And when the seven years were ended, the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines, and she went forth to speak to the king for her house, and for her lands.

And it cometh to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman turneth back from the land of the Philistines, and goeth out to cry unto the king, for her house, and for her field.

And when the seven years were ended, the woman came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king with a request for her house and her land.

And when the seven years had ended, the woman returned from the land of the Philistines. And she departed, so that she might petition the king on behalf of her house and on behalf of her fields.

During the Shunammite's absence in Philistia, her dwelling and her grain-fields had been appropriated by some one who refused to restore them. She therefore determined to appeal to the king. Such direct appeals are common in Oriental countries. Compare 2-Kings 6:26; 2-Samuel 14:4; 1-Kings 3:16.

And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth (b) to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.
(b) That is, to complain of them who had taken her possessions while she was absent.

And it came to pass, at the seven years end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines,.... Either hearing that the famine was over, or believing that it was, the time being expired the prophet fixed for it:
and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house, and for her land; which her nearest relations in her absence had seized upon, as heirs to them; or those in whose hands she had intrusted them refused, upon her return, to deliver them to her; or the king's officers had seized upon them for him, as forfeited to the crown by her going out of the land without leave; and now she needed a friend to speak for her to the king, which, in time past, she had no occasion for, and thought she never should, see 2-Kings 4:13.

she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land--In consequence of her long-continued absence from the country, her possessions were occupied by her kindred, or had been confiscated by the crown. No statute in the law of Moses ordained that alienation. But the innovation seems to have been adopted in Israel.

When the woman returned to her home at the end of the seven years, she went to the king to cry, i.e., to invoke his help, with regard to her house and her field, of which, as is evident from the context, another had taken possession during her absence.

Her house - Which having been forsaken by her, were possessed by her kindred.