Elisha  passed  to  Shiinem'\  In  Joshua  xix.  18,  Shunem  is  among
the  places  allotted  to  the  tribe  of  Issachar.  It  is  also  mentioned  as
the  place  where  the  Philistines  encamped  before  the  battle  of  Gilboa
(i  Sam.  xxviii.  4),  It  has  been  identified  with  Solam,  a  village  situate
on  the  little  Hermon  about  3  miles  north  of  Jezreel.  When  Elisha  was
travelling  either  from  Samaria  or  Jezreel  to  Carmel,  Shunem  lay  on  his
road.  The  place  is  mentioned  as  being  the  home  of  Abishag  (r  Kings  i.  3)
and  from  that  is  derived  the  Jewish  tradition  which  makes  the  Shunam-
mite woman  of  the  present  narrative  to  have  been  the  sister  of  Abishag.
a  great  tvonian^  The  adjective  is  used  to  signify  wealthy  in  i  Sam,
XXV.  2,  of  Nabal,  and  2  Sam.  xix.  32  of  Barzillai,  who  is  described  as  'a
very  great  man'.  As  the  Shunammite  woman  had  a  husband  still
alive,  it  would  be  more  natural  to  speak  of  him  as  'great'  in  the  sense
of  'rich ',  and  perhaps  here  the  meaning  is  rather  'influential'.  She  was
clearly  a  person  of  independent  character,  and  one  who  could  act  when
the  occasion  demanded  it.
she  constrained  him  to  eat  bread'\  The  journeys  of  Elisha  to  and  fro
had  somehow  become  known  to  her  and  she  offered  him  hospitality.
This  was  the  usual  way  in  the  East,  where  houses  for  public  entertain-
ment were  uncommon.
as  oft  as  he  passed  by]  Apparently  the  allusion  is  to  such  rounds  as
the  chief  of  the  prophetic  colleges  would  make  to  the  different  centres
at  which  they  were  gathered.  That  Elisha's  visits  were  frequent  is
clear  from  the  next  verse.
