וְאִשָּׁה אַחַת מִנְּשֵׁי בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִים צָעֲקָה אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע לֵאמֹר עַבְדְּךָ אִישִׁי מֵת וְאַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ כִּי עַבְדְּךָ   4:3

 הָיָה יָרֵא אֶת־יְהוָה וְהַנֹּשֶׁה בָּא לָקַחַת אֶת־שְׁנֵי יְלָדַי לוֹ לַעֲבָדִים׃

2Kin. 4:1   And one woman from the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha saying, “Your servant, my husband, has died, and you know that your servant had been fearing the Lord.  And the creditor comes to take two of my sons to him for bondsmen.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֱלִישָׁע מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ הַגִּידִי לִי מַה־יֶּשׁ־ (לְכִי) [לָךְ] בַּבָּיִת וַתֹּאמֶר אֵין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ   4:2

 כִּי אִם־אָסוּךְ שָׁמֶן׃

2Kin. 4:2   And Elisha said to her, “What might I do for you?  Tell me what there is for you in the house.”  And she said, “There is nothing in the house for your handmaid but only a pot of oil.”

The word in parentheses is misspelled.  The yad is an error.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.

וַיֹּאמֶר לְכִי שַׁאֲלִי־לָךְ כֵּלִים מִן־הַחוּץ מֵאֵת כָּל־ (שִׁכְנָכֵי) [שְׁכֵנָיִךְ] כֵּלִים רֵקִים אַל־תַּמְעִיטִי׃   4:3

2Kin. 4:3   And he said, “Go request vessels from outside for yourself from all your neighbors, empty vessels.  Do not get too few.”

Another misspelled word. This time the yad is in the wrong place.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.

וּבָאת וְסָגַרְתְּ הַדֶּלֶת בַּעֲדֵךְ וּבְעַד־בָּנַיִךְ וְיָצַקְתְּ עַל כָּל־הַכֵּלִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַמָּלֵא תַּסִּיעִי׃   4:4

2Kin. 4:4   “Then you shall go in and shut the door on yourself and on your sons, and pour out on all those vessels, and what is full you shall set aside.”

וַתֵּלֶךְ מֵאִתּוֹ וַתִּסְגֹּר הַדֶּלֶת בַּעֲדָהּ וּבְעַד בָּנֶיהָ הֵם מַגִּשִׁים אֵלֶיהָ וְהִיא (מֵַיצָקֶת) [מוֹצָקֶת]׃   4:5

2Kin. 4:5   So she went from him and shut the door on herself and on her sons. They were bringing to her and she was pouring.

Still another misspelled word, again involving a yad, this time the yad should be a vav.  The correction is provided in the brackets

וַיְהִי כִּמְלֹאת הַכֵּלִים וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־בְּנָהּ הַגִּישָׁה אֵלַי עוֹד כֶּלִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֵין עוֹד כֶּלִי וַיַּעֲמֹד הַשָּׁמֶן׃   4:6

2Kin. 4:6   And it was when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring another vessel to me.”  But he said to her, “There is not another vessel.”  Then the oil ceased.

וַתָּבֹא וַתַּגֵּד לְאִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר לְכִי מִכְרִי אֶת־הַשֶּׁמֶן וְשַׁלְּמִי אֶת־ (נִשְׁיֵכִי) [נִשְׁיֵךְ] וְאַתְּ (בְּנֵיכִי)   4:7 [וּבָנַיִךְ] תִחְיִי בַּנּוֹתָר׃

2Kin. 4:7   So she went and told to the man of God.  And he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt, and you can live on the rest with your sons.”

Two more rather strange misspellings in this verse in the respective parentheses.  Both words in error, although different, have a mistake in common, an extra yad at the end, but the second word in error also omits a vav.  The corrections are in the two sets of brackets.

וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיַּעֲבֹר אֱלִישָׁע אֶל־שׁוּנֵם וְשָׁם אִשָּׁה גְדוֹלָה וַתַּחֲזֶק־בּוֹ לֶאֱכָל־לָחֶם וַיְהִי מִדֵּי עָבְרוֹ יָסֻר   4:8 שָׁמָּה לֶאֱכָל־לָחֶם׃

2Kin. 4:8   And it was on the day that Elisha passed to Shunem, and there was a large woman and she constrained him to eat bread.  And it happened on each of his passings, he would turn there to eat bread.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־אִישָׁהּ הִנֵּה־נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים קָדוֹשׁ הוּא עֹבֵר עָלֵינוּ תָּמִיד׃   4:9

2Kin. 4:9   And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I believe that the one often passing by us is a holy man of God.”

נַעֲשֶׂה־נָּא עֲלִיַּת־קִיר קְטַנָּה וְנָשִׂים לוֹ שָׁם מִטָּה וְשֻׁלְחָן וְכִסֵּא וּמְנוֹרָה וְהָיָה בְּבֹאוֹ אֵלֵינוּ יָסוּר   4:10 שָׁמָּה׃

2Kin. 4:10   “I pray you, let us make a small wall going up, and let us place for him there a bed and a table and a chair and a candlestick, so it may be on his coming to us, he will turn in there.”

וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹא שָׁמָּה וַיָּסַר אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּה וַיִּשְׁכַּב־שָׁמָּה׃   4:11

2Kin. 4:11   So it happened the day that he came there that he turned in to the upper chamber and slept there.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־גֵּחֲזִי נַעֲרוֹ קְרָא לַשּׁוּנַמִּית הַזֹּאת וַיִּקְרָא־לָהּ וַתַּעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו׃   4:12

2Kin. 4:12   And he said to Gehazi, his servant, “Call for this Shunemmite.” So he called for her, and she stood before him.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֱמָר־נָא אֵלֶיהָ הִנֵּה חָרַדְתְּ אֵלֵינוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַחֲרָדָה הַזֹּאת מֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת לָךְ הֲיֵשׁ לְדַבֶּר־לָךְ   4:13 אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אוֹ אֶל־שַׂר הַצָּבָא וַתֹּאמֶר בְּתוֹךְ עַמִּי אָנֹכִי יֹשָׁבֶת׃

2Kin. 4:13   And he said to him, “Say now to her: ‘Behold, you have shown all this care to us.  What is to be done for you?  Is there a bidding for you to the king, or to the captain of the host?’”  And she said, “I dwell in the midst of my own people.”

וַיֹּאמֶר וּמֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר גֵּיחֲזִי אֲבָל בֵּן אֵין־לָהּ וְאִישָׁהּ זָקֵן׃   4:14

2Kin. 4:14   And he said, “Then what is to be done for her?”  And Gehazi said, “Indeed, there is not a son for her, and her husband is old.”

וַיֹּאמֶר קְרָא־לָהּ וַיִּקְרָא־לָהּ וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּפָּתַח׃   4:15

2Kin. 4:15   And he said, “Call to her.”  And he called to her, and she stood in the door.

וַיֹּאמֶר לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה כָּעֵת חַיָּה (אַתִּי) [אַתְּ] חֹבֶקֶת בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר אַל־אֲדֹנִי אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אַל־תְּכַזֵּב   4:16 בְּשִׁפְחָתֶךָ׃

2Kin. 4:16   And he said, “By this season according to the time of life, you will be embracing a son.”  And she said, “No, my lord, man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.”

Another error similar to most of the previous ones in this chapter, an extra yad at the end of the word.  It’s quite strange, almost as if the scribe had changed the feminine second person pronoun from its normal form.  The correct spelling appears in the brackets.                                                [Return to 2Kin. 8:1]

וַתַּהַר הָאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן לַמּוֹעֵד הַזֶּה כָּעֵת חַיָּה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיהָ אֱלִישָׁע׃   4:17

2Kin. 4:17   And the woman conceived and bore a son at this season according to the time of life that Elisha had promised to her.

