Worthy.Bible » STRONG » 2 Kings » Chapter 4 » Verse 38

2 Kings 4:38 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

38 And Elisha H477 came again H7725 to Gilgal: H1537 and there was a dearth H7458 in the land; H776 and the sons H1121 of the prophets H5030 were sitting H3427 before H6440 him: and he said H559 unto his servant, H5288 Set H8239 on the great H1419 pot, H5518 and seethe H1310 pottage H5138 for the sons H1121 of the prophets. H5030

Cross Reference

2 Kings 8:1 STRONG

Then spake H1696 Elisha H477 unto the woman, H802 whose son H1121 he had restored to life, H2421 saying, H559 Arise, H6965 and go H3212 thou and thine household, H1004 and sojourn H1481 wheresoever H834 thou canst sojourn: H1481 for the LORD H3068 hath called H7121 for a famine; H7458 and it shall also come H935 upon the land H776 seven H7651 years. H8141

2 Kings 2:3 STRONG

And the sons H1121 of the prophets H5030 that were at Bethel H1008 came forth H3318 to Elisha, H477 and said H559 unto him, Knowest H3045 thou that the LORD H3068 will take away H3947 thy master H113 from thy head H7218 to day? H3117 And he said, H559 Yea, I know H3045 it; hold ye your peace. H2814

2 Kings 2:1 STRONG

And it came to pass, when the LORD H3068 would take up H5927 Elijah H452 into heaven H8064 by a whirlwind, H5591 that Elijah H452 went H3212 with Elisha H477 from Gilgal. H1537

Acts 22:3 STRONG

I G1473 am G1510 verily G3303 a man G435 which am a Jew, G2453 born G1080 in G1722 Tarsus, G5019 a city in Cilicia, G2791 yet G1161 brought up G397 in G1722 this G5026 city G4172 at G3844 the feet G4228 of Gamaliel, G1059 and taught G3811 according G2596 to the perfect manner G195 of the law G3551 of the fathers, G3971 and was G5225 zealous G2207 toward God, G2316 as G2531 ye G5210 all G3956 are G2075 this day. G4594

Luke 10:39 STRONG

And G2532 she G3592 had G2258 a sister G79 called G2564 Mary, G3137 which G3739 also G2532 sat G3869 at G3844 Jesus' G2424 feet, G4228 and heard G191 his G846 word. G3056

Leviticus 26:26 STRONG

And when I have broken H7665 the staff H4294 of your bread, H3899 ten H6235 women H802 shall bake H644 your bread H3899 in one H259 oven, H8574 and they shall deliver H7725 you your bread H3899 again H7725 by weight: H4948 and ye shall eat, H398 and not be satisfied. H7646

Luke 8:35 STRONG

Then G1161 they went out G1831 to see G1492 what was done; G1096 and G2532 came G2064 to G4314 Jesus, G2424 and G2532 found G2147 the man, G444 out of G575 whom G3739 the devils G1140 were departed, G1831 sitting G2521 at G3844 the feet G4228 of Jesus, G2424 clothed, G2439 and G2532 in his right mind: G4993 and G2532 they were afraid. G5399

Acts 15:36 STRONG

And G1161 some G5100 days G2250 after G3326 Paul G3972 said G2036 unto G4314 Barnabas, G921 G1211 Let us go again G1994 and visit G1980 our G2257 brethren G80 in G2596 every G3956 city G4172 where G1722 G3739 we have preached G2605 the word G3056 of the Lord, G2962 and see how G4459 they do. G2192

Acts 10:38 STRONG

How G5613 God G2316 anointed G5548 Jesus G2424 of G575 Nazareth G3478 with the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 and G2532 with power: G1411 who G846 G3739 went about G1330 doing good, G2109 and G2532 healing G2390 all G3956 that were oppressed G2616 of G5259 the devil; G1228 for G3754 God G2316 was G2258 with G3326 him. G846

John 21:9 STRONG

As soon G5613 then G3767 as they were come G576 to G1519 land, G1093 they saw G991 a fire of coals G439 there, and G2532 fish G3795 laid G2749 thereon, G1945 and G2532 bread. G740

John 21:5 STRONG

Then G3767 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Children, G3813 have ye G2192 any G3387 meat? G4371 They answered G611 him, G846 No. G3756

Luke 9:13 STRONG

But G1161 he said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Give G1325 ye G5210 them G846 to eat. G5315 And G1161 they said, G2036 We G2254 have no G3756 G1526 more G4119 but G2228 five G4002 loaves G740 and G2532 two G1417 fishes; G2486 except G1509 we G2249 should go G4198 and buy G59 meat G1033 for G1519 all G3956 this G5126 people. G2992

