2 Kings 8:3
1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, you and your household; go and live as a foreigner wherever you can. For the LORD has decreed a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.”
2 So the woman had proceeded to do as the man of God had instructed. And she and her household lived as foreigners for seven years in the land of the Philistines.
At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land.
4 Now 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.”
5 And Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had brought the dead back to life. Just then the woman whose son Elisha had revived came to appeal to the king for her house and her land. So Gehazi said, “My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is the son Elisha restored to life.”
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
- At the end of seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to the king to appeal for her house and her land.
- KJV
- And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.
- WEB
- At the end of seven years, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. Then she went out to beg the king for her house and for her land.
- ASV
- And it came to pass at the seven years` end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.
- DARBY
- And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines; and she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her land.
- BLB
- And it came to pass at the end of seven years that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to make an appeal to the king on behalf of her house and on behalf her field.
- ÅB
- Men da syv år var gått, vendte kvinnen tilbake fra filistrenes land; og hun gikk avsted for å be kongen om hans hjelp til å få igjen sitt hus og sin jord.
- OTB
- Da de syv årene var gått, vendte kvinnen tilbake fra filisternes land; og hun gikk for å appellere til kongen for sitt hus og sin mark.
- B1930
- Men da syv år var gått, vendte kvinnen tilbake fra filistrenes land; og hun gikk avsted for å be kongen om hans hjelp til å få igjen sitt hus og sin jord.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Samuel 14:4
When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
Read in context2 Kings 6:26
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
Read in contextLuke 18:3–5
And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
Read in context2 Kings 4:13
and Elisha said to Gehazi, “Now tell her, ‘Look, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’” “I have a home among my own people,” she replied.
Read in contextPsalms 82:3–4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
Read in context2 Kings 8:6
When the king asked the woman, she confirmed it. So the king appointed for her an officer, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the country until now.”
Read in contextJeremiah 22:16
He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.
Read in context