2 Kings 4:23

23 Her husband said, "Why are you going to him today? It's not a new moon or sabbath." She said, "Don't worry about it."

2 Kings 4:23 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:23

And he said, wherefore wilt thou go to him today?
&c.] What reason is there for it? what is the meaning of it?

it is neither new moon nor sabbath;
neither the first day of the month, nor the seventh day of the week, times which were religiously observed; so with the Heathens the new moon and the seventh of the week, and so the fourth, were sacred F21; which notions they borrowed from the Jews, (See Gill on 1 Samuel 20:5) and when, it seems, it was usual to frequent the house of the prophet, to hear the word of God read and explained, and other religious exercises performed, as praying and singing praise, and receiving some good instructions and advice. Joseph Kimchi gives a different sense of these words:

``there is not a month past, no, not a week, since thou sawest him;''

why therefore shouldest thou be in such haste to go to him? so the words for new moon and sabbath may signify:

and she said, it shall be well;
it was right for her to go, and it would be well for him and her, and the family; or, "peace" F23, be easy and quiet, farewell: it is much he had no mistrust of the death of the child, or that it was worse, since it went from him ill.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Hesiod. Opera & Dies, l. 2.
F23 (Mwlv) "pax", Pagninus, Montanus

2 Kings 4:23 In-Context

21 She went up and laid him down on the bed for the man of God. Then she went out and closed the door.
22 She called her husband and said, "Send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys so that I can hurry to the man of God and come back."
23 Her husband said, "Why are you going to him today? It's not a new moon or sabbath." She said, "Don't worry about it."
24 She saddled the donkey, then said to her young servant, "Drive the donkey hard. Don't let me slow down unless I tell you."
25 So she went off and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. As soon as the man of God saw her from a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Look, it's the Shunammite woman!
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