This verse shows that God’s providence can appear at just the right time to renew hope and supply our needs.
“As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, ‘My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.’” (v.5) Elisha’s faithful servant, Gehazi, stands before the king of Israel—likely King Jehoram, who reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel from approximately 852 BC to 841 BC—and recounts the remarkable event of Elisha raising a young boy from death. In the middle of this stirring story, the very woman whose son was resurrected enters the scene, petitioning the king for the return of her property. The coincidence is striking, demonstrating God’s providence in arranging the woman’s needs to be discussed at the exact moment her story was shared. This takes place in the region dominated by the northern kingdom, possibly in or near Samaria, which then served as a central administrative city. Although the verse specifically mentions the boy’s resurrection, it references a greater testimony about Elisha’s ministry and the power of God at work in the midst of a famine and uncertainty.
Elisha, who ministered in the ninth century BC, succeeded the prophet Elijah and performed numerous miracles, such as purifying poisoned water (2 Kings 2:19-22) and multiplying oil (2 Kings 4:1-7). Here in 2 Kings, he demonstrates the Lord’s compassion by raising the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:32-37). This miracle serves as a testament to God’s capacity to bring life from death, a theme fully realized in the New Testament miracles of Jesus raising the dead (Luke 7:11-17Mark 5:21-24, 35-43). When the woman returns after a seven-year absence due to famine, her timing is clearly orchestrated, revealing the continuing favor of God upon her life and showing that nothing is beyond His care.
In a broader spiritual sense, this passage reminds believers of God’s perfect timing. It assures us that even when we face circumstances that appear beyond our control, the Lord can align meetings, testimonies, and needs to accomplish His greater purposes. The drama unfolding before the king illuminates how personal experiences of God’s work, like Gehazi’s testimony, can open the door for divine justice—ensuring that the woman receives the restoration she needs, just as her son first experienced restoration from death.
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2 Kings 8:5 meaning
“As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field. And Gehazi said, ‘My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.’” (v.5) Elisha’s faithful servant, Gehazi, stands before the king of Israel—likely King Jehoram, who reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel from approximately 852 BC to 841 BC—and recounts the remarkable event of Elisha raising a young boy from death. In the middle of this stirring story, the very woman whose son was resurrected enters the scene, petitioning the king for the return of her property. The coincidence is striking, demonstrating God’s providence in arranging the woman’s needs to be discussed at the exact moment her story was shared. This takes place in the region dominated by the northern kingdom, possibly in or near Samaria, which then served as a central administrative city. Although the verse specifically mentions the boy’s resurrection, it references a greater testimony about Elisha’s ministry and the power of God at work in the midst of a famine and uncertainty.
Elisha, who ministered in the ninth century BC, succeeded the prophet Elijah and performed numerous miracles, such as purifying poisoned water (2 Kings 2:19-22) and multiplying oil (2 Kings 4:1-7). Here in 2 Kings, he demonstrates the Lord’s compassion by raising the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:32-37). This miracle serves as a testament to God’s capacity to bring life from death, a theme fully realized in the New Testament miracles of Jesus raising the dead (Luke 7:11-17 Mark 5:21-24, 35-43). When the woman returns after a seven-year absence due to famine, her timing is clearly orchestrated, revealing the continuing favor of God upon her life and showing that nothing is beyond His care.
In a broader spiritual sense, this passage reminds believers of God’s perfect timing. It assures us that even when we face circumstances that appear beyond our control, the Lord can align meetings, testimonies, and needs to accomplish His greater purposes. The drama unfolding before the king illuminates how personal experiences of God’s work, like Gehazi’s testimony, can open the door for divine justice—ensuring that the woman receives the restoration she needs, just as her son first experienced restoration from death.