Luke 8:38 STRONG

Now G1161 the man G435 out of G575 whom G3739 the devils G1140 were departed G1831 besought G1189 him G846 that he might be G1511 with G4862 him: G846 but G1161 Jesus G2424 sent G630 him G846 away, G630 saying, G3004

Deuteronomy 28:22-24 STRONG

The LORD H3068 shall smite H5221 thee with a consumption, H7829 and with a fever, H6920 and with an inflammation, H1816 and with an extreme burning, H2746 and with the sword, H2719 and with blasting, H7711 and with mildew; H3420 and they shall pursue H7291 thee until thou perish. H6 And thy heaven H8064 that is over thy head H7218 shall be brass, H5178 and the earth H776 that is under thee shall be iron. H1270 The LORD H3068 shall make H5414 the rain H4306 of thy land H776 powder H80 and dust: H6083 from heaven H8064 shall it come down H3381 upon thee, until thou be destroyed. H8045

Luke 4:25 STRONG

But G1161 I tell G3004 you G5213 of G1909 a truth, G225 many G4183 widows G5503 were G2258 in G1722 Israel G2474 in G1722 the days G2250 of Elias, G2243 when G3753 the heaven G3772 was shut up G2808 G1909 three G5140 years G2094 and G2532 six G1803 months, G3376 when G5613 great G3173 famine G3042 was G1096 throughout G1909 all G3956 the land; G1093

Luke 2:46 STRONG

And G2532 it came to pass, G1096 that after G3326 three G5140 days G2250 they found G2147 him G846 in G1722 the temple, G2411 sitting G2516 in G1722 the midst G3319 of the doctors, G1320 both G2532 hearing G191 them, G846 and G2532 asking G1905 them G846 questions. G1905

Mark 8:2-6 STRONG

I have compassion G4697 on G1909 the multitude, G3793 because G3754 they have G4357 now G2235 been G4357 with me G3427 three G5140 days, G2250 and G2532 have G2192 nothing G3756 G5101 to eat: G5315 And G2532 if G1437 I send G630 them G846 away G630 fasting G3523 to G1519 their own G846 houses, G3624 they will faint G1590 by G1722 the way: G3598 for G1063 divers G5100 of them G846 came G2240 from far. G3113 And G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 answered G611 him, G846 From whence G4159 can G1410 a man G5100 satisfy G5526 these G5128 men with bread G740 here G5602 in G1909 the wilderness? G2047 And G2532 he asked G1905 them, G846 How many G4214 loaves G740 have ye? G2192 And G1161 they said, G2036 Seven. G2033 And G2532 he commanded G3853 the people G3793 to sit down G377 on G1909 the ground: G1093 and G2532 he took G2983 the seven G2033 loaves, G740 and gave thanks, G2168 and brake, G2806 and G2532 gave G1325 to his G846 disciples G3101 to G2443 set before G3908 them; and G2532 they did set them before G3908 the people. G3793

Mark 6:37 STRONG

He answered G611 and G1161 said G2036 unto them, G846 Give G1325 ye G5210 them G846 to eat. G5315 And G2532 they say G3004 unto him, G846 Shall we go G565 and buy G59 two hundred G1250 pennyworth G1220 of bread, G740 and G2532 give G1325 them G846 to eat? G5315

Ezekiel 24:3 STRONG

And utter H4911 a parable H4912 unto the rebellious H4805 house, H1004 and say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Set on H8239 a pot, H5518 set it on, H8239 and also pour H3332 water H4325 into it:

Ezekiel 14:13 STRONG

Son H1121 of man, H120 when the land H776 sinneth H2398 against me by trespassing H4603 grievously, H4604 then will I stretch out H5186 mine hand H3027 upon it, and will break H7665 the staff H4294 of the bread H3899 thereof, and will send H7971 famine H7458 upon it, and will cut off H3772 man H120 and beast H929 from it:

Jeremiah 14:1-6 STRONG

The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that came to Jeremiah H3414 concerning H1697 the dearth. H1226 Judah H3063 mourneth, H56 and the gates H8179 thereof languish; H535 they are black H6937 unto the ground; H776 and the cry H6682 of Jerusalem H3389 is gone up. H5927 And their nobles H117 have sent H7971 their little ones H6810 to the waters: H4325 they came H935 to the pits, H1356 H1360 and found H4672 no water; H4325 they returned H7725 with their vessels H3627 empty; H7387 they were ashamed H954 and confounded, H3637 and covered H2645 their heads. H7218 Because the ground H127 is chapt, H2865 for there was no rain H1653 in the earth, H776 the plowmen H406 were ashamed, H954 they covered H2645 their heads. H7218 Yea, the hind H365 also calved H3205 in the field, H7704 and forsook H5800 it, because there was no grass. H1877 And the wild asses H6501 did stand H5975 in the high places, H8205 they snuffed up H7602 the wind H7307 like dragons; H8577 their eyes H5869 did fail, H3615 because there was no grass. H6212

