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

1One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied. 3And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. 4Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”

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 came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
• 2 Kings 6:26One day as the king of Israel was walking along the wall of the city, a woman called to him, “Please help me, my lord the king!”
• Matthew 15:34Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”
• John 6:5Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”
• Acts 3:6But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”
• 2 Corinthians 6:10Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
• 1 Kings 17:12But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
• James 2:5Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom 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