Shunem was a town allotted to the tribe of Issachar (Josh. 19:18), known for being the home of the Shunammite woman who hosted Elisha (2Ki. 4:8) and where the Philistines camped before battling Saul (1Sam. 28:4).
Shunem was a town located in the territory of Issachar, in the Jezreel Valley (Josh. 19:18). It is most well-known as the home of the Shunammite woman, who showed hospitality to the prophet Elisha (2Ki. 4:8). This woman, recognizing Elisha as a holy man of God, prepared a room for him to stay whenever he passed through the town. In return for her kindness, Elisha prophesied that she would have a son, despite her husband's old age. Later, when the child died, Elisha raised him back to life, demonstrating God's power and the prophet's authority (2Ki. 4:18-37).
Shunem is also mentioned in the context of the conflict between Israel and the Philistines during the reign of King Saul. The Philistines gathered their forces at Shunem, while Saul and the Israelites camped at Mount Gilboa (1Sam. 28:4). It was during this time that Saul, in desperation, sought out a medium to consult the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel (1Sam. 28:7-25).
The town of Shunem was strategically located along the main trade route connecting the Jezreel Valley with the coastal plain. Its mention in various biblical narratives highlights its importance as a regional center and a place of significant events in Israel's history. The account of the Shunammite woman and Elisha also serves as an example of faith, hospitality, and God's power to bring life and restoration.
Approximate location: 32.606, 35.334 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Two resting-places, a little village in the tribe of Issachar, to the north of Jezreel and south of Mount Gilboa (Josh. 19:18), where the Philistines encamped when they came against Saul (1 Sam. 28:4), and where Elisha was hospitably entertained by a rich woman of the place. On the sudden death of this woman’s son she hastened to Carmel, 20 miles distant across the plain, to tell Elisha, and to bring him with her to Shunem. There, in the “prophet’s chamber,” the dead child lay; and Elisha entering it, shut the door and prayed earnestly: and the boy was restored to life (2 Kings 4:8-37). This woman afterwards retired during the famine to the low land of the Philistines; and on returning a few years afterwards, found her house and fields in the possession of a stranger. She appealed to the king at Samaria, and had them in a somewhat remarkable manner restored to her (comp. 2 Kings 8:1-6).
(double resting-place), one of the cities allotted to the tribe of Issachar. (Joshua 13:18) It is mentioned on two occasions— (1 Samuel 23:4; 2 Kings 4:8) It was besides the native place of Abishag. (1 Kings 1:3) It is mentioned by Eusebius as five miles south of Mount Tabor, and then known us Sulem. This agrees with the position of the present Solam, a village three miles north of Jezreel and five from Gilboa.
their change; their sleep
SHU'NEM (two resting-places), a city in the territory of Issachar. Josh 19:18. The Philistines encamped there before the great battle of Gilboa. 1 Sam 28:4. David's wife, Abishag, was of Shunem, 1 Kgs 1:3, and it was the residence of the Shunammite woman who entertained Elisha. 2 Kgs 4:8. It answers to the modern Sulem, on the southwestern slope of Little Hermon, about 53 miles north of Jerusalem, 8 Roman miles from Tabor, and 3 1/2 miles north of Jezreel. The village is encircled by enclosed gardens and luxuriant fields of grain. Porter noticed children playing bareheaded in the grain-fields under the burning sun, thus illustrating how the Shunammite's child may have played in the prophet Elisha's day. The villagers are rude and hostile. The place is in full view of the sacred sites on Mount Carmel; it has a spring, from which, doubtless, the Philistine army was supplied with water.
SHU'NEM (two resting-places), a city in the territory of Issachar. Josh 19:18. The Philistines encamped there before the great battle of Gilboa. 1 Sam 28:4. David's wife, Abishag, was of Shunem, 1 Kgs 1:3, and it was the residence of the Shunammite woman who entertained Elisha. 2 Kgs 4:8. It answers to the modern Sulem, on the southwestern slope of Little Hermon, about 53 miles north of Jerusalem, 8 Roman miles from Tabor, and 3 1/2 miles north of Jezreel. The village is encircled by enclosed gardens and luxuriant fields of grain. Porter noticed children playing bareheaded in the grain-fields under the burning sun, thus illustrating how the Shunammite's child may have played in the prophet Elisha's day. The villagers are rude and hostile. The place is in full view of the sacred sites on Mount Carmel; it has a spring, from which, doubtless, the Philistine army was supplied with water.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
3 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H7766
Their territory included Jezreel, Chesulloth, Shunem,
The Philistines gathered together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.
One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.