Proverbs 8:34 STRONG

Blessed H835 is the man H120 that heareth H8085 me, watching H8245 daily H3117 H3117 at my gates, H1817 waiting H8104 at the posts H4201 of my doors. H6607

2 Samuel 21:1 STRONG

Then there was a famine H7458 in the days H3117 of David H1732 three H7969 years, H8141 year H8141 after H310 year; H8141 and David H1732 enquired H1245 of H6440 the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 answered, H559 It is for Saul, H7586 and for his bloody H1818 house, H1004 because he slew H4191 the Gibeonites. H1393

1 Samuel 19:20 STRONG

And Saul H7586 sent H7971 messengers H4397 to take H3947 David: H1732 and when they saw H7200 the company H3862 of the prophets H5030 prophesying, H5012 and Samuel H8050 standing H5975 as appointed H5324 over them, the Spirit H7307 of God H430 was upon the messengers H4397 of Saul, H7586 and they also prophesied. H5012

1 Samuel 7:16-17 STRONG

And he went H1980 from H1767 year H8141 to year H8141 in circuit H5437 to Bethel, H1008 and Gilgal, H1537 and Mizpeh, H4709 and judged H8199 Israel H3478 in all those places. H4725 And his return H8666 was to Ramah; H7414 for there was his house; H1004 and there he judged H8199 Israel; H3478 and there he built H1129 an altar H4196 unto the LORD. H3068

Deuteronomy 28:38-40 STRONG

Thou shalt carry H3318 much H7227 seed H2233 out H3318 into the field, H7704 and shalt gather H622 but little H4592 in; H622 for the locust H697 shall consume H2628 it. Thou shalt plant H5193 vineyards, H3754 and dress H5647 them, but shalt neither drink H8354 of the wine, H3196 nor gather H103 the grapes; for the worms H8438 shall eat H398 them. Thou shalt have olive trees H2132 throughout all thy coasts, H1366 but thou shalt not anoint H5480 thyself with the oil; H8081 for thine olive H2132 shall cast H5394 his fruit.

Commentary on 2 Kings 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 4

2Ki 4:1-7. Elisha Augments the Widow's Oil.

1. there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets—They were allowed to marry as well as the priests and Levites. Her husband, not enjoying the lucrative profits of business, had nothing but a professional income, which, in that irreligious age, would be precarious and very scanty, so that he was not in a condition to provide for his family.

the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen—By the enactment of the law, a creditor was entitled to claim the person and children of the insolvent debtor, and compel them to serve him as bondmen till the year of jubilee should set them free.

2-4. a pot—or cruet of oil. This comprising her whole stock of domestic utensils, he directs her to borrow empty vessels not a few; then, secluding herself with her children, [the widow] was to pour oil from her cruse into the borrowed vessels, and, selling the oil, discharge the debt, and then maintain herself and family with the remainder.

6. the oil stayed—that is, ceased to multiply; the benevolent object for which the miracle had been wrought having been accomplished.

2Ki 4:8-17. Promises a Son to the Shunammite.

8. Elisha passed to Shunem—now Sulam, in the plain of Esdraelon, at the southwestern base of Little Hermon. The prophet, in his journey, was often entertained here by one of its pious and opulent inhabitants.

10. Let us make a little chamber—not build, but prepare it. She meant a room in the oleah, the porch, or gateway (2Sa 18:33; 1Ki 17:19), attached to the front of the house, leading into the court and inner apartments. The front of the house, excepting the door, is a dead wall, and hence this room is called a chamber in the wall. It is usually appropriated to the use of strangers, or lodgers for a night, and, from its seclusion, convenient for study or retirement.

13-16. what is to be done for thee?—Wishing to testify his gratitude for the hospitable attentions of this family, he announced to her the birth of a son "about this time next year." The interest and importance of such an intelligence can only be estimated by considering that Oriental women, and Jewish in particular, connect ideas of disgrace with barrenness, and cherish a more ardent desire for children than women in any other part of the world (Ge 18:10-15).

2Ki 4:18-37. Raises Her Dead Son.

19. My head, my head!—The cries of the boy, the part affected, and the season of the year, make it probable that he had been overtaken by a stroke of the sun. Pain, stupor, and inflammatory fever are the symptoms of the disease, which is often fatal.