וַיִּגְדַּל הַיָּלֶד וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיֵּצֵא אֶל־אָבִיו אֶל־הַקֹּצְרִים׃   4:18

2Kin. 4:18   And the boy was grown when the day came that he went out to his father to the harvesters,

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אָבִיו רֹאשִׁי רֹאשִׁי וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הַנַּעַר שָׂאֵהוּ אֶל־אִמּוֹ׃   4:19

2Kin. 4:19   and he said to his father, “My head, my head!”  And he said to the servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

וַיִּשָּׂאֵהוּ וַיְבִיאֵהוּ אֶל־אִמּוֹ וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל־בִּרְכֶּיהָ עַד־הַצָּהֳרַיִם וַיָּמֹת׃   4:20

2Kin. 4:20   And he carried him and brought him to his mother, and he sat on her knees until the midday hours when he died.

וַתַּעַל וַתַּשְׁכִּבֵהוּ עַל־מִטַּת אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וַתִּסְגֹּר בַּעֲדוֹ וַתֵּצֵא׃   4:21

2Kin. 4:21   Then she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and stopped by him, then went out.

וַתִּקְרָא אֶל־אִישָׁהּ וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁלְחָה נָא לִי אֶחָד מִן־הַנְּעָרִים וְאַחַת הָאֲתֹנוֹת וְאָרוּצָה עַד־אִישׁ   4:22 הָאֱלֹהִים וְאָשׁוּבָה׃

2Kin. 4:22   Then she called to her husband and said, “Send, please, one from the servants for me and one of the asses, that I may run all the way to the man of God and back again.”

וַיֹּאמֶר מַדּוּעַ (אַתִּי) [אַתְּ] (הֹלַכְתִּי) [הֹלֶכֶת] אֵלָיו הַיּוֹם לֹא־חֹדֶשׁ וְלֹא שַׁבָּת וַתֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם׃   4:23

2Kin. 4:23   And he said, “Why are you going to him today?  It is not the new month and it is not the Sabbath.”  And she said, “Goodbye.”

Two more similar errors here, in the two pairs of parentheses, an extra yad at the end of the word.  The correct spelling is in the two sets of brackets.

וַתַּחֲבֹשׁ הָאָתוֹן וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־נַעֲרָהּ נְהַג וָלֵךְ אַל־תַּעֲצָר־לִי לִרְכֹּב כִּי אִם־אָמַרְתִּי לָךְ׃   4:24

2Kin. 4:24   And she saddled the ass and said to her servant, “Lead and make run, do not hold back riding for me unless I have bidden you.”

וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתָּבוֹא אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל־הַר הַכַּרְמֶל וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים אֹתָהּ מִנֶּגֶד וַיֹּאמֶר   4:25 אֶל־גֵּיחֲזִי נַעֲרוֹ הִנֵּה הַשּׁוּנַמִּית הַלָּז׃

2Kin. 4:25   Then she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel.  And it was when the man of God was seeing her from far off, that he said to Gehazi, his servant “Behold the Shunemmite is there.”

עַתָּה רוּץ־נָא לִקְרָאתָהּ וֶאֱמָר־לָהּ הֲשָׁלוֹם לָךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם לְאִישֵׁךְ הֲשָׁלוֹם לַיָּלֶד וַתֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם׃   4:26

2Kin. 4:26   “Now run please to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you?   Is it well with your husband?  Is it well with the child?’  And she said, “It is well.”

