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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>2 Kings 4:14 So he asked, "Then what should be done for her?" "Well, she has no son," Gehazi replied, "and her husband is old."</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/2_kings/4-14.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/7/12_2Ki_04_14.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="2 Kings 4:14 - The Shunammite Woman" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="So he asked, Then what should be done for her? Well, she has no son, Gehazi replied, and her husband is old." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/2_kings/4-14.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/2_kings/4-14.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/2_kings/">2 Kings</a> > <a href="/2_kings/4.htm">Chapter 4</a> > Verse 14</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad14.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/2_kings/4-13.htm" title="2 Kings 4:13">◄</a> 2 Kings 4:14 <a href="/2_kings/4-15.htm" title="2 Kings 4:15">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/2_kings/4.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/2_kings/4.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />&#8220What can be done for her?&#8221 Elisha asked. Gehazi said, &#8220She has no son, and her husband is old.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/2_kings/4.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?” Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/2_kings/4.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/2_kings/4.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/2_kings/4.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />And he said, What then <i>is</i> to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/2_kings/4.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />So he said, “What then <i>is</i> to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/2_kings/4.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “It is a fact that she has no son, and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/2_kings/4.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />So he said, &#8220What then is to be done for her?&#8221 And Gehazi answered, &#8220Truly she has no son and her husband is old.&#8221<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/2_kings/4.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly she has no son and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/2_kings/4.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly she has no son, and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/2_kings/4.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Later Elisha said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/2_kings/4.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So he asked, “Then what should be done for her? ” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/2_kings/4.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />So he asked, &#8220Then what should be done for her?&#8221 Gehazi answered, &#8220Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."&#8221 <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/2_kings/4.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/2_kings/4.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />"Then what can we do for her?" Elisha asked Gehazi. Gehazi replied, "I do know that her husband is old, and that she doesn't have a son." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/2_kings/4.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/2_kings/4.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"What should we do for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is old."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/2_kings/4.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Elisha asked Gehazi, "What can I do for her then?" He answered, "Well, she has no son, and her husband is an old man." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/2_kings/4.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />He responded, "What, then, is to be done on her behalf?" Gehazi answered, "Well, she has no son and her husband is growing old."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/2_kings/4.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />So he asked Gehazi, "What can I do for her?" Gehazi replied, "She has no son, and her husband is old."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/2_kings/4.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />He said, "What then is to be done for her?" Gehazi answered, "Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old."<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/2_kings/4.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.<div class="vheading2"><b>Majority Text Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/2_kings/4.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?” “Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied, “and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/2_kings/4.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />He said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Most certainly she has no son, and her husband is old.” <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/2_kings/4.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And he says, “And what can [I] do for her?” And Gehazi says, “Truly she has no son, and her husband [is] aged.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/2_kings/4.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And he saith, 'And what -- to do for her?' and Gehazi saith, 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband is aged.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/2_kings/4.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And he will say, And what to be done for her? And Gehazi will say. Truly, not a son to her, and her husband an old man.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/2_kings/4.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />And he said : What will she then that I do for her? And Giezi said: Do not ask, for she hath no son, and her husband is old. