2 Kings 4:10

Generosity Serving others

⁸ And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

⁹ And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.

Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

¹¹ And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.

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

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”
KJV: Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
WEB: Please, let’s make a little room on the roof. Let’s set a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp stand for him there. When he comes to us, he can stay there.”
ASV: Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
DARBY: Let us make, I pray thee, a small upper chamber with walls, and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a seat, and a lampstand; and it shall be when he cometh to us, he shall turn in thither.
BLB: Let us make, please, a small upper room on the wall, and let us put for him there a bed, and a table, and a chair, and a lampstand. And it will be, in his coming to us, he can turn aside there.”

ÅB: La oss gjøre et lite tak-kammer med murvegger og sette inn der en seng for ham og et bord og en stol og en lysestake; når han så kommer til oss, kan han ta inn der.
OTB: Vær så snill, la oss lage et lite rom med vegger, og sette en seng for ham der, og et bord, en stol og en lysestake; og det skal være, når han kommer til oss, at han kan gå inn der."
B1930: La oss gjøre et lite tak-kammer med murvegger og sette inn der en seng for ham og et bord og en stol og en lysestake; når han så kommer til oss, kan han ta inn der.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Romans 12:13
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
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Matthew 10:41–42
He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
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Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
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Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Read in context
Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
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1 Peter 4:9–10
Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
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Luke 8:3
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Read in context
Mark 9:41
For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
Read in context