This scene shows that even a prophet does not know every detail, but God’s care always extends to the faithful in crisis.
When the Shunammite woman reached Elisha at Mount Carmel, Scripture recounts, “When she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said, ‘Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.’” (v.27). Mount Carmel is a prominent mountain range in northwestern Israel, near the modern city of Haifa. Its high elevation and fertile slopes made it an important landmark in the region. Here, the prophet Elisha (who ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel from around 850 to 800 BC) often stayed or passed by, serving as God’s representative to the people.
In this moment, the dedicated and distraught Shunammite woman came with urgent sorrow, prostrating herself by grasping Elisha’s feet. This physical act signaled earnest humility and a desperate plea for help. Gehazi, Elisha’s attendant, attempted to keep her from clinging to the prophet, possibly thinking it inappropriate for her to cling so closely. Yet Elisha, perceiving the depth of her anguish, intervened and commanded Gehazi to let her be. The prophet then remarked that the LORD had kept him unaware of her distress—an unusual occurrence, since God often revealed people’s needs to him in advance.
The verse highlights both the woman’s faith-filled reverence and Elisha’s dependence on divine revelation. Though called “the man of God,” Elisha’s knowledge was not absolute. The LORD, in His sovereignty, chose to keep hidden the specific circumstances that weighed so heavily upon this grieving mother. At the same time, the prophet’s compassion and immediate concern for her demonstrate God’s heart to respond to those who earnestly seek Him in times of heartbreak.
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2 Kings 4:27 meaning
When the Shunammite woman reached Elisha at Mount Carmel, Scripture recounts, “When she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of God said, ‘Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.’” (v.27). Mount Carmel is a prominent mountain range in northwestern Israel, near the modern city of Haifa. Its high elevation and fertile slopes made it an important landmark in the region. Here, the prophet Elisha (who ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel from around 850 to 800 BC) often stayed or passed by, serving as God’s representative to the people.
In this moment, the dedicated and distraught Shunammite woman came with urgent sorrow, prostrating herself by grasping Elisha’s feet. This physical act signaled earnest humility and a desperate plea for help. Gehazi, Elisha’s attendant, attempted to keep her from clinging to the prophet, possibly thinking it inappropriate for her to cling so closely. Yet Elisha, perceiving the depth of her anguish, intervened and commanded Gehazi to let her be. The prophet then remarked that the LORD had kept him unaware of her distress—an unusual occurrence, since God often revealed people’s needs to him in advance.
The verse highlights both the woman’s faith-filled reverence and Elisha’s dependence on divine revelation. Though called “the man of God,” Elisha’s knowledge was not absolute. The LORD, in His sovereignty, chose to keep hidden the specific circumstances that weighed so heavily upon this grieving mother. At the same time, the prophet’s compassion and immediate concern for her demonstrate God’s heart to respond to those who earnestly seek Him in times of heartbreak.