God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 4:43
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 4:43 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
- New International Version (NIV)“How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ”
Context of 2 Kings 4:43
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. 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.” But 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 4:43 word by word
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ מָ֚ה אֶתֵּ֣ן זֶ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י מֵ֣אָה אִ֑ישׁ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר תֵּ֤ן לָעָם֙ וְיֹאכֵ֔לוּ כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֖ה אָכֹ֥ל וְהוֹתֵֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his servitorשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- What, should I setנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- this beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- an hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and shall leaveיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:43
- 2 Kings 4:12He told his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunem woman.” Gehazi called her, and she stood in front of him.
- Matthew 14:16Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
- Matthew 15:33His disciples asked him, “Where could we get enough bread to feed such a crowd in this place where no one lives?”
- Mark 6:37Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Should we go and spend about a year’s wages on bread to feed them?”
- Mark 8:4His disciples asked him, “Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people in this place where no one lives?”
- Luke 9:13Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish. Unless we go to buy food for all these people, that’s all we have.”
- 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.”
- Matthew 14:20All of them ate as much as they wanted. When they picked up the leftover pieces, they filled twelve baskets.
- Matthew 15:37All of them ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets.
- Matthew 16:8Jesus knew about their conversation and asked, “Why are you discussing among yourselves that you don’t have any bread? You have so little faith!
- Mark 6:42All of them ate as much as they wanted.
- Mark 8:20“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?” They answered him, “Seven.”
- Luke 9:17All of them ate as much as they wanted. When they picked up the leftover pieces, they filled twelve baskets.
- John 6:11Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same thing with the fish. All the people ate as much as they wanted.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:43
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 43Thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof - It was God, not the prophet, who fed one hundred men with these twenty loaves, etc. This is something like our Lord's feeding the multitude miraculously. Indeed, there are many things in this chapter similar to facts in our Lord's history: and this prophet might be more aptly considered a type of our Lord, than most of the other persons in the Scriptures who have been thus honored.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 43This miracle was a faint foreshadowing of our Lord‘s far more marvelous feeding of thousands with even scantier materials. The resemblance is not only in the broad fact, but in various minute particulars, such as the distribution through the hands of others; the material, bread; the surprised question of the servant; and the evidence of superfluity in the fragments that were left (see the marginal references). As Elijah was a type of the Baptist, so…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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4343. They shall eat, and shall leave thereof--This was not a miracle of Elisha, but only a prediction of one by the word of the Lord. Thus it differed widely from those of Christ (Mt 15:37; Mr 8:8; Lu 9:17; Joh 6:12).Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 4:43
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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