81 Now Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life , saying , "Arise and go with your household , and sojourn wherever you can sojourn ; for the Lord has called for a famine , and it will even come on the land for seven years ." 2 So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God , and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years . 3 At the end of seven years , the woman returned from the land of the Philistines ; and she went out to appeal to the king for her house and for her field . 4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi , the servant of the man of God , saying , "Please relate to me all the great things that Elisha has done ." 5 As he was relating to the king how he had restored to life the one who was dead , behold , the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her field . And Gehazi said , "My lord , O king , this is the woman and this is her son , whom Elisha restored to life ." 6 When the king asked the woman , she related it to him. So the king appointed for her a certain officer , saying , "Restore all that was hers and all the produce of the field from the day that she left the land even until now ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 8:1-6
Commentary on 2 Kings 8:1-6
(Read 2 Kings 8:1-6)
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 land of the Philistines; that was no proper place for an Israelite, any longer than there was necessity for it. Time was when she dwelt so securely among her own people, that she had no occasion to be spoken for to the king; but there is much uncertainty in this life, so that things or persons may fail us which we most depend upon, and those befriend us which we think we shall never need. Sometimes events, small in themselves, prove of consequence, as here; for they made the king ready to believe Gehazi's narrative, when thus confirmed. It made him ready to grant her request, and to support a life which was given once and again by miracle.