Rashi on Tanakh2 Kings 4

A wife of one of the disciples of the prophets. She was the wife of Ovadyoh. Every expression of ‘בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים’ [lit., “the sons of the prophets”], in Scripture, is translated [by Targum Yonoson] as, “the disciples of the prophets.”¹See Targum above 2:3, 2:7 and 2:15.

Now the creditor. He was Yehorom, son of Achov, who would lend him with interest, enabling him to sustain the prophets in his father’s time [according to] Midrash Rabbi Tanchuma. Therefore it is stated, “And struck Yehorom between his arms,”²Below 9:24. which he stretched out to take interest.

A jar of oil. Enough oil for anointment [=אָסוּךְ], and the ‘א’ is part of the root,³Alternatively, the root is סוך, and the ‘א’ is an added prefix.—Radak like the ‘א’ of, “and my speech [=וְאַחְוָתִי] in your ears,”⁴Iyov 13:17. and the ‘א’ of, “the dread [=אִבְחַת] of those struck down by the sword.”⁵Yechezkeil 21:20.

And close the door. [It affords] respect to the miracle [if] it comes about in secret.

And the full one[s] you shall remove. From before you, and you shall place another vessel in its place to fill it, but you must not move the jug of oil from its place, for the Holy One, Blessed Is He, is making it as a spring, and it is not customary to move a spring from its place.⁶Alternatively, she must not move the jug of oil because a miracle continues only in the place where it started.—Radak I heard this Midrash Aggadah.

They would bring [the containers] to her. The vessels.⁷They even brought her broken vessels and miraculously they became whole. These too were filled with oil.—Radak

Then the oil stopped. From coming anymore. [According to] Midrash Aggadah, the price of oil went up.⁸Bereishis Rabbah 35:3.

She came and told, etc. She came for advice, whether to sell [the oil] or to wait until it would become even more expensive. He said to her, “Go sell, for there is enough [to pay] all your debt, and for you and your sons to live with the remainder, until the dead are resurrected.”⁹He blessed them with eternal life, i.e., life until the Resurrection of the Dead.—Malbim

There [lived] a prominent woman. [I.e.,] an important [woman]. And I saw in Pirkei of Rabbi Eliezer,¹⁰Chapter 23. that she was the sister of Avishag the Shunamis.¹¹See I Melochim 1:1-4.¹²She is also identified as the mother of Iddo the prophet.—Radak See I Melochim 13:1 and Rashi there.

Thereafter, whenever he passed through. In that city, he would stop at her house to eat a meal.

He would go. [יור is] the present tense, [i.e.,] he would go there.

“Behold, now I know.” Because she never saw a fly at his table or semen on his sheet.¹³Maseches Berachos 10b. From here we derive that a woman recognizes her guests better than her husband does.

And the day came. And it was one day.

You have busied yourself with us. On our account.

With all this attention. To put your heart into this task, as in, “and shudders [=וחרד] concerning My word,”¹⁴Yeshayahu 66:2. [i.e.,] is diligent concerning the task that it be accomplished, and puts his heart into it.

What can be done for you? What do you need that we do for you, for you busied yourself on our account.

“In the midst of my people.” Among my relatives, [i.e.,] no one harms me. I have no need for the king or for the general of the army.¹⁵Alternatively, “I dwell among my relatives and they can speak to the king on my behalf if necessary.”—Radak

And he said. Elisha [said] to Geichazi.

“Then what is there to do for her?” To reciprocate for this favor.

“At this season [next year] when the time comes to give birth.” Just as you are alive and well today, so will you be alive at this season [next year]¹⁶I.e., Elisha was guaranteeing her future health by comparing it to her present state of health. Alternatively, חַיָּה refers to a woman who gives birth and כָּעֵת חַיָּה refers to a nine month span, the normal period of pregnancy. Elisha told her that the baby will be born after fully developing in the womb.—Metzudas Dovid at this time and embracing a son.

“Do not my master.” Do not say, “embracing a son.” Why do I need to embrace him if I will end up burying him?¹⁷She suspected that her son would survive for only a short period because the prophet used the expression “you will be hugging a son” instead of “you will have a son,” the expression used by the angels when they told Avrohom that Sarah will bear him a son. See Bereishis 18:10.—Malbim This is what she said to him when he died, “Did I not say, ‘Do not mislead me’?”

Do not deceive. Do not show me something that will fail. You have power to beg mercy, so that a son will be given to me. But I beg you, do not give me [any child], rather a child who will live.

Do not deceive. Like “whose waters will not fail.”¹⁸Yeshayahu 58:11.

When the time was for her to give birth. Like this time when she was alive and well. Therefore, the word is voweled [to mean], like “this” time.¹⁹I.e., the ‘כ’ is voweled with a קָמַץ instead of a שְׁוָא.

“My head! My head!” I am sick in my head.²⁰It is common for those in pain to repeat their cries; see Yirmiyahu 4:19.—Radak

He said. His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him to his mother.”

“Drive and go on.” [I.e.,] hurry.

Do not hold back from riding because of me. Do not hold back the riding [pace] because of me.²¹Some say she walked alongside the donkey and others say she rode the donkey.—Radak

And she said, “[All is] well.” This is an abbreviated verse, for it should have been written, “And he asked her, and she said, ‘We are well.’”

Did I not say. To you, “Do not deceive your maidservant”?²²Below v. 16.

“Do not mislead”? Do not mislead me concerning a mistake.²³Alternatively, Gא תַשְׁגֶּה means “do not grieve me.”—Targum

Do not greet him. Do not inquire about his welfare. All this [was done] to discourage conversation, where one might ask him, “Where are you going?” and he would say, “To revive the dead.” It is not respectful for the miracle when the maker brags about it. But, he did not obey.²⁴Geichazi took his mission very lightly and considered it a joke. He was therefore unsuccessful in his mission. Radak When anyone asked him [where he was going], he responded, “My master sent me to revive the dead.”²⁵Alternatively, Elisha initially thought that the boy had merely fainted and therefore his personal presence would not be necessary.—Malbim

And he spread himself upon him. [Targum] Yonoson rendered ‘וְאַלְהֵי עֲלוֹהִי’, an expression of weariness.²⁶I.e., “he laid exhausted upon him.” There is a similar word in the Beraisa of Ha’azinu and in Sifrei. But Menachem rendered ‘וַיִּגְהַר’, an interpretation of the word according to its context, “he prostrated himself upon him.”²⁷See I Melochim 18:42.

[The boy] sneezed. He sneezed.²⁸According to the Zohar, the boy that Elisha revived was Chavakuk the prophet. This is alluded to in v. 16 above, where the prophet tells the woman “you will be hugging [=חֹבֶקֶת] a son.”

Put up the large pot. Place it on the stove.

A porridge. A cooked dish.

For the disciples of the prophets. For the disciples of the prophets.

To gather greens [herbs]. [‘אֹרֹת’ is] field-rocket which is called oruge, and it enlightens [=מֵאִיר] the eyes.²⁹See Maseches Yoma 18b. Others interpret ‘אֹרֹת’ as herbs, as in, “like a clear heat on herbs [=אוֹר].”³⁰Yeshayahu 18:4.

And he found a vine in the field. A vine in the field.

And gathered wild gourds from it. Wild mushrooms sprouted from it, boleiz, in O.F., which are poisonous.³¹They did not realize that the mushrooms were poisonous. And in the name of Rabbi Menachem I heard, “and he gathered in addition to the fruit that grew from it, wild gourds.”

And sliced [them]. Split them.

From Ba’al-Shalishah. The name of a province. But [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “from the land toward the south.” “בַּעַל” is an expression meaning “a plain.” There are many [such expressions] in Scripture.

Bread from the first crop. It was during Pesach, when the grain ripens.³²Although the word בִּכּוּרִים usually refers to the new crop offering that was brought in the Beis Hamikdosh [see Shemos 34:26], here it merely means “bread from the first crop,” without reference to the new crop offering.

In their shells. In its wrapper.³³I.e., the grains were still in their husks. Alternatively, after grain is toasted and broken up, it is placed in a vessel known as צִקְלוֹן.—Ralbag

To the people. To the disciples [of the prophets] whom he sustained.

“How will I present this.” Each bread.