“And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Kings 4:27 Mean?
The Shunammite woman's son — the one Elisha promised — has died. She makes the journey to Elisha and grabs his feet in desperation. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, tries to push her away. Elisha stops him: "Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her."
Then the stunning admission: "the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me." The prophet didn't know. God didn't tell him the boy had died. Elisha — who could see armies of angels (6:17) and know the private conversations of kings (6:12) — was in the dark about this woman's grief.
The fact that God hid this from Elisha is theologically significant. Prophetic knowledge is selective — God reveals what He chooses, when He chooses. The prophet's power has limits. And those limits are God's decision, not a failure of the prophet's ability.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How do you respond when someone you trust spiritually doesn't have answers for your pain?
- 2.What does Elisha's 'let her alone' teach about how to be present with grieving people?
- 3.Does it comfort you or unsettle you that God sometimes hides things from even His prophets?
- 4.When was the last time you needed to 'grab someone's feet' — to seek help desperately and physically?
Devotional
The prophet didn't know. The woman's son was dead, and God hadn't told Elisha.
That's a jarring detail. Elisha could see invisible armies. He knew things no one told him. And yet God hid this from him. The woman had to travel to him, grab his feet, and communicate her grief physically before Elisha understood what had happened.
And then Gehazi tried to push her away. The gatekeeper, doing what gatekeepers do — protecting the important man from the inconvenient woman. But Elisha stopped him: "Let her alone. Her soul is bitter within her."
Two things here are worth carrying with you. First: even prophets don't know everything. God reveals selectively. The people you look to for spiritual wisdom don't see the whole picture any more than you do. They're given what they're given, and the rest is hidden.
Second: Elisha's response to what he didn't know was compassion, not defensiveness. He didn't say "why didn't you send word?" or "I should have known." He said: her soul is vexed. Let her be. Let her grieve. Let her grab my feet if she needs to.
Sometimes the most spiritual response to someone else's pain isn't insight. It's presence. It's letting them hold on while you figure out what God is doing.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when she came to the man of God to the hill,.... To the top of it:
she caught him by the feet; in reverence to…
She caught him by the feet - To lay hold of the knees or feet has always been thought in the East to add force to…
The Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me - In reference to this point he had not now the discernment of…
We may well suppose that, after the birth of this son, the prophet was doubly welcome to the good Shunammite. He had…
to the hill Elisha had been standing on a height which enabled him to command a view of the road for some distance.
she…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture