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 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. Elisha 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. 42A man from Baal Shalisha brought bread made from the first harvested grain, 20 barley loaves, and fresh grain to the man of God. The man of God said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 43But his servant asked, “How can I set this in front of a hundred people?” “Give it to the people to eat,” the man of God said. “This is what the Lord says: They will eat and even 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 2:21He went to the spring and threw the salt into it. Then he said, “This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. No more deaths or crop failures will come from this water.”
• 2 Kings 5:10Elisha sent a messenger to him. He said, “Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your skin will be healthy and clean.”
• 2 Kings 6:6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed Elisha the place, Elisha cut off a piece of wood. He threw it into the water at that place and made the ax head float.
• Exodus 15:25Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord set down laws and rules for them to live by, and there he tested them.
• John 9:6After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and mixed the spit with dirt. Then he smeared it on the man’s eyes
• 1 Corinthians 1:25God’s nonsense is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
• Acts 28:5Paul shook the snake into the fire and wasn’t harmed.

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