New International Version
2 Kings 4:43
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 4:43 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“What?” his servant exclaimed. “Feed a hundred people with only this?” But Elisha repeated, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!”
Context of 2 Kings 4:43
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. “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.’ ” 44Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
Read all of 2 Kings 42 Kings 4:43 word by word
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ מָ֚ה אֶתֵּ֣ן זֶ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י מֵ֣אָה אִ֑ישׁ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר תֵּ֤ן לָעָם֙ וְיֹאכֵ֔לוּ כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֖ה אָכֹ֥ל וְהוֹתֵֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his servitorשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- What, should I setנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- this beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- an hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- that they may eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and shall leaveיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:43
- 2 Kings 4:12He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him.
- Matthew 14:16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
- Matthew 15:33His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
- Mark 6:37But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
- Mark 8:4His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”
- Luke 9:13He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
- John 6:9“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
- Matthew 14:20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- Matthew 15:37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- Matthew 16:8Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread?
- Mark 6:42They all ate and were satisfied,
- Mark 8:20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.”
- Luke 9:17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- John 6:11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:43
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 43Thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof - It was God, not the prophet, who fed one hundred men with these twenty loaves, etc. This is something like our Lord's feeding the multitude miraculously. Indeed, there are many things in this chapter similar to facts in our Lord's history: and this prophet might be more aptly considered a type of our Lord, than most of the other persons in the Scriptures who have been thus honored.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 43This miracle was a faint foreshadowing of our Lord‘s far more marvelous feeding of thousands with even scantier materials. The resemblance is not only in the broad fact, but in various minute particulars, such as the distribution through the hands of others; the material, bread; the surprised question of the servant; and the evidence of superfluity in the fragments that were left (see the marginal references). As Elijah was a type of the Baptist, so…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. 42-44barley bread from the first ripe grain: This offering was like the first crops usually given to God (Leviticus 23:20) and to the priests (Deuteronomy 18:4–5) as their share. During the famine, Elisha shared the offering with everyone. Elisha fed a hundred people with a sack of fresh grain and twenty loaves of barley bread, which foreshadowed the miraculous acts Jesus did (Matthew 14:15–21; 15:32–38). Nothing is impossible for God (Matthew 19:26; Luke…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4343. They shall eat, and shall leave thereof--This was not a miracle of Elisha, but only a prediction of one by the word of the Lord. Thus it differed widely from those of Christ (Mt 15:37; Mr 8:8; Lu 9:17; Joh 6:12).Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 4:43
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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