The Lord's foreknowledge is astonishing here – He doesn't just predict the famine, He declares He has called it. This isn't a passive observation of coming hardship, but an active decree from God, revealing His sovereign hand even in devastating events like prolonged hunger.
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Elisha had just miraculously brought back to life the son of a Shunammite woman, and now he's warning her about a severe famine about to hit the land for seven years. He advises her to leave and find refuge elsewhere, so she and her family can survive the devastating hunger that the Lord has decreed. This sets up her subsequent journey and eventual return to a land where her property has been seized during her absence.
Imagine receiving a heads-up about a devastating natural disaster years in advance. How would you prepare? This passage shows God's care for His people, even in hardship.
Elisha, a prophet of God, delivers a specific and dire warning: a seven-year famine is coming.
Divine Foreknowledge
This isn't just Elisha's speculation; it's a message directly from the LORD. This highlights God's sovereignty over all creation, including the weather and the duration of natural events. He knows what's coming and can communicate it to His servants.
Practical Obedience
The command to 'arise and depart' isn't for a short trip; it's a directive to 'sojourn' – to live as a temporary resident elsewhere. This requires significant faith and planning, demonstrating that God's warnings are meant to lead to practical action that preserves life.
This isn't just about a prophet's message; it's about a woman who has already experienced a miracle. How does her past encounter with God shape her response to this new, terrifying prophecy?
The woman receiving this prophecy had a unique history with Elisha. He had previously raised her son from the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37) – a powerful demonstration of God's life-giving power.
Building on Past Miracles
Her faith wasn't starting from scratch. She had witnessed God's intervention in the most profound way possible. This experience would undoubtedly color how she received Elisha's warning about the famine.
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Trusting in Provision
While the warning is severe, the command to 'sojourn wherever you can' implies a measure of trust in God's ongoing provision, even in unfamiliar lands. She is called to obey, trusting that God will sustain her and her household during their time away.
Understand the original words
'Elis'a' · Hebrew Proper Noun
A Hebrew prophet who succeeded Elijah, known for his ministry of miracles and political influence in Israel and surrounding nations. His name signifies 'God is salvation.'
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
Refers to the covenant God of Israel, YHWH. It is the personal, self-revealing name of God, emphasizing His faithfulness to His covenant promises.
ra'ab · Hebrew Noun
A severe shortage of food causing widespread hunger and suffering, often viewed in the Old Testament as a sign of judgment or a tool of discipline from God.
This verse shows God's intimate care for His faithful followers, even amidst widespread societal and political turmoil, providing a specific warning through His prophet to protect a woman who had previously shown kindness.
c. 875-848 BC
Reign of Ahab and Jezebel
This period saw widespread apostasy in Israel, with King Ahab and his Phoenician wife Jezebel promoting Baal worship. Elisha's ministry often stood in direct opposition to this.
c. 850 BC— this verse
Elisha Restores Shunammite Woman's Son
Elisha performs a miracle, bringing a boy back to life for a faithful woman in Shunem. This miraculous event is the direct precursor to the warning about the famine.
c. 849 BC
Famine Arrives in Israel
As Elisha foretold, a severe famine grips the land. This would have lasted for seven years, causing immense hardship and displacement.
c. 842 BC
Jehu's Violent Revolution
Jehu violently overthrows the house of Ahab, eradicating Baal worship and executing Jezebel and many others. This political upheaval added to the era's instability.
c. 841-800 BC
Syrian Raids
Following Jehu's revolution, the nation faced ongoing raids and pressure from Aram-Damascus (Syria), exacerbating the effects of the famine and instability.
This passage shows God providing for Elijah and a widow in Zarephath during a famine, mirroring God's provision for the Shunammite woman and her son in a time of crisis.
Genesis 41:1-7Pharaoh's dream of seven lean cows devouring seven fat cows foreshadows a severe famine, similar to the one Elisha warns about, highlighting God's foreknowledge and sovereignty over such events.
Jeremiah 29:10-14The prophet Jeremiah speaks of a promised return after seventy years of exile due to famine and judgment, indicating that God's people often face periods of hardship followed by His restoration and faithfulness.
Luke 4:25-26Jesus himself references the widow of Zarephath in Elijah's time, showing how God's care extends to Gentiles in times of widespread famine, connecting these narratives of divine intervention during scarcity.
The Lord's foreknowledge is astonishing here – He doesn't just predict the famine, He declares He has called it. This isn't a passive observation of coming hardship, but an active decree from God, revealing His sovereign hand even in devastating events like prolonged hunger.
Elisha had just miraculously brought back to life the son of a Shunammite woman, and now he's warning her about a severe famine about to hit the land for seven years. He advises her to leave and find refuge elsewhere, so she and her family can survive the devastating hunger that the Lord has decreed. This sets up her subsequent journey and eventual return to a land where her property has been seized during her absence.
Elisha had just miraculously brought back to life the son of a Shunammite woman, and now he's warning her about a severe famine about to hit the land for seven years. He advises her to leave and find refuge elsewhere, so she and her family can survive the devastating hunger that the Lord has decreed. This sets up her subsequent journey and eventual return to a land where her property has been seized during her absence.
"Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.”" — The Lord's foreknowledge is astonishing here – He doesn't just predict the famine, He declares He has called it. This isn't a passive observation of coming hardship, but an active decree from God,…
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Last reviewed October 2026
