2 Kings 4:8

⁶ And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

⁷ Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

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.

¹⁰ 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.

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: One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.
KJV: 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.
WEB: One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman; and she persuaded him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: And it came to pass on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a wealthy 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.
BLB: And one day it came to pass that Elisha went to Shunem, and there [was] a great woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. And it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn aside there to eat some food.

ÅB: En dag gikk Elisa over til Sunem; en velstående kvinne som bodde der, nødde ham til å spise hos seg; og så ofte han siden dro der forbi, tok han inn der og fikk seg mat.
OTB: Nå kom det en dag da Elisja dro over til Sjunem, hvor det var en fremtredende kvinne, og hun ba ham spise mat. Så når han passerte forbi, ville han gå inn der for å spise.
B1930: En dag gikk Elisa over til Sunem; en velstående kvinne som bodde der, nødde ham til å ete hos sig; og så ofte han siden drog der forbi, tok han inn der og fikk sig mat.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joshua 19:18
And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,
Read in context
2 Kings 4:11–12
And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.
Read in context
Job 32:9
Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
Read in context
Job 1:3
His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
Read in context
Genesis 19:3
And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Read in context
1 Kings 1:3
So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
Read in context
Luke 24:29
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
Read in context
2 Samuel 19:32
Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.
Read in context