2 Kings 4:24

24 Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, "Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you."

2 Kings 4:24 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:24

Then she saddled an ass
Her servant did it by her order:

and said to her servant, drive, and go forward;
make all the haste he could:

slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee;
do not be afraid of riding too fast for me; if thou dost, I will tell thee; till then, keep on a good pace: Abarbinel says she walked afoot all the way, and ordered the man not to slacken his pace in riding for her, unless she called to him; and the Targum seems to favour this sense,

``do not press me to ride unless I call to thee;''

so that the ass was for Elijah to ride on; but one would think, that, as she was in haste, quicker dispatch would be made by her riding than by walking, see ( 2 Kings 4:22 ) .

2 Kings 4:24 In-Context

22 Then she called to her husband and said, "Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again."
23 And he said, "Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." She said, "All is well."
24 Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, "Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you."
25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, "Look, there is the Shunammite.
26 Run at once to meet her and say to her, 'Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?'" And she answered, "All is well."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.