Berean Standard Bible
2 Kings 4:2
2“How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
2 Kings 4:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
- New International Version (NIV)Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
Context of 2 Kings 4:2
1Now the wife of one 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 now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!” “How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 3“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow empty jars from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. 4Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”
Read all of 2 Kings 42 Kings 4:2 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֱלִישָׁע֙ מָ֣ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֔ךְ הַגִּ֣ידִי לִ֔י מַה־יֶּשׁ־לָ֖ךְ בַּבָּ֑יִת וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣ין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥ כֹל֙ בַּבַּ֔יִת כִּ֖י אִם־אָס֥וּךְ שָֽׁמֶן׃Read the interlinear
- Howמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- can Iעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- askedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
- Elishaאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- Tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- do you haveיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
- in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- Your servantשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
- has nothingאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- has nothingכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- butכִּי [אם]kîy · that if: exceptH3588
- but[כִּי] אם'im · if: exceptH518
- a jarאָסוּךְ'âsûk · flaskH610
- of oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:2
- 2 Kings 2:9After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
- 2 Kings 6:26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
- Matthew 15:34“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
- John 6:5When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?”
- Acts 3:6But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
- 2 Corinthians 6:10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
- 1 Kings 17:12But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.”
- James 2:5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Save a pot of oil - Oil was used as aliment, for anointing the body after bathing, and to anoint the dead. Some think that this pot of oil was what this widow had kept for her burial: see Matthew 26:12.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A pot of oil - Or, “an anointing of oil” - so much oil, i. e., as would serve me for one anointing of my person. The word used occurs only in this passage.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. 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.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 4:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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