2 Kings 4:2

2 Kings 4:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
• New International Version (NIV)Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Context of 2 Kings 4:2

1Now a wife of one of the prophets appealed to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil.” 3He said, “Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers. Get as many as you can. 4Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers; set aside each one when you have filled it.”

2 Kings 4:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֱלִישָׁע֙ מָ֣ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּ֔ךְ הַגִּ֣ידִי לִ֔י מַה־יֶּשׁ־לָ֖ךְ בַּבָּ֑יִת וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣ין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥ כֹל֙ בַּבַּ֔יִת כִּ֖י אִם־אָס֥וּךְ שָֽׁמֶן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto her, What shall I doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• for thee? tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• me, what hastיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• thou in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• Thine handmaidשִׁפְחָהshiphchâh · maidservantH8198
• save a potאָסוּךְ'âsûk · flaskH610
• of oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081

Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:2

• 2 Kings 2:9When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of the prophetic spirit that energizes you.”
• 2 Kings 6:26While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Help us, my master, O king!”
• Matthew 15:34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven – and a few small fish.”
• John 6:5Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?”
• Acts 3:6But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!”
• 2 Corinthians 6:10as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
• 1 Kings 17:12She said, “As certainly as the Lord your God lives, I have no food, except for a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. Right now I am gathering a couple of sticks for a fire. Then I’m going home to make one final meal for my son and myself. After we have eaten that, we will die of starvation.”
• James 2:5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Save a pot of oil - Oil was used as aliment, for anointing the body after bathing, and to anoint the dead. Some think that this pot of oil was what this widow had kept for her burial: see Matthew 26:12.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A pot of oil - Or, “an anointing of oil” - so much oil, i. e., as would serve me for one anointing of my person. The word used occurs only in this passage.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. a pot--or cruet of oil. This comprising her whole stock of domestic utensils, he directs her to borrow empty vessels not a few; then, secluding herself with her children, [the widow] was to pour oil from her cruse into the borrowed vessels, and, selling the oil, discharge the debt, and then maintain herself and family with the remainder.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 4:2

• Debtor
• Elisha
• Miracles
• Oil
• Poor
• Readings, Select
• Servant
• Widow

In the dictionaries

• Elisha
• Aside
• Careful
• Desire
• Daniel, Book of
• Debt; Debtor
• Handmaid
• Images
• Jehoahaz
• Jehoram; Joram

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