2 Raja-raja 4:18-28

4:18 The boy grew and one day he went out to see his father who was with the harvest workers. ¹  4:19 He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father ²  told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 4:20 So he picked him up and took him to his mother. He sat on her lap ³  until noon and then died. 4:21 She went up and laid him down on the prophet’s ⁴  bed. She shut the door behind her and left. 4:22 She called to her husband, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can go see the prophet quickly and then return.” 4:23 He said, “Why do you want to go see him today? It is not the new moon ⁵  or the Sabbath.” She said, “Everything’s fine.” ⁶  4:24 She saddled the donkey and told her servant, “Lead on. ⁷  Do not stop unless I say so.” ⁸ 

4:25 So she went to visit ⁹  the prophet at Mount Carmel. When he ¹⁰  saw her at a distance, he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, it’s the Shunammite woman. 4:26 Now, run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you well? Are your husband and the boy well?’” She told Gehazi, ¹¹  “Everything’s fine.” 4:27 But when she reached the prophet on the mountain, she grabbed hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the prophet said, “Leave her alone, for she is very upset. ¹²  The Lord has kept the matter hidden from me; he didn’t tell me about it.” 4:28 She said, “Did I ask my master for a son? Didn’t I say, ‘Don’t mislead me?’”

[4:18]  ¹ tn Heb “to his father, to the harvesters.”

[4:19]  ² tn Heb “He”; the referent (the boy’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:20]  ³ tn Heb “knees.”

[4:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “man of God’s.”

[4:23]  ⁵ sn The new moon was a time of sacrifice and special feasts (Num 28:14; 1 Sam 20:5). Apparently it was a convenient time to visit a prophet. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 57.

[4:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “peace.”

[4:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “lead [the donkey on] and go.”

[4:24]  ⁸ tn Heb “do not restrain for me the riding unless I say to you.”

[4:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “went and came.”

[4:25]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the man of God.” The phrase has been replaced by the relative pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[4:26]  ¹¹ tn Heb “she said.” The narrator streamlines the story at this point, omitting any reference to Gehazi running to meet her and asking her the questions.

[4:27]  ¹² tn Heb “her soul [i.e., ‘disposition’] is bitter.”