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/2_kings/4.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />And he said, “Then what does she want, that I might do for her?” And Gehazi said: “You need not ask. For she has no son, and her husband is elderly.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/2_kings/4.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Later Elisha asked, “What can we do for her?” Gehazi answered, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/2_kings/4.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />He said, “What then may be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/2_kings/4.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Then he said, What shall I do for her? And Gehazi said to him, Verily she has no son and her husband is old.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/2_kings/4.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And he said: ”What shall I do for her?” Gekhazi said to him: “Truly, she has no son, and her husband is old.”<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/2_kings/4.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />And he said: 'What then is to be done for her?' And Gehazi answered: 'Verily she hath no son, and her husband is old.'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/2_kings/4.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />And he said to Giezi, What must we do for her? and Giezi his servant said, Indeed she has no son, and her husband <i>is</i> old.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/2_kings/4-14.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FiLs3w_mMFQ?start=1066" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/2_kings/4.htm">The Shunammite Woman</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">13</span>and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’ ” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied. <span class="reftext">14</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: way·yō·mer (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">So he asked,</a> <a href="/hebrew/4100.htm" title="4100: ū·meh (Conj-w:: Interrog) -- What? how? anything. ">“Then what</a> <a href="/hebrew/6213.htm" title="6213: la·‘ă·śō·wṯ (Prep-l:: V-Qal-Inf) -- To do, make. A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.">should be done</a> <a href="/hebrew/lāh (Prep:: 3fs) -- ">for her?”</a> <a href="/hebrew/61.htm" title="61: ’ă·ḇāl (Adv) -- Verily, of a truth. Apparently from 'abal through the idea of negation; nay, i.e. Truly or yet.">“Well,</a> <a href="/hebrew/lāh (Prep:: 3fs) -- ">she has</a> <a href="/hebrew/369.htm" title="369: ’ên- (Adv) -- As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.">no</a> <a href="/hebrew/1121.htm" title="1121: bên (N-ms) -- Son. From banah; a son, in the widest sense (like 'ab, 'ach, etc.).">son,”</a> <a href="/hebrew/1522.htm" title="1522: gê·ḥă·zî (N-proper-ms) -- Or Gechaziy; apparently from gay' and chazah; valley of a visionary; Gechazi, the servant of Elisha.">Gehazi</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: way·yō·mer (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">replied,</a> <a href="/hebrew/376.htm" title="376: wə·’î·šāh (Conj-w:: N-msc:: 3fs) -- Man. Contracted for 'enowsh; a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term.">“and her husband</a> <a href="/hebrew/2204.htm" title="2204: zā·qên (V-Qal-Perf-3ms) -- To be or become old. A primitive root; to be old.">is old.”</a> </span><span class="reftext">15</span>“Call her,” said Elisha. So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/18-10.htm">Genesis 18:10</a></span><br />Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/1-19.htm">1 Samuel 1:19-20</a></span><br />The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. / So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/1-13.htm">Luke 1:13</a></span><br />But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/1-31.htm">Luke 1:31</a></span><br />Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/21-1.htm">Genesis 21:1-2</a></span><br />Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. / So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/4-17.htm">Romans 4:17-21</a></span><br />As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist. / Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” / Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/11-11.htm">Hebrews 11:11</a></span><br />By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_samuel/2-21.htm">1 Samuel 2:21</a></span><br />So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/1-57.htm">Luke 1:57</a></span><br />When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/judges/13-3.htm">Judges 13:3</a></span><br />The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/genesis/17-16.htm">Genesis 17:16-19</a></span><br />And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.” / Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?” / And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live under Your blessing!” ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/1-20.htm">Matthew 1:20-21</a></span><br />But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. / She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/2-7.htm">Luke 2:7</a></span><br />And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/54-1.htm">Isaiah 54:1</a></span><br />“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/galatians/4-27.htm">Galatians 4:27</a></span><br />For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly she has no child, and her husband is old.