2 Kings 4:38

And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Elisha	וֶאֱלִישָׁ֞ע ve.'e.li.Sha'	H477	Elisha · conjunction + proper noun, a man's name
again	שָׁ֤ב shav	H7725	to turn back (hence · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Gilgal	הַגִּלְגָּ֙לָה֙ ha.gil.Ga.lah	H1537	Gilgal · definite article + proper noun, a place name + directional suffix
dearth	וְהָרָעָ֣ב ve.ha.ra.'Av	H7458	hunger (more or less extensive) · conjunction + definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
land	בָּאָ֔רֶץ ba.'A.retz	H776	the earth (at large · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
sons	וּבְנֵי֙ u.ve.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural construct
prophets	הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים ha.ne.vi.'Im	H5030	a prophet or (generally) inspired man · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
sitting	יֹשְׁבִ֖ים yo.she.Vim	H3427	properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
before	לְפָנָ֑יו le.fa.Nav	H6440	the face (as the part that turns) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
servant	לְנַעֲר֗וֹ le.na.'a.Ro	H5288	(concretely) a boy (as active) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
Set	שְׁפֹת֙ she.Fot	H8239	to locate · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
great	הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה ha.ge.do.Lah	H1419	great (in any sense) · definite article + adjective, feminine singular absolute
pot	הַסִּ֣יר ha.Sir	H5518	a pot · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
seethe	וּבַשֵּׁ֥ל u.va.Shel	H1310	properly · conjunction + verb, piel imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
pottage	נָזִ֖יד na.Zid	H5138	something boiled · noun, common masculine singular absolute
sons	לִבְנֵ֥י liv.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
prophets	הַנְּבִיאִֽים ha.ne.vi.'Im	H5030	a prophet or (generally) inspired man · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Kings 2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy mas…
2 Kings 8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever…
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
Acts 22:3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught accordi…
Leviticus 26:26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by…
Deuteronomy 28:22-24 The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, a…
Deuteronomy 28:38-40 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 4:38–end

We have here Elisha in his place, in his element, among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them; and happy it was for them that they had one over them who naturally cared for their state, under whom they were well fed and well taught. There was a dearth in the land, for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein, the same that we read of, Kg2 8:1. It continued seven years, just as long again as that in Elijah's time. A famine of bread there was, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom, who were taught, that they might teach others. Two instances we have here of the care he took ab…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 4:38

PURIFIES DEADLY POTTAGE. (Kg2 4:38-41) there was a dearth in the land--(see on Kg2 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 Kg2 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.

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 4:38

Came again to Gilgal - He had been there before with his master, a short time prior to his translation. Set on the great pot and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets - It was in a time of dearth, and all might now stand in need of refreshment; and it appears that the prophet was led to put forth the power he had from God to make a plentiful provision for those who were present. The father of the celebrated Dr. Young, author of the Night Thoughts, preaching a charity sermon for the benefit of the sons of the clergy, took the above words for his text; nor could they be said to be inappropriate.

John Gill on 2 Kings 4:38

And Elisha came again to Gilgal,.... Where he was with Elijah a little before his assumption to heaven, 2 Kings 2:1 and whither he went, there being a school of the prophets, as he did to all places where there were any, and where he had been before with Elijah; partly to instruct, encourage, and strengthen them, and partly to confirm his office as a prophet by miracles, which he did in several places he came to: and there was a dearth in the land; a famine through drought: and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: as disciples before their master, see Acts 22:3. and he said unto his servant; very probably Gehazi: set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the p…

The Church Fathers

Here two miracles are proposed, which Elisha performed while he was among his disciples. He accomplished the first when he caused death to leave the pot, where, as they said, it had hidden. He performed the second when he nourished one hundred prophets with a little bit of bread. In both miracles he prefigures him who multiplies twice some barley loaves and nourishes with them "about five thousand men, besides women and children."
— Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 4:38

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Baal — Lord. (1.) The name appropriated to the principal male god of the Phoenicians. It is found in several places in the plural BAALIM (Judg. 2:11; 10:10; 1 Kings 18:18; Jer. 2:23; Hos. 2:17). Baal is…
Dearth — A scarcity of provisions (1 Kings 17). There were frequent dearths in Palestine. In the days of Abram there was a “famine in the land” (Gen. 12:10), so also in the days of Jacob (47:4, 13). We read…
Elisha — God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his…
Food — Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians.…
Gilgal — Rolling. (1.) From the solemn transaction of the reading of the law in the valley of Shechem between Ebal and Gerizim the Israelites moved forward to Gilgal, and there made a permanent camp (Josh.…
Gourd — (1.) Jonah’s gourd (Jonah 4:6-10), bearing the Hebrew name kikayon (found only here), was probably the kiki of the Egyptians, the croton. This is the castor-oil plant, a species of ricinus, the palma…
Pottage — Heb. nazid, “boiled”, a dish of boiled food, as of lentils (Gen. 25:29; 2 Kings 4:38).
Prophet — (Heb. nabi, from a root meaning “to bubble forth, as from a fountain,” hence “to utter”, comp. Ps. 45:1). This Hebrew word is the first and the most generally used for a prophet. In the time of…
Broth · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Elisha · .Neutralizes the poi — .Neutralizes the poi
Famine · Instances of, in scripture: In the time of Elisha

2 Kings 4:38

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 4:38–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 4:38

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 4:38

John Gill on 2 Kings 4:38

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

2 Kings 4:38

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Kings 4:38–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Kings 4:38

Adam Clarke on 2 Kings 4:38

John Gill on 2 Kings 4:38

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Kings 4:38-41

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Kings 4:38

Rashi on 2 Kings 4:38