Miracles of Eliseus. He raises a dead child to life.

¹ Now a certain woman, from the wives of the prophets, cried out to Elisha, saying: “My husband, your servant, is dead. And you know that your servant was one who fears the Lord. And behold, a creditor has arrived, so that he may take away my two sons to serve him.”

² And Elisha said to her: “What do you want me to do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” And she responded, “I, your handmaid, do not have anything in my house, except a little oil, with which I may be anointed.”

³ And he said to her: “Go, ask to borrow from all your neighbors empty vessels, more than a few.

⁴ And enter and close your door. And when you are inside with your sons, pour from the oil into all those vessels. And when they are full, take them away.”

⁵ And so, the woman went and closed the door upon herself and her sons. They were bringing her the vessels, and she was pouring into them.

⁶ And when the vessels had been filled, she said to her son, “Bring me another a vessel.” And he responded, “I have none.” And there was oil remaining.

⁷ Then she went and told the man of God. And he said: “Go, sell the oil, and repay your creditor. Then you and your sons may live on what remains.”

⁸ Now it happened that, on a certain day, Elisha passed by Shunem. And there was a great woman there, who took him to eat bread. And since he frequently passed by there, he turned aside to her house, so that he might eat bread.

⁹ And she said to her husband: “I have noticed that he is a holy man of God, who passes by us frequently.

¹⁰ Therefore, let us prepare a small upper room for him, and place a bed in it for him, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand, so that when he comes to us, he may stay there.”

¹¹ Then it happened that, on a certain day, arriving, he turned aside into the upper room, and he rested there.

¹² And he said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite woman.” And when he had called her, and she stood before him,

¹³ he said to his servant: “Say to her: Behold, you have ministered to us attentively in all things. What do you want, that I might do for you? Do you have any business, or do you want me to speak to the king, or to the leader of the military?” And she responded, “I live in the midst of my own people.”

¹⁴ 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.”

¹⁵ And so, he instructed him to call her. And when she had been called, and was standing before the door,

¹⁶ he said to her, “At this time, and at this same hour, with life as a companion, you will have a son in your womb.” But she responded, “Do not, I ask you, my lord, a man of God, do not be willing to lie to your handmaid.”¹

1. 4:16The phrase “…vita comes…” refers both to the springtime, when life springs up, and to conception, when life springs up in the womb; literally it says “if life will have been a companion.” The new life in the womb accompanies the new life of springtime.(Conte)

¹⁷ And the woman conceived. And she bore a son, in the time and at the same hour as Elisha had said.

¹⁸ And the boy grew. And on a certain day, when he had gone out to his father, to the harvesters,

¹⁹ he said to his father: “I have a pain in my head. I have a pain in my head.” But he said to his servant, “Take him, and lead him to his mother.”

²⁰ But when he had taken him, and he had led him to his mother, she placed him upon her knees, until midday, and then he died.

²¹ Then she went up and laid him out on the bed of the man of God, and she closed the door. And departing,

²² she called her husband, and she said: “Send with me, I beg you, one of your servants, and a donkey, so that I may hurry to the man of God, and then return.”

²³ And he said to her: “What is the reason that you would go to him? Today is not the new moon, and it is not the Sabbath.” She responded, “I will go.”

²⁴ And she saddled a donkey, and she instructed her servant: “Drive, and hurry on. You shall cause no delay for me in departing. And do whatever I instruct you to do.”

²⁵ And so she set out. And she came to the man of God, on mount Carmel. And when the man of God had seen her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi: “Behold, it is that Shunammite woman.

²⁶ So then, go to meet her, and say to her, ‘Does all go well concerning you, and your husband, and your son?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.”

²⁷ And when she had arrived at the man of God, on the mount, she took hold of his feet. And Gehazi drew near, so that he might remove her. But the man of God said: “Permit her. For her soul is in bitterness. And the Lord has concealed it from me, and has not revealed it to me.”

²⁸ And she said to him: “Did I ask a son from my lord? Did I not say to you, ‘You should not deceive me?’ ”

²⁹ And so he said to Gehazi: “Gird your waist, and take my staff in your hand, and go. If any man will meet you, you shall not greet him. And if anyone greets you, you shall not respond to him. And place my staff upon the face of the boy.”¹

1. 4:29Salute him not: He that is sent to raise to life the sinner spiritually dead, must not suffer himself to be called off, or diverted from his enterprise, by the salutations or ceremonies of the world.(Challoner)

³⁰ But the mother of the boy said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not release you.” Therefore, he rose up, and he followed her.

³¹ But Gehazi had gone before them, and he had placed the staff upon the face of the boy. And there was no voice, nor any response. And so he returned to meet him. And he reported to him, saying, “The boy did not rise up.”¹

1. 4:31St. Augustine considers a great mystery in this miracle wrought by the prophet Eliseus, thus: By the staff sent by his servant is figured the rod of Moses, or the Old Law, which was not sufficient to bring mankind to life then dead in sin. It was necessary that Christ himself should come, and by taking on human nature, become flesh of our flesh, and restore us to life. In this Eliseus was a figure of Christ, as it was necessary that he should come himself to bring the dead child to life and restore him to his mother, who is here, in a mystical sense, a figure of the Church.(Challoner)

³² Therefore, Elisha entered the house. And behold, the boy was lying dead upon his bed.

³³ And entering, he closed the door upon himself and the boy. And he prayed to the Lord.

³⁴ And he climbed up, and lay across the boy. And he put his mouth over his mouth, and his eyes over his eyes, and his hands over his hands. And he leaned himself over him, and the body of the boy grew warm.

³⁵ And returning, he walked around the house, first here and then there. And he went up, and lay across him. And the boy gasped seven times, and he opened his eyes.

³⁶ And he called Gehazi, and said to him, “Call this Shunammite woman.” And having been called, she entered to him. And he said, “Take up your son.”

³⁷ She went and fell at his feet, and she reverenced upon the ground. And she took up her son, and departed.

³⁸ And Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets were living in his sight. And he said to one of his servants, “Set out a large cooking pot, and boil a soup for the sons of the prophets.”

³⁹ And one went out into the field, so that he might collect wild herbs. And he found something like a wild vine, and he gathered from it bitter fruits of the field, and he filled his cloak. And returning, he cut these up for the pot of soup. But he did not know what it was.¹

1. 4:39Wild gourds of the field: Colocynthidas. They are extremely bitter, and therefore are called the gall of the earth; and are poisonous if taken in a great quantity.(Challoner)

⁴⁰ Then they poured it out for their companions to eat. And when they had tasted the mixture, they cried out, saying, “Death is in the cooking pot, O man of God!” And they were unable to eat.