The Beginning:
Elisha regularly passes through Shunem, where a prominent woman shows him hospitality and prepares an upper room for him. In gratitude, Elisha promises that she will have a son, and the promise is fulfilled. Some time later, the child suddenly becomes ill while in the field and is carried home to his mother.
The Middle:
The boy dies, and the woman lays him on Elisha’s bed in the upper room, then urgently goes to find the prophet at Mount Carmel. When Elisha sends Gehazi ahead with his staff, the child does not awaken. The Shunammite insists Elisha come personally, and Elisha returns to the house and goes up to the child.
The End:
Elisha prays to the LORD and stretches himself upon the child; the child’s body grows warm. After Elisha repeats the act, the boy sneezes seven times and opens his eyes. Elisha calls the mother, and she receives her son alive, responding with reverence and gratitude.
This account portrays the LORD as the giver of life who hears prayer and acts with power and compassion through His prophet. The child’s restoration confirms that God’s word, spoken through Elisha, is trustworthy—both in granting life (the promised son) and in sustaining it even beyond death. Within the wider biblical story, it highlights God’s sovereignty over death and His ability to restore what is lost, anticipating the fuller hope of resurrection found later in Scripture.
Providing a dedicated “upper room” for a guest reflects ancient household hospitality and status; such rooms could be used for lodging and private activity. Shunem is a known biblical site in the Jezreel Valley region, fitting the narrative’s travel between Shunem and Mount Carmel and the agricultural setting described.
“Then the child opened his eyes.” — 2 Kings 4:35
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. Where did the Shunammite woman go to find Elisha after her son died?
2. What happened after Elisha repeated stretching himself upon the child?