2 Kings 4:41

2 Kings 4:41 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
• New International Version (NIV)Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said, "Then bring flour." And he threw it into the pot and said, "Pour some out for the men, that they may eat." And there was no harm in the pot.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

Context of 2 Kings 4:41

39One went out to the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment would hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, but they were unaware of what they were. 40They served some for the men to eat, but when they ate the stew they cried out, “There’s death in the pot, man of God!” And they were unable to eat it. Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Serve it for the people to eat.” And there was nothing bad in the pot. 42A man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with his sack full of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first bread of the harvest. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 43But Elisha’s attendant asked, “What? Am I to set this before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said, “for this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat, and they will have some left over.’”

2 Kings 4:41 word by word

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ וּקְחוּ־קֶ֔מַח וַיַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־הַסִּ֑יר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר צַ֤ק לָעָם֙ וְיֹאכֵ֔לוּ וְלֹ֥א הָיָ֛ה דָּבָ֥ר רָ֖ע בַּסִּֽיר׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Then bringלָקַחlâqach · to take: bringH3947
• mealקֶ֫מַחqemach · flourH7058
• And he castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• into the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
• Pour outיָצַקyâtsaq · to pour: pourH3332
• for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• And there was no harmרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• And there was no harmדָּבָרdâbâr · word: deedH1697

Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:41

• 2 Kings 2:21Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’”
• 2 Kings 5:10Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.”
• 2 Kings 6:6Then the man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a piece of wood, threw it there, and made the iron float.
• Exodus 15:25So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable. The Lord made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah, and he tested them there.
• John 9:6After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes.
• 1 Corinthians 1:25because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
• Acts 28:5But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 41Bring meal - Though this might, in some measure, correct the strong acrid and purgative quality; yet it was only a miracle which could make a lapful of this fruit shred into pottage salutary.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41Then bring meal - The natural properties of meal would but slightly diminish either the bitterness or the unwholesomeness of a drink containing colocynth. It is evident, therefore, that the conversion of the food from a pernicious and unsavory mess into palatable and wholesome nourishment was by miracle.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 38-44Verses 38-44 There was a famine of bread, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom. Elisha made hurtful food to become safe and wholesome. If a mess of pottage be all our dinner, remember that this great prophet had no better for himself and his guests. The table often becomes a snare, and that which should be for our welfare, proves a trap: this is a good reason why we should not…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39-41The men quickly realized the young man's wild gourds were poisonous. They didn't want to be poisoned or waste the stew during a famine, so they asked Elisha for help. The flour symbolized God's miraculous provision of food.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 4:41

• Elisha
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Aside
• Careful
• Desire
• Daniel, Book of
• Elisha
• Images
• Jehoahaz
• Jehoram; Joram
• Kings, Books of
• Marriage

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