2 Kings 4:41

2 Kings 4:41 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said, "Then bring flour." And he threw it into the pot and said, "Pour some out for the men, that they may eat." And there was no harm in the pot.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Elisha said, “Bring me some flour.” Then he threw it into the pot and said, “Now it’s all right; go ahead and eat.” And then it did not harm them.

Context of 2 Kings 4:41

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. 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. Elisha 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. 43“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.’ ”

2 Kings 4:41 word by word

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ וּקְחוּ־קֶ֔מַח וַיַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־הַסִּ֑יר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר צַ֤ק לָעָם֙ וְיֹאכֵ֔לוּ וְלֹ֥א הָיָ֛ה דָּבָ֥ר רָ֖ע בַּסִּֽיר׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Then bringלָקַחlâqach · to take: bringH3947
• mealקֶ֫מַחqemach · flourH7058
• And he castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• into the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
• Pour outיָצַקyâtsaq · to pour: pourH3332
• for the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• And there was no harmרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• And there was no harmדָּבָרdâbâr · word: deedH1697

Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:41

• 2 Kings 2:21Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ ”
• 2 Kings 5:10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
• 2 Kings 6:6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.
• Exodus 15:25Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.
• John 9:6After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
• 1 Corinthians 1:25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
• Acts 28:5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 41Bring meal - Though this might, in some measure, correct the strong acrid and purgative quality; yet it was only a miracle which could make a lapful of this fruit shred into pottage salutary.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 41Then bring meal - The natural properties of meal would but slightly diminish either the bitterness or the unwholesomeness of a drink containing colocynth. It is evident, therefore, that the conversion of the food from a pernicious and unsavory mess into palatable and wholesome nourishment was by miracle.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 4:41

• Elisha
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Aside
• Careful
• Desire
• Daniel, Book of
• Elisha
• Images
• Jehoahaz
• Jehoram; Joram
• Kings, Books of
• Marriage

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