</p><p class="hdg">she hath no child</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/15-2.htm">Genesis 15:2,3</a></b></br> And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house <i>is</i> this Eliezer of Damascus? … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/17-17.htm">Genesis 17:17</a></b></br> Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall <i>a child</i> be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/genesis/18-10.htm">Genesis 18:10-14</a></b></br> And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard <i>it</i> in the tent door, which <i>was</i> behind him… </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/1_kings/1-15.htm">Aged</a> <a href="/1_kings/21-21.htm">Child</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-13.htm">Elisha</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-12.htm">Gehazi</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-12.htm">Geha'zi</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-9.htm">Husband</a> <a href="/1_kings/1-43.htm">Verily</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/2_chronicles/10-8.htm">Aged</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-17.htm">Child</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-15.htm">Elisha</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-25.htm">Gehazi</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-25.htm">Geha'zi</a> <a href="/2_kings/4-22.htm">Husband</a> <a href="/2_kings/24-3.htm">Verily</a><div class="vheading2">2 Kings 4</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/4-1.htm">Elisha multiplies the widow's oil</a></span><br><span class="reftext">8. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/4-8.htm">He obtains a son for the good Shunammite</a></span><br><span class="reftext">18. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/4-18.htm">He restores her son when dead</a></span><br><span class="reftext">38. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/4-38.htm">At Gilgal he heals the deadly pottage</a></span><br><span class="reftext">42. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/2_kings/4-42.htm">He satisfies a hundred men with twenty loaves</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/2_kings/4.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/2_kings/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/2_kings/4.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>So he asked, “Then what should be done for her?”</b><br>This question is posed by Elisha, the prophet, who is seeking to repay the Shunammite woman for her hospitality. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, hospitality was a significant virtue, and Elisha's desire to reciprocate reflects the importance of gratitude and blessing those who bless others. This mirrors the biblical principle found in <a href="/genesis/12-3.htm">Genesis 12:3</a>, where God promises to bless those who bless His people.<p><b>“Well, she has no son,” Gehazi replied,</b><br>Gehazi, Elisha's servant, identifies the woman's lack of a son as a significant issue. In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, having a son was crucial for a family's legacy and security. Sons were seen as a blessing from God (<a href="/psalms/127-3.htm">Psalm 127:3-5</a>) and were essential for carrying on the family name and providing for parents in their old age. This situation echoes the stories of other biblical women, such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Hannah, who also faced barrenness and were later blessed with children.<p><b>“and her husband is old.”</b><br>The mention of the husband's age highlights the improbability of the couple having children naturally, setting the stage for a miraculous intervention. This detail parallels the story of Abraham and Sarah in <a href="/genesis/18.htm">Genesis 18</a>, where Sarah's advanced age made the promise of a son seem impossible. Such instances in Scripture often serve as a type of divine intervention, showcasing God's power to fulfill His promises against all odds. This also foreshadows the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, born to the Virgin Mary, emphasizing God's ability to bring life where it seems impossible.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/e/elisha.htm">Elisha</a></b><br>A prophet of God who succeeded Elijah. Known for performing miracles and being a conduit of God's power and message.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/g/gehazi.htm">Gehazi</a></b><br>Elisha's servant, who plays a role in communicating between Elisha and the Shunammite woman.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_shunammite_woman.htm">The Shunammite Woman</a></b><br>A hospitable and wealthy woman from Shunem who shows kindness to Elisha by providing him with a place to stay.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/s/shunem.htm">Shunem</a></b><br>A town in the territory of Issachar, where the Shunammite woman lived.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_promise_of_a_son.htm">The Promise of a Son</a></b><br>The event where Elisha, through Gehazi, promises the Shunammite woman a son, despite her husband's old age.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_awareness_of_our_needs.htm">God's Awareness of Our Needs</a></b><br>God knows our deepest desires and needs, even when we do not voice them. The Shunammite woman did not ask for a son, yet God provided through Elisha.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/faith_and_hospitality.htm">Faith and Hospitality</a></b><br>The Shunammite woman's hospitality to Elisha opened the door for God's blessing. Our acts of kindness can be a channel for God's work in our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/d/divine_timing.htm">Divine Timing</a></b><br>God's promises often come in His timing, not ours. The Shunammite woman received a promise when it seemed impossible, reminding us to trust in God's perfect timing.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_servants_in_god's_plan.htm">The Role of Servants in God's Plan</a></b><br>Gehazi, though a servant, played a crucial role in the communication of God's promise. This highlights that God can use anyone, regardless of their status, to fulfill His purposes.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_2_kings_4.htm">Top 10 Lessons from 2 Kings 4</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_did_elisha_save_the_shunammite's_son.htm">How did Elisha help the Shunammite woman's son live?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_2_kings_4_align_with_other_resurrections.htm">How does the resurrection of the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4:18–37) align with or contradict other biblical resurrection accounts? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_does_skeptical_theism_say_on_divine_hiddenness.htm">What does the Bible say about mental health?