[[2 Kings-04]] Prev: [[Prophecies in 2 Kings-03]] | Next: [[Prophecies in 2 Kings-05]] --- ### At this season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son. *Type*: prophecy *Summary*: Elisha predicts that the Shunammite woman, who was childless and whose husband was old, would conceive and give birth to a son within a year. *Historical context*: Theological scholars frequently compare this prophecy to the divine promise given to Sarah in [[Gen-18#v10|Genesis 18:10]]. Shunem, where this occurred, is identified as modern-day Sulam on the southern slope of the Hill of Moreh in the Jezreel Valley. Archaeological excavations at Tel Shunem (2012–2018) confirmed the site was inhabited during the Iron Age II period, matching Elisha's era. *Related to*: ### The woman conceived, and bore a son at that season, when the time came around, as Elisha had said to her. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: The Shunammite woman gave birth to a son at the exact time Elisha had specified, fulfilling his prophetic word. *Historical context*: This fulfillment is recorded as a demonstration of Elisha's prophetic authority during the reign of Jehoram of Israel (c. 850 BC). In Jewish tradition, the child is sometimes identified as the future prophet Habakkuk, though this is not supported by the biblical text itself. The event established Elisha's status in the region, leading to the woman's later appeal to the king in [[2 Kings|2 Kings 8]]. *Related to*: At this season, when the time comes around, you will embrace a son. ### Give the people, that they may eat; for Yahweh says, 'They will eat, and will have some left over.' *Type*: prophecy *Summary*: Elisha declares that twenty loaves of barley and some fresh grain would be sufficient to feed one hundred men with leftovers remaining, despite the small quantity. *Historical context*: The setting for this prophecy was Gilgal during a time of famine. Historical and archaeological studies of the 9th-century BC Northern Kingdom confirm that famine and economic hardship were recurring issues due to war and agricultural instability. The use of 'first fruits' in this context suggests a religious setting where Elisha was functioning as a community leader and provider. *Related to*: ### So he set it before them, and they ate, and had some left over, according to Yahweh's word. *Type*: fulfillment *Summary*: The one hundred men ate the provided food and there were leftovers, exactly as the prophecy predicted. *Historical context*: This event is viewed by biblical commentators as a 'type' or prophetic precursor to the miracles of Jesus feeding the five thousand and the four thousand in the New Testament. It emphasizes the theme of divine multiplication of resources in times of scarcity, a narrative consistent with the communal role of the 'sons of the prophets' in the 9th century BC. *Related to*: Give the people, that they may eat; for Yahweh says, 'They will eat, and will have some left over.' --- #ai_prophecy