And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
One day, Elisha was traveling through Shunem, where there lived a wealthy woman. She insisted that he come and eat a meal with her. From then on, whenever he passed through that area, he would stop at her house to eat.
This verse shows how a generous woman in Shunem welcomed the prophet Elisha into her home for meals whenever he traveled through her town.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during Elisha's ministry as a prophet in Israel around 850 BC. Shunem was a town in the territory of Issachar, and it was common for wealthy families to show hospitality to traveling prophets and teachers. The woman's wealth and social standing ('great woman') gave her the resources and influence to extend such regular hospitality.
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