2 Kings 4

2 Kings · Chapter 4

2 Kings 4:4

1Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.2And 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.3Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.4And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.5So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.6And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.7Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.8And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.11And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there.12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.18And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.22And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.23And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.24Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.25So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:26Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.27And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him by the feet: but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone; for her soul is vexed within her: and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me.28Then she said, Did I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me?29Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.30And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.31And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.32And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.34And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.35Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.38And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.39And 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.40So 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.41But 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.42And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.43And 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.44So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
4And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and you will goוּבָ֗אתu-VATH0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

and you will shutוְסָגַ֤רְתְּve-sa-GARTH5462
to shut

סָגַר (sa.gar) 1) to shut, close 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to shut 1a2) to close, close up 1a3) closed up, closely joined, shut up 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be shut up 1b2) to be shut or closed 1c) (Piel) to shut up, deliver up 1d) (Pual) to be shut up 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to deliver up 1e2) to shut up, imprison 2) pure gold Aramaic equivalent: se.gar (סְגַר "to shut" H5463)

the doorהַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ha-DE-letH1817C
door

דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) 1) door, gate 1a) a door 1b) a gate 1c) (fig.) 1c1) of chest lid 1c2) of crocodile jaws 1c3) of doors of the heavens 1c4) of an easily-accessible woman

behind youבַּעֲדֵ֣ךְba-'a-DEKHH1157
about/through/for

בַּ֫עַד (be.ad) 1) behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about 1a) through (of action) 1b) behind (with verbs of shutting) 1c) about (with verbs of