New American Standard Bible 2020
2 Kings 4:39
39Then one went out into the field to gather mallow, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds; and he came and sliced them into the pot of stew, because they did not know 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 came in and fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground, and she picked up her son and left. 38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” Then one went out into the field to gather mallow, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds; and he came and sliced them into the pot of stew, because they did not know what they were. 40So they poured it out for the men to eat. But as they were eating the stew, they cried out and said, “You man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they were unable to eat. 41Then he said, “Bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot, and said, “Pour it out for the people that they may 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
- Then oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- wentיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- into the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- to gatherלָקַטlâqaţ · to gatherH3950
- mallowאוֹרָה'ôrâh · herbH219
- and foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- a wildשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: wildlifeH7704
- vineגֶּ֫פֶןgephen · vineH1612
- from it his lapבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- fullמְלֹאmelô' melô' melô · fullnessH4393
- gourdsפַּקֻּעֹתpaqqû‛âh · gourdH6498
- and he cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and slicedפָּלַחpâlach · to cleaveH6398
- them into the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- of stewנָזִידnâzîyd · stewH5138
- becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
- they did not knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:39
- Isaiah 5:4What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
- Jeremiah 2:21Yet I planted you as a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
- Matthew 15:13But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
- Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
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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