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_did_the_widow's_oil_multiply.htm">How could the widow's oil multiply endlessly (2 Kings 4:1-7) without violating natural laws?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/2_kings/4.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(14) <span class= "bld">And he said</span>--<span class= "ital">i.e.</span>, when Gehazi had reported the woman's reply.<p><span class= "bld">She hath no child.</span>--Which was at once a misfortune and a reproach. (Comp. <a href="/genesis/30-23.htm" title="And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God has taken away my reproach:">Genesis 30:23</a>; <a href="/context/1_samuel/1-6.htm" title="And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.">1Samuel 1:6-7</a>; <a href="/luke/1-25.htm" title="Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.">Luke 1:25</a>; <a href="/context/deuteronomy/7-13.htm" title="And he will love you, and bless you, and multiply you: he will also bless the fruit of your womb, and the fruit of your land, your corn, and your wine, and your oil, the increase of your cows, and the flocks of your sheep, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.">Deuteronomy 7:13-14</a>; <a href="/context/psalms/128-3.htm" title="Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house: your children like olive plants round about your table.">Psalm 128:3-4</a>.) . . . <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/2_kings/4.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 14.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And he said</span> - he, Elisha, said to Gehazi - <span class="cmt_word">What then is to be done for her?</span> If the woman will suggest nothing herself, can Gehazi suggest anything? Has he heard her express any wish? Does he know of any boon that would be welcome to her? Evidently the woman's disinterestedness has increased the prophet's desire to do something for her. b It does not appear that the woman had made any complaint or exhibited any special anxiety on the subject of offspring. But Gehazi knows, that to be barren is regarded by all Hebrew women as a re-preach, that it exposes them to scorn and contumely (<a href="/1_samuel/1-6.htm">1 Samuel 1:6, 7</a>), and that offspring is universally, or all but universally, desired. He therefore assumes that the Shunammite must wish for it. And Elisha accepts his suggestion without a moment's hesitation. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/2_kings/4-14.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">So he asked,</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיֹּ֕אמֶר</span> <span class="translit">(way·yō·mer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“Then what</span><br /><span class="heb">וּמֶ֖ה</span> <span class="translit">(ū·meh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Interrogative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4100.htm">Strong's 4100: </a> </span><span class="str2">What?, what!, indefinitely what</span><br /><br /><span class="word">should be done</span><br /><span class="heb">לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6213.htm">Strong's 6213: </a> </span><span class="str2">To do, make</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for her?”</span><br /><span class="heb">לָ֑הּ</span> <span class="translit">(lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> </span><span class="str2"></span><br /><br /><span class="word">“Well,</span><br /><span class="heb">אֲבָ֛ל</span> <span class="translit">(’ă·ḇāl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_61.htm">Strong's 61: </a> </span><span class="str2">Verily, of a truth</span><br /><br /><span class="word">she has</span><br /><span class="heb">לָ֖הּ</span> <span class="translit">(lāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/.htm">Strong's Hebrew</a> </span><span class="str2"></span><br /><br /><span class="word">no</span><br /><span class="heb">אֵֽין־</span> <span class="translit">(’ên-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_369.htm">Strong's 369: </a> </span><span class="str2">A non-entity, a negative particle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">son,”</span><br /><span class="heb">בֵּ֥ן</span> <span class="translit">(bên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1121.htm">Strong's 1121: </a> </span><span class="str2">A son</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Gehazi</span><br /><span class="heb">גֵּיחֲזִ֗י</span> <span class="translit">(gê·ḥă·zî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1522.htm">Strong's 1522: </a> </span><span class="str2">Gehazi -- perhaps 'valley of vision', servant of Elisha</span><br /><br /><span class="word">replied,</span><br /><span class="heb">וַיֹּ֣אמֶר</span> <span class="translit">(way·yō·mer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> </span><span class="str2">To utter, say</span><br /><br /><span class="word">“and her husband</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאִישָׁ֥הּ</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’î·šāh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_376.htm">Strong's 376: </a> </span><span class="str2">A man as an individual, a male person</span><br /><br /><span class="word">is old.”</span><br /><span class="heb">זָקֵֽן׃</span> <span class="translit">(zā·qên)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2204.htm">Strong's 2204: </a> </span><span class="str2">To be or become old</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/2_kings/4-14.htm">2 Kings 4:14 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/2_kings/4-14.htm">OT History: 2 Kings 4:14 He said What then is to be (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/2_kings/4-13.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="2 Kings 4:13"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="2 Kings 4:13" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/2_kings/4-15.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="2 Kings 4:15"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="2 Kings 4:15" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>