וַתָּבֹא אֶל־אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל־הָהָר וַתַּחֲזֵק בְּרַגְלָיו וַיִּגַּשׁ גֵּיחֲזִי לְהָדְפָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים   4:27 הַרְפֵּה־לָהּ כִּי־נַפְשָׁהּ מָרָה־לָהּ וַיהוָה הֶעְלִים מִמֶּנִּי וְלֹא הִגִּיד לִי׃

2Kin. 4:27   But she came to the man of God to the hill and took hold of his feet.  When Gehazi approached to push her away, then the man of God said, “Let go of her, for her soul is bitter for her and the Lord has hidden it from me and did not tell to me.”

וַתֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁאַלְתִּי בֵן מֵאֵת אֲדֹנִי הֲלֹא אָמַרְתִּי לֹא תַשְׁלֶה אֹתִי׃   4:28

2Kin. 4:28   Then she said, “Did I ask a son from my lord?  Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

וַיֹּאמֶר לְגֵיחֲזִי חֲגֹר מָתְנֶיךָ וְקַח מִשְׁעַנְתִּי בְיָדְךָ וָלֵךְ כִּי־תִמְצָא אִישׁ לֹא תְבָרְכֶנּוּ וְכִי־יְבָרֶכְךָ אִיש   4:29\

 תַעֲנֶנּוּ וְשַׂמְתָּ מִשְׁעַנְתִּי עַל־פְּנֵי הַנָּעַר׃

2Kin. 4:29   Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird your loins and take my staff in your hand and go.  When you meet anyone, do not greet him, and when anyone greets you, do not answer him.  And place my staff on the face of the child.”

וַתֹּאמֶר אֵם הַנַּעַר חַי־יְהוָה וְחֵי־נַפְשְׁךָ אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֶיהָ׃   4:30

2Kin. 4:30   And the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.”  Then he arose and went after her.

וְגֵחֲזִי עָבַר לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־הַמִּשְׁעֶנֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַנַּעַר וְאֵין קוֹל וְאֵין קָשֶׁב וַיָּשָׁב לִקְרָאתוֹ וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ   4:31 לֵאמֹר לֹא הֵקִיץ הַנָּעַר׃

2Kin. 4:31   And Gehazi passed ahead of them, and he laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no voice and there was no hearing.  And he returned to meet him and told to him saying, “The child has not risen.”

וַיָּבֹא אֱלִישָׁע הַבָּיְתָה וְהִנֵּה הַנַּעַר מֵת מֻשְׁכָּב עַל־מִטָּתוֹ׃   4:32

2Kin. 4:32   When Elisha came to the house, then behold, the child who was lying on his bed was dead.

וַיָּבֹא וַיִּסְגֹּר הַדֶּלֶת בְּעַד שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה׃   4:33

2Kin. 4:33   And he went in and closed the door because of the two of them, and he prayed to the Lord.

וַיַּעַל וַיִּשְׁכַּב עַל־הַיֶּלֶד וַיָּשֶׂם פִּיו עַל־פִּיו וְעֵינָיו עַל־עֵינָיו וְכַפָּיו עַל־ (כַּפּוֹ) [כַּפָּיו] וַיִּגְהַר עָלָיו וַיָּחָם   4:34 בְּשַׂר הַיָּלֶד׃

2Kin. 4:34   And he went up and lay on the boy and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and prostrated himself on him, and the flesh of the boy became warm.

The final error in this chapter; however, unlike most of the previous errors, it is due to a missing yad.  The correct spelling is in the brackets.

וַיָּשָׁב וַיֵּלֶךְ בַּבַּיִת אַחַת הֵנָּה וְאַחַת הֵנָּה וַיַּעַל וַיִּגְהַר עָלָיו וַיְזוֹרֵר הַנַּעַר עַד־שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים וַיִּפְקַח   4:35 הַנַּעַר אֶת־עֵינָיו׃

2Kin. 4:35   Then he returned and walked in the house once this way and once that way, and went up and prostrated himself on him, and the child sneezed as many as seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־גֵּיחֲזִי וַיֹּאמֶר קְרָא אֶל־הַשֻּׁנַמִּית הַזֹּאת וַיִּקְרָאֶהָ וַתָּבוֹא אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר שְׂאִי בְנֵךְ׃   4:36

2Kin. 4:36   Then he called to Gehazi and said, “Call to this Shunemmite.  And he called her and she came to him, and he said, “Lift up your son.”

