Tree of Life Version
2 Kings 4:39
39Then one of them went out into the field to gather herbs, found a wild vine and picked from it a lapful of wild gourds. Then he came back and sliced them into the stew pot, for they didn’t know what they were.
2 Kings 4:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
- New International Version (NIV)One 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.
Context of 2 Kings 4:39
37She came, fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. 38Afterward Elisha returned to Gilgal. Now there was famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” Then one of them went out into the field to gather herbs, found a wild vine and picked from it a lapful of wild gourds. Then he came back and sliced them into the stew pot, for they didn’t know what they were. 40Then they served it for the men to eat. But it came to pass as they were still eating the stew, they cried out and said, “O man of God, there is death in the pot.” So they could not eat it. 41But he said, “Bring some flour,” and he threw it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people and let them eat.” So there was nothing bad in the pot.
Read all of 2 Kings 42 Kings 4:39 word by word
וַיֵּצֵ֨א אֶחָ֣ד אֶל־הַשָּׂדֶה֮ לְלַקֵּ֣ט אֹרֹת֒ וַיִּמְצָא֙ גֶּ֣פֶן שָׂדֶ֔ה וַיְלַקֵּ֥ט מִמֶּ֛נּוּ פַּקֻּעֹ֥ת שָׂדֶ֖ה מְלֹ֣א בִגְד֑וֹ וַיָּבֹ֗א וַיְפַלַּ֛ח אֶל־סִ֥יר הַנָּזִ֖יד כִּֽי־לֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- into the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
- to gatherלָקַטlâqaţ · to gatherH3950
- herbsאוֹרָה'ôrâh · herbH219
- and foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- a wildשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: wildlifeH7704
- vineגֶּ֫פֶןgephen · vineH1612
- gourdsפַּקֻּעֹתpaqqû‛âh · gourdH6498
- his lapבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
- fullמְלֹאmelô' melô' melô · fullnessH4393
- and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and shredפָּלַחpâlach · to cleaveH6398
- into the potסִירsîyr sîyrâh sirâh · potH5518
- of pottageנָזִידnâzîyd · stewH5138
- for they knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
Cross-references for 2 Kings 4:39
- Isaiah 5:4What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done? Why then, when I expected it to yield good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes?
- Jeremiah 2:21Yet I had planted you as a choice vine from completely faithful seed. How then did you become to Me a wandering wild vine?
- Matthew 15:13But He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
- Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; and see to it that no bitter root springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 4:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Wild gourds - This is generally thought to be the coloquintida, the fruit of a plant of the same name, about the size of a large orange. It is brought hither from the Levant, and is often known by the name of the bitter apple; both the seeds and pulp are intensely bitter, and violently purgative. It ranks among vegetable poisons, as all intense bitters do; but, judiciously employed, it is of considerable use in medicine.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39A wild vine - Not a real wild vine, the fruit of which, if not very palatable, is harmless; but some climbing plant with tendrils. The plant was probably either the Ecbalium elaterium, or “squirting cucumber,” the fruit of which, egg-shaped, and of a very bitter taste, bursts at the slightest touch, when it is ripe, and squirts out sap and seed grains; or the Colocynthis, which belongs to the family of cucumbers, has a vine-shaped leaf, and bears a fruit…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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. went out into the field to gather herbs--Wild herbs are very extensively used by the people in the East, even by those who possess their own vegetable gardens. The fields are daily searched for mallow, asparagus, and other wild plants. wild vine--literally, "the vine of the field," supposed to be the colocynth, a cucumber, which, in its leaves, tendrils, and fruit, bears a strong resemblance to the wild vine. The "gourds," or fruit, are of the color…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 4:39
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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