This verse shows how God worked through Elisha to restore life to the Shunammite woman’s son, underscoring the Lord’s compassionate power in hopeless circumstances.
In this verse, we witness the prophet Elisha, who lived in the ninth century BC, concluding a miraculous event for a woman from the region called Shunem. Shunem was a village located in the Jezreel Valley, southwest of the Sea of Galilee. After the woman’s son died, Elisha prayed over the child and stretched himself upon him until his life was restored (2 Kings 4:33-35). Now, in the culmination of this wonder, Scripture says, “Then he called Gehazi and said, ‘Call this Shunammite.’ So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, ‘Take up your son.’” (v.36). This statement from Elisha, who took up the mantel of prophecy after Elijah (around 852-796 BC), affirmatively displays God’s power to bring life from death, foreshadowing the ultimate power of resurrection found in the New Testament accounts of Jesus (John 11).
Elisha’s words, “Call this Shunammite” (v.36), highlight the specificity with which he cared for her. Though she was from a lesser-known village, she is remembered because God chose her as a recipient of His mercy through the prophet. Shunem itself was not a major hub like Jerusalem, yet it was significant enough to be mentioned in other parts of Scripture (Joshua 19:18). Her trials in this story (2 Kings 4:18-20) point us to the consistency of God’s compassion, transcending geographic and social boundaries. By instructing his servant Gehazi to call the woman, Elisha treated her situation with urgency and respect, emphasizing the significance of her heartbreak and God’s willingness to intervene.
Ultimately, Elisha’s brief but poignant command, “Take up your son” (v.36), demonstrates the resolve of God’s deliverance. The mother does not have to do anything more than come into Elisha’s presence and lift her child—full of life—now returned to her by divine intervention. This passage illustrates the power of faith and the extent of God’s grace, which mirrors the life-giving hope Jesus offers in the Gospels, further evidencing the Lord’s compassionate nature throughout biblical history.
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2 Kings 4:36 meaning
In this verse, we witness the prophet Elisha, who lived in the ninth century BC, concluding a miraculous event for a woman from the region called Shunem. Shunem was a village located in the Jezreel Valley, southwest of the Sea of Galilee. After the woman’s son died, Elisha prayed over the child and stretched himself upon him until his life was restored (2 Kings 4:33-35). Now, in the culmination of this wonder, Scripture says, “Then he called Gehazi and said, ‘Call this Shunammite.’ So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, ‘Take up your son.’” (v.36). This statement from Elisha, who took up the mantel of prophecy after Elijah (around 852-796 BC), affirmatively displays God’s power to bring life from death, foreshadowing the ultimate power of resurrection found in the New Testament accounts of Jesus (John 11).
Elisha’s words, “Call this Shunammite” (v.36), highlight the specificity with which he cared for her. Though she was from a lesser-known village, she is remembered because God chose her as a recipient of His mercy through the prophet. Shunem itself was not a major hub like Jerusalem, yet it was significant enough to be mentioned in other parts of Scripture (Joshua 19:18). Her trials in this story (2 Kings 4:18-20) point us to the consistency of God’s compassion, transcending geographic and social boundaries. By instructing his servant Gehazi to call the woman, Elisha treated her situation with urgency and respect, emphasizing the significance of her heartbreak and God’s willingness to intervene.
Ultimately, Elisha’s brief but poignant command, “Take up your son” (v.36), demonstrates the resolve of God’s deliverance. The mother does not have to do anything more than come into Elisha’s presence and lift her child—full of life—now returned to her by divine intervention. This passage illustrates the power of faith and the extent of God’s grace, which mirrors the life-giving hope Jesus offers in the Gospels, further evidencing the Lord’s compassionate nature throughout biblical history.