2 Kings 4:40

2 Kings 4:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
• New International Version (NIV)The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

Context of 2 Kings 4:40

38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39Then one 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 sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were. So they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” And they were unable to eat. 41But he said, “Now bring meal.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may eat.” Then there was no harm in the pot. 42Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat.”

2 Kings 4:40 word by word

וַיִּֽצְק֥וּ לַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים לֶאֱכ֑וֹל וַ֠יְהִי כְּאָכְלָ֨ם מֵהַנָּזִ֜יד וְהֵ֣מָּה צָעָ֗קוּ וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מָ֤וֶת בַּסִּיר֙ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ לֶאֱכֹֽל׃Read the interlinear

• So they pouredיָצַקyâtsaq · to pour: pourH3332
• out for the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• of the stewנָזִידnâzîyd · stewH5138
• they criedצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• out and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• O manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• in the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
• And they were unableלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• And they were unableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201

Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:40

• 2 Kings 4:9She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually.
• 2 Kings 1:9Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’”
• Deuteronomy 33:1Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death.
• 1 Kings 17:18So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!”
• Exodus 10:17Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and make supplication to the Lord your God, that He would only remove this death from me.”
• Exodus 15:23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah.
• Mark 16:18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:40

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40There is death in the pot - As if they had said, "We have here a deadly mixture; if we eat of it, we shall all die."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 4:40

• Elisha
• Gilgal
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• God
• man of God
• Aside
• Careful
• Desire
• Gourd
• Daniel, Book of
• Death
• Elisha
• Images

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