her.
18.18 ¶And when the childe was growen,it fel on a day,that he went out to his father, & to the reapers.
19.19 And he ſaid to his father, m Mine head, mine head. Who ſaid to his ſeruant, Bea- re him to his mother.
20.20 And he toke him and broght him to his mother, & he ſate on her knees til noone, and dyed.
21.21 Then ſhe went vp,and layed him on the bed of the man of God, and ſhut the dore vpon him,and went out.
22.22 ¶Then ſhe called to her houſband,and ſaid,Send with me, I pray thee, one of the yong mẽ & one of the aſſes:for I wil haſte to the man of God,and come againe.
23.23 And he ſaid, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day?it is nether n newe moone nor Sabbath day.And ſhe anſwered, " All ſhalbe wel.
24.24 Then ſhe ſadled an aſſe, and ſaid to her ſeruant, Driue,and go forwarde:ſtay not for me to get vp,except I bid thee.
25.25 ¶So ſhe went, & came vnto the man of God to mount Carmél. And whẽ the man of God ſaw her " ouer againſt him, he ſaid to Gehazí his ſeruant, Beholde, the Shu- nammite.
26.26 Runne now, I ſay,to mete her, and ſay vnto her,Art thou in helthe?is thine houſ- band in helthe? & is the childe in helthe? And ſhe anſwered,We are in helthe.
27.27 And when ſhe came to the man of God vnto the mountaine,ſhe o caught him by his fete:and Gehazí went to her,to thruſt her away:but the man of God ſaid,Let her alone: for her ſoule is " vexed within her, and the Lord hathe hid it from me, and hathe not tolde it me.
28.28 Then ſhe ſaid, Did I deſire a ſonne of my lord?did I not ſay, Deceiue me not.
29.29 Thẽ he ſaid to Gehazí, Girde thy loy- nes,and take my ſtaffe in thine hand, and go thy way: p if thou mete anie, * ſalute him not: and if anie ſalute thee, anſwer him not:and lay my ſtaffe vpon the face of the childe.
30.30 And the mother of the childe ſaid,As the Lord liueth, and as thy ſoule liueth, I wil not leaue thee. Therefore he aroſe, and followed her.
31.31 But Gehazí was gone before thẽ, & had layed the ſtaffe vpõ the face of the childe, but he nether ſpake nor heard: wherefore he returned to mete him and tolde him, ſaying,The childe is not waken.
32.32 ¶Then came Eliſhá into the houſe, and beholde, the childe was dead, and layed vpon his bed.
33.33 He went in therefore, and ſhut the dore vpon them twaine, and prayed vnto the Lord.
34.34 After he went vp, and q lay vpon the childe, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes vpon his eyes,and his hands vpon his hands, and ſtretched him ſelfe vpon him,& the fleſh of the childe waxed warme.
35.35 And he wẽt from him,and walked vp and downe in the houſe, & went vp and ſpred him ſelfe vpon him: then the childe nee- ſed r ſeuen times, and opened his eyes.
36.36 Then he called Gehazí, and ſaid, Call this Shunammite. So he called her,which came in vnto him. And he ſaid vnto her, Take thy ſonne.
37.37 And ſhe came, and fel at his fete, and bowed her ſelfe to the grounde, and toke vp her ſonne, and went out.
38.38 Afterwarde Eliſhá returned to Gilgál, and a famine was in the f land, and the childrẽ of the Prophetes dwelt with him. And he ſaid vnto his ſeruant, Set on the great pot, and ſeethe pottage for the children of the Prophetes.
39.39 And one went out into the field, to gather herbes, and founde, as it were, a wilde vine, and gathered thereof t wilde gourdes his garment ful, and came and ſhred them into the pot of pottage: for they knewe it not.
40.40 So they powred out for the men to eat: and when they did eat of the pottage, they cryed out, and ſaid, O thou man of God, y death is in the pot: and they colde not eat thereof.
41.41 Thẽ he ſaid, Bring meale. And he caſt it into the pot, and ſaid, Powre out for the people, that they may eat: & there was none euil in the pot.
42.42 ¶ Then came a man from Baal-ſhaliſha, and broght the man of God bread of the firſt frutes, euen twentie loaues of barly, & ful eares of corne in yͤ huske. And he ſaid, Giue vnto the people, that they may eat.
43.43 And his ſeruant anſwered, How ſhulde I ſet this before an hundreth men? He ſaid againe, Giue it vnto the people that they may eat: for thus ſayth the Lord, They ſhal eat, and there x ſhal remaine.
44.44 So he ſet it before them, and thei did eat, and left ouer, according to the worde of the Lord.

Notes

1:a.
Read Chap. 2, 3.
1:b.
And therefore fel not into det by vnthriftines or prodigalitie, but by the hand of the Lord.
1:c.
Becauſe I am poore and not able to pay.
2:d.
Thus God ſuffreth his many times to be broght to extreme neceſſitie, before he ſuccor them, that afterwarde they may ye more praiſe his mercie
3:e.
The Prophet declareth hereby vnto her, that God neuer faileth to pouide for his ſeruants, their wiues & children, if they truſt in him.
6:f.
f To augment and increaſe in the veſſels
7:g.
g God here did not onely prouide for his ſeruãt,that his dets ſhulde be payed, & ſo kept his doctrine and profeſſiõ without ſlãder, but alſo for his wife and children
10:h.
h Which ſhulde be ſeparate from the reſt of the houſe, that he might more cõmodiouſly giue him ſelfe to ſtudy and prayers.
13:i.
i Thus the ſeruants of God are not vnthankful for yͤ benefites they receyue
13:k.
k I am contẽt with that that God hathe ſẽt me, and can want nothing that one cã do for another
14:l.
l Which then was a reproche & therefore he wolde yͤ his maſter ſhulde pray to God for her that ſhe might be fruteful
16:*.
Gen. 18, 10.
19:m.
m His head aked ſore, and therefore he cryed thus.
23:n.
n For at ſuche times the people were wõte to reſorte to yͤ Prophetes for doctrine and conſolacion
23:".
Ebr. peace.
25:".
Or, farre of
27:o.
o In token of humilitie and ioy that ſhe had met with him
27:".
Ebr. her ſoule is in bitternes.
29:p.
p Make ſuche ſpede that nothing may let thee in yͤ way,
29:*.
Luk. 10, 4.
34:q.
q The like did Eliiáh to the widowes ſõne at Sarephta 1. King 17, 21 and S. Paul Act. 20, 10 ſignifying yͤ care that oght to be in them, that beare the worde of God and are diſtributers of the ſpiritual life.
35:r.
r Meaning oftentimes.
38:f.
That is, in the land of Iſraél.
39:t.
Which the Apoticaries call coloquintida, and is moſte vehement and dangerous in purging.
40:y.
They feared they were poyſoned, becauſe of the bitternes.
43:x.
It is not the quantitie of bread that ſatisfieth, but yͤ bleſſing that God giueth