God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 8:1
1Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Go away with your family. Stay wherever you can. The Lord has decided to send a famine on this country, and it will last seven years.”
2 Kings 8:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
- New International Version (NIV)Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.”
Context of 2 Kings 8:1
Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Go away with your family. Stay wherever you can. The Lord has decided to send a famine on this country, and it will last seven years.” 2The woman did what the man of God told her. She and her family went to live in Philistine territory for seven years. 3At the end of seven years, the woman came home from Philistine territory but left again to make an appeal to the king about her house and land.
Read all of 2 Kings 82 Kings 8:1 word by word
וֶאֱלִישָׁ֡ע דִּבֶּ֣ר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה֩ אֲשֶׁר־הֶחֱיָ֨ה אֶת־בְּנָ֜הּ לֵאמֹ֗ר ק֤וּמִי וּלְכִי֙ אַ֣תְּ וּבֵיתֵ֔ךְ וְג֖וּרִי בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּג֑וּרִי כִּֽי־קָרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ לָֽרָעָ֔ב וְגַם־בָּ֥א אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
- unto the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- whose sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- he had restored to lifeחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- and goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- thou and thine householdבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
- and sojournגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
- wheresoeverאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- for a famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
- and it shall also comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- upon the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
Cross-references for 2 Kings 8:1
- 2 Kings 4:18Several years later the boy went to his father, who was with the harvest workers.
- Genesis 12:10There was a famine in the land. Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe.
- Genesis 26:1There was a famine in the land in addition to the earlier one during Abraham’s time. So Isaac went to King Abimelech of the Philistines in Gerar.
- Genesis 47:4We have come to live in this land for a while. The famine is so severe in Canaan that there’s no pasture for our flocks. So please let us live in Goshen.”
- Ruth 1:1In the days when the judges were ruling, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah went with his wife and two sons to live for a while in the country of Moab.
- Genesis 41:25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh had the same dream twice. God has told Pharaoh what he’s going to do.
- Leviticus 26:19I will crush your arrogance. You will have no rain, and your land will be as hard as cement.
- Deuteronomy 28:22The Lord will strike you with disease, fever, and inflammation; heat waves, drought, scorching winds, and ruined crops. They will pursue you until you die.
- 1 Kings 17:1Elijah, who was from Tishbe but had settled in Gilead, said to Ahab, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord God of Israel whom I serve lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I say so.”
- 1 Kings 18:2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was particularly severe in Samaria.
- Psalms 105:16He brought famine to the land. He took away their food supply.
- Psalms 107:34and fertile ground into a layer of salt because of the wickedness of the people living there.
- Haggai 1:11I called for a drought on the land, the hills, and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and whatever the ground produces, on humans and animals, and on all your hard work.”
- Luke 21:11There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and dreadful diseases in various places. Terrifying sights and miraculous signs will come from the sky.
- Acts 11:28One of them was named Agabus. Through the Spirit Agabus predicted that a severe famine would affect the entire world. This happened while Claudius was emperor.
- Jeremiah 25:29I am going to bring disaster on the city that is named after me. Do you think you’ll go unpunished? You will not go unpunished! I’m declaring war on all those who live on earth, declares the Lord of Armies.’
Commentaries on 2 Kings 8:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Then spake Elisha - As this is the relation of an event far past, the words should be translated, "But Elisha had spoken unto the woman whose son he had restored unto life; and the woman had arisen, and acted according to the saying of the man of God, and had gone with her family, and had sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years." What is mentioned in these two verses happened several years before the time specified in the third verse. See the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The famine here recorded, and the conversation of the monarch with Gehazi, must have been anterior to the events related in Ezekiel 36:29; Romans 4:17).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1A famine in Israel, The Shunammite obtains her land. (1-6) Elisha consulted by Hazael, Death of Benhadad. (7-15) Jehoram's wicked reign in Judah. (16-24) Ahaziah's wicked reign in Judah. (25-29) Verses 1-6 The kindness of the good Shunammite to Elisha, was rewarded by the care taken of her in famine. It is well to foresee an evil, and wisdom, when we foresee it, to hide ourselves if we lawfully may do so. When the famine was over, she returned out of the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-62Ki 8:1-6. The Shunammite's Land Restored. 1. Then spake Elisha unto the woman--rather "had spoken." The repetition of Elisha's direction to the Shunammite is merely given as an introduction to the following narrative; and it probably took place before the events recorded in chapters 5 and 6. the Lord hath called for a famine--All such calamities are chastisements inflicted by the hand of God; and this famine was to be of double duration to that one which…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 8:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries