2 Kings

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NASB	2 Kings 4:1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."
AMPLIFIED 2015	2 Kings 4:1 Now one of the wives of a man of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha [for help], saying "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant [reverently] feared the LORD; but the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves [in payment for a loan]."

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Subject: Why does the child sneeze 7 times?

Bible Note: Certain numbers were often seen by ancient peoples as having a special significance. This was because numeracy in numbers above ten was limited to the more educated. People on the whole had no need for counting in large numbers. The number seven was seen in many civilizations as a number related to the divine.

This especially comes out in early Sumerian literature, which is especially interesting as they were the most advanced mathematicians in the ancient world.

Even in recent times there have been numerous tribes in the world that could not count beyond three in, for example, South America, Indonesia and Australia.

Numbers therefore gained a special significance. Thus three could indicate completeness, five could indicate covenant and seven could indicate divine activity and perfection. Ten could indicate a full set ('you have changed my wages ten times.')

It is possible that the writer saw in the 'seven' sneezes an indication that God was at work, but we must not read more into it than that. (Compare the series of seven activities in Revelation).

In Him