New International Version
2 Kings 4:40
40The 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Some of the stew was served to the men. But after they had eaten a bite or two they cried out, “Man of God, there’s poison in this stew!” So they would not eat it.
Context of 2 Kings 4:40
38Elisha returned to Gilgal and there was a famine in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.” 39One 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. 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. 41Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot. 42A 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.
Read all of 2 Kings 42 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- So they poured outיָצַקyâtsaq · to pour: pourH3332
- for the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- of the pottageנָזִידnâzîyd · stewH5138
- that they cried outצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
- in the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- And they couldיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:40
- 2 Kings 4:9She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God.
- 2 Kings 1:9Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ ”
- Deuteronomy 33:1This is the blessing that Moses the man of God pronounced on the Israelites before his death.
- 1 Kings 17:18She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
- Exodus 10:17Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
- Exodus 15:23When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.)
- Mark 16:18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
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
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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