God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 4:42
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.”
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 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. A 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.” 44The servant set it in front of them. They ate and had some left over, as the Lord had predicted.
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 9:4They went through the mountains of Ephraim and the region of Shalisha without finding the donkeys. Then Saul and his servant went through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys weren’t there. The men went through the territory of Benjamin but ⌞still⌟ didn’t find them.
- 2 Kings 4:38When 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.”
- Exodus 23:16“Celebrate the Festival of the Harvest with the first produce harvested from whatever you plant in your fields. “Celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the year when you harvest your crops from the fields.
- Deuteronomy 12:6Bring him your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, one-tenth of your income, your contributions, the offerings you vow to bring, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle, sheep, and goats.
- Deuteronomy 26:2take some of the first produce harvested from the fields in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket. Then go to the place where the Lord your God will choose for his name to live.
- 1 Samuel 9:7“If we go,” Saul asked his servant, “what could we bring the man since the food in our sacks is gone? There’s no present we can bring the man of God. What do we have?”
- 2 Chronicles 11:13The priests and Levites in every region of Israel sided with Rehoboam.
- Proverbs 3:9Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first and best part of all your income.
- 1 Corinthians 9:11If we have planted the spiritual seed that has been of benefit to you, is it too much if we receive part of the harvest from your earthly goods?
- Galatians 6:6The person who is taught God’s word should share all good things with his teacher.
- 2 Kings 7:1Elisha answered, “Listen to the Lord’s word! This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow 24 cups of the best flour will sell for half an ounce of silver in the gateway to Samaria. And 48 cups of barley will sell for half an ounce of silver.”
- Deuteronomy 8:8The land has wheat and barley, grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates. The land has honey and olive trees for olive oil.
- Deuteronomy 32:14They ate cheese from cows and drank milk from sheep and goats. He gave them fat from lambs, rams from the stock of Bashan, male goats, and the best wheat. They drank the blood-red wine of grapes.
- John 6:9“A boy who has five loaves of barley bread and two small fish is here. But they won’t go very far for so many people.”
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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