And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call the Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, she stood before him,
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him.
- KJV And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.
- NKJV Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him.
- NASB Then he said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him.
- NLT He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Elisha sends Gehazi to summon the Shunammite woman. Grateful for her kindness, the prophet seeks to repay her generosity.
Overview
Elisha does not take her hospitality for granted but moves to bless her in return. Through his servant Gehazi he calls her to stand before him. This sets up God's gracious reward for her faithfulness. It reflects the principle that God remembers and honors kindness done to His servants.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 2 Kgs 8:4–5Now the king had been speaking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Please relate to me all the great things Elisha has done.”
- 2 Kgs 3:11But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
- 2 Kgs 4:29–31So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
- 2 Kgs 5:20–27Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared this Aramean, Naaman, while not accepting what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
- 1 Kgs 19:3And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
- Acts 13:5When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.
- 1 Kgs 18:43“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 4:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.