22. she called unto her husband—Her heroic concealment of the death from her husband is not the least interesting feature of the story.

24. Drive, and go forward—It is usual for women to ride on asses, accompanied by a servant, who walks behind and drives the beast with his stick, goading the animal at the speed required by his mistress. The Shunammite had to ride a journey of five or six hours to the top of Carmel.

26-28. And she answered, It is well—Her answer was purposely brief and vague to Gehazi, for she reserved a full disclosure of her loss for the ear of the prophet himself. She had met Gehazi at the foot of the hill, and she stopped not in her ascent till she had disburdened her heavy-laden spirit at Elisha's feet. The violent paroxysm of grief into which she fell on approaching him, appeared to Gehazi an act of disrespect to his master; he was preparing to remove her when the prophet's observant eye perceived that she was overwhelmed with some unknown cause of distress. How great is a mother's love! how wondrous are the works of Providence! The Shunammite had not sought a son from the prophet—her child was, in every respect, the free gift of God. Was she then allowed to rejoice in the possession for a little, only to be pierced with sorrow by seeing the corpse of the cherished boy? Perish, doubt and unbelief! This event happened that "the works of God should be made manifest" in His prophet, "and for the glory of God."

29-31. take my staff … and lay … upon the face of the child—The staff was probably an official rod of a certain form and size. Necromancers used to send their staff with orders to the messengers to let it come in contact with nothing by the way that might dissipate or destroy the virtue imparted to it. Some have thought that Elisha himself entertained similar ideas, and was under an impression that the actual application of his staff would serve as well as the touch of his hand. But this is an imputation dishonorable to the character of the prophet. He wished to teach the Shunammite, who obviously placed too great dependence upon him, a memorable lesson to look to God. By sending his servant forward to lay his staff on the child, he raised [the Shunammite's] expectations, but, at the same time, taught her that his own help was unavailing—"there was neither voice, nor hearing." The command, to salute no man by the way, showed the urgency of the mission, not simply as requiring the avoidance of the tedious and unnecessary greetings so common in the East (Lu 10:1), but the exercise of faith and prayer. The act of Gehazi was allowed to fail, in order to free the Shunammite, and the people of Israel at large, of the superstitious notion of supposing a miraculous virtue resided in any person, or in any rod, and to prove that it was only through earnest prayer and faith in the power of God and for His glory that this and every miracle was to be performed.

34. lay upon the child, &c.—(see 1Ki 17:21; Ac 20:10). Although this contact with a dead body would communicate ceremonial uncleanness, yet, in performing the great moral duties of piety and benevolence, positive laws were sometimes dispensed with, particularly by the prophets.

35. the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes—These were the first acts of restored respiration, and they are described as successive steps. Miracles were for the most part performed instantaneously; but sometimes, also, they were advanced progressively towards completion (1Ki 18:44, 45; Mr 8:24, 25).

2Ki 4:38-41. Purifies Deadly Pottage.

38. there was a dearth in the land—(see on 2Ki 8:1).

the sons of the prophets were sitting before him—When receiving instruction, the scholars sat under their masters. This refers to their being domiciled under the same roof (compare 2Ki 6:1).

Set on the great pot—As it is most likely that the Jewish would resemble the Egyptian "great pot," it is seen by the monumental paintings to have been a large goblet, with two long legs, which stood over the fire on the floor. The seethed pottage consisted of meat cut into small pieces, mixed with rice or meal and vegetables.

39. went out into the field to gather herbs—Wild herbs are very extensively used by the people in the East, even by those who possess their own vegetable gardens. The fields are daily searched for mallow, asparagus, and other wild plants.

wild vine—literally, "the vine of the field," supposed to be the colocynth, a cucumber, which, in its leaves, tendrils, and fruit, bears a strong resemblance to the wild vine. The "gourds," or fruit, are of the color and size of an orange bitter to the taste, causing colic, and exciting the nerves, eaten freely they would occasion such a derangement of the stomach and bowels as to be followed by death. The meal which Elisha poured into the pot was a symbolic sign that the noxious quality of the herbs was removed.

lap full—The hyke, or large cloak, is thrown loosely over the left shoulder and fastened under the right arm, so as to form a lap or apron.

2Ki 4:42-44. Satisfies a Hundred Men with Twenty Loaves.

43. They shall eat, and shall leave thereof—This was not a miracle of Elisha, but only a prediction of one by the word of the Lord. Thus it differed widely from those of Christ (Mt 15:37; Mr 8:8; Lu 9:17; Joh 6:12).