Bible Strands
2 Kings 4:25
So she set out and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, there is the Shunammite woman.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Shunammite woman travels to Mount Carmel to find the prophet Elisha. Upon seeing her approach, Elisha alerts his servant Gehazi to her arrival.
The words — The text uses וַתֵּלֶךְ (vattēleḵ, "and she went") and וַתָּבֹא (vattāḇō', "and she came") to mark her journey, alongside אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים ("man of God") and הַר הַכַּרְמֶל ("Mount Carmel"). These terms establish her destination and the prophet's recognized title.
The thread — Mount Carmel appears earlier when Elisha passes through it after Elijah’s ascent (2 Kings 2:25) and later serves as the site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19, 1 Kings 18:42). The location connects this narrative to the broader prophetic tradition in the northern kingdom.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to note the deliberate movement of the Shunammite woman toward the prophet and the prophet’s immediate recognition of her. It establishes a pattern of seeking divine authority and the prophet’s awareness of those who approach him.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 2:25 And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
- 1 Kings 18:19 Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
- 1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
- Isaiah 35:2 It will bloom profusely and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.