God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 4:39
39One of them went into the field to gather vegetables and found a wild vine. He filled his clothes with wild gourds. Then he cut them into the pot of stew without knowing what they were.
2 Kings 4:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
- New International Version (NIV)One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.
- English Standard Version (ESV)One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.
Context of 2 Kings 4:39
37Then she immediately bowed at his feet. She took her son and left. 38When Elisha went back to Gilgal, there was a famine in the country. ⌞One day,⌟ while the disciples of the prophets were meeting with him, he told his servant, “Put a large pot on the fire, and cook some stew for the disciples of the prophets.” One of them went into the field to gather vegetables and found a wild vine. He filled his clothes with wild gourds. Then he cut them into the pot of stew without knowing what they were. 40They dished out the food for the men to eat. As they were eating the stew, they cried out, “There’s death in the pot, man of God!” So they couldn’t eat it. 41Elisha said, “Bring some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Dish it out for the people to eat.” Then there was nothing harmful in the pot.
Read all of 2 Kings 42 Kings 4:39 word by word
וַיֵּצֵ֨א אֶחָ֣ד אֶל־הַשָּׂדֶה֮ לְלַקֵּ֣ט אֹרֹת֒ וַיִּמְצָא֙ גֶּ֣פֶן שָׂדֶ֔ה וַיְלַקֵּ֥ט מִמֶּ֛נּוּ פַּקֻּעֹ֥ת שָׂדֶ֖ה מְלֹ֣א בִגְד֑וֹ וַיָּבֹ֗א וַיְפַלַּ֛ח אֶל־סִ֥יר הַנָּזִ֖יד כִּֽי־לֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- into the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- to gatherלָקַטlâqaţ · to gatherH3950
- herbsאוֹרָה'ôrâh · herbH219
- and foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- a wildשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: wildlifeH7704
- vineגֶּ֫פֶןgephen · vineH1612
- gourdsפַּקֻּעֹתpaqqû‛âh · gourdH6498
- his lapבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- fullמְלֹאmelô' melô' melô · fullnessH4393
- and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and shredפָּלַחpâlach · to cleaveH6398
- into the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- of pottageנָזִידnâzîyd · stewH5138
- for they knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:39
- Isaiah 5:4What more could have been done for my vineyard than what I have already done for it? When I waited for it to produce good grapes, why did it produce only sour, wild grapes?
- Jeremiah 2:21I planted you like a choice grapevine from the very best seed. Now you have turned against me and have become a wild vine.
- Matthew 15:13He answered, “Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
- Hebrews 12:15Make sure that everyone has kindness from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Wild gourds - This is generally thought to be the coloquintida, the fruit of a plant of the same name, about the size of a large orange. It is brought hither from the Levant, and is often known by the name of the bitter apple; both the seeds and pulp are intensely bitter, and violently purgative. It ranks among vegetable poisons, as all intense bitters do; but, judiciously employed, it is of considerable use in medicine.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39A wild vine - Not a real wild vine, the fruit of which, if not very palatable, is harmless; but some climbing plant with tendrils. The plant was probably either the Ecbalium elaterium, or “squirting cucumber,” the fruit of which, egg-shaped, and of a very bitter taste, bursts at the slightest touch, when it is ripe, and squirts out sap and seed grains; or the Colocynthis, which belongs to the family of cucumbers, has a vine-shaped leaf, and bears a fruit…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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 4:39
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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