Christian Standard Bible
2 Kings 4:42
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.”
2 Kings 4:42 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there came a man from Baal–shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
- New International Version (NIV)A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
- English Standard Version (ESV)A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, "Give to the men, that they may eat."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”
Context of 2 Kings 4:42
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. 41Then 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. A 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.’” 44So he set it before them, and as the Lord had promised, they ate and had some left over.
Read all of 2 Kings 42 Kings 4:42 word by word
וְאִ֨ישׁ בָּ֜א מִבַּ֣עַל שָׁלִ֗שָׁה וַיָּבֵא֩ לְאִ֨ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים לֶ֤חֶם בִּכּוּרִים֙ עֶשְׂרִֽים־לֶ֣חֶם שְׂעֹרִ֔ים וְכַרְמֶ֖ל בְּצִקְלֹנ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר תֵּ֥ן לָעָ֖ם וְיֹאכֵֽלוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And there cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- from Baal–shalishaבַּ֫עַל שָׁלִשָׁהba‛al shâlishâh · Baal-shalishahH1190
- and broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- of the firstfruitsבִּכּוּרִיםbikkûr · firstfruitH1061
- twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
- of barleyשְׂעֹרָהώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôr ώe‛ôr · barleyH8184
- and full ears of cornכַּרְמֶלkarmel · plantationH3759
- in the huskצִקָּלֹןtsiqlôn · sackH6861
- thereof. And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:42
- 1 Samuel 9:4Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the region of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim — nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.
- 2 Kings 4:38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him. He said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and make stew for the sons of the prophets.”
- Exodus 23:16Also observe the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of your produce from what you sow in the field, and observe the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.
- Deuteronomy 12:6You are to bring there your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tenths and personal contributions, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
- Deuteronomy 26:2take some of the first of all the land’s produce that you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you and put it in a basket. Then go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to have his name dwell.
- 1 Samuel 9:7“Suppose we do go,” Saul said to his servant, “what do we take the man? The food from our packs is gone, and there’s no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
- 2 Chronicles 11:13The priests and Levites from all their regions throughout Israel took their stand with Rehoboam,
- Proverbs 3:9Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest;
- 1 Corinthians 9:11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?
- Galatians 6:6Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher.
- 2 Kings 7:1Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord says: ‘About this time tomorrow at Samaria’s gate, six quarts of fine flour will sell for a half ounce of silver and twelve quarts of barley will sell for a half ounce of silver.’”
- Deuteronomy 8:8a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey;
- Deuteronomy 32:14curds from the herd and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs, rams from Bashan, and goats, with the choicest grains of wheat; you drank wine from the finest grapes.
- John 6:9“There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish — but what are they for so many?”
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 42Bread of the first-fruits - This was an offering to the prophet, as the first-fruits themselves were an offering to God. Corn in the husk - Probably parched corn or corn to be parched, a very frequent food in the East; full ears, before they are ripe, parched on the fire.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 42Baal-shalisha - Fifteen Roman miles north of Lydda, in the Sharon plain to the west of the highlands of Ephraim. It was, apparently, the chief city of the “land of Shalisha” (marginal reference). Bread of the first fruits - It appears by this that the Levitical priests having withdrawn from the land of Israel (see 2 Chronicles 11:13-14), pious Israelites transferred to the prophets, whom God raised up, the offerings required by the Law to be given to the…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. 42-44barley bread from the first ripe grain: This offering was like the first crops usually given to God (Leviticus 23:20) and to the priests (Deuteronomy 18:4–5) as their share. During the famine, Elisha shared the offering with everyone. Elisha fed a hundred people with a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread, which foreshadowed the miraculous acts Jesus did (Matthew 14:15–21; 15:32–38). Nothing is impossible for God (Matthew 19:26; Luke…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 4:42
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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