וַתָּבֹא וַתִּפֹּל עַל־רַגְלָיו וַתִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה וַתִּשָּׂא אֶת־בְּנָהּ וַתֵּצֵא׃   4:37

2Kin. 4:37   So she came in and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground.  Then she lifted her son and went out.

וֶאֱלִישָׁע שָׁב הַגִּלְגָּלָה וְהָרָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וּבְנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים יֹשְׁבִים לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לְנַעֲרוֹ שְׁפֹת הַסִּיר הַגְּדוֹלָה   4:38 וּבַשֵּׁל נָזִיד לִבְנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים׃

2Kin. 4:38   And Elisha went again to Gilgal when famine was in the land.  And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him as he said to his servant, “Set the large pot and cook pottage for the sons of the prophets.”

וַיֵּצֵא אֶחָד אֶל־הַשָּׂדֶה לְלַקֵּט אֹרֹת וַיִּמְצָא גֶּפֶן שָׂדֶה וַיְלַקֵּט מִמֶּנּוּ פַּקֻּעֹת שָׂדֶה מְלֹא בִגְדוֹ וַיָּבֹא   4:39 וַיְפַלַּח אֶל־סִיר הַנָּזִיד כִּי־לֹא יָדָעוּ׃

2Kin. 4:39   And one went out to the field to gather herbs and he found a wild vine and gathered wild gourds from it, filling his lap, and he came in and sliced to the pot of pottage, but they did not know.

וַיִּצְקוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים לֶאֱכוֹל וַיְהִי כְּאָכְלָם מֵהַנָּזִיד וְהֵמָּה צָעָקוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ מָוֶת בַּסִּיר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְלֹא   4:40

  יָכְלוּ לֶאֱכֹל׃

2Kin. 4:40   Then they poured for the men to eat.  And it happened during their eating from the pottage that they cried out and said, “Death is in the pot, O man of God.”  And they were not able to eat.

I suppose the gourds were poisonous.

וַיֹּאמֶר וּקְחוּ־קֶמַח וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל־הַסִּיר וַיֹּאמֶר צַק לָעָם וְיֹאכֵלוּ וְלֹא הָיָה דָּבָר רָע בַּסִּיר׃   4:41

2Kin. 4:41   And he said, “Then bring meal.”  And he cast to the pot, and said, “Pour out for the people that they may eat.”  And nothing bad was in the pot.

וְאִישׁ בָּא מִבַּעַל שָׁלִשָׁה וַיָּבֵא לְאִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶחֶם בִּכּוּרִים עֶשְׂרִים־לֶחֶם שְׂעֹרִים וְכַרְמֶל בְּצִקְלֹנוֹ   4:42 וַיֹּאמֶר תֵּן לָעָם וְיֹאכֵלוּ׃

2Kin. 4:42   And a man came from Baal-shalishah and brought bread of the first fruits to the man of God, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of corn in his sack.  And he said, “Give to the people that they may eat.”

וַיֹּאמֶר מְשָׁרְתוֹ מָה אֶתֵּן זֶה לִפְנֵי מֵאָה אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר תֵּן לָעָם וְיֹאכֵלוּ כִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהוָה אָכֹל וְהוֹתֵר׃   4:43

2Kin. 4:43   But his servant said, “How shall I give of this before a hundred men?”  And he said, “Give to the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord: ‘Eat and have left.’”

וַיִּתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיּוֹתִרוּ כִּדְבַר יְהוָה׃   4:44

2Kin. 4:44   So he set before them and they ate and they had left, like the word of the Lord.

It seems to me that this chapter could easily be a model for some of the miraculous deeds of Jesus in the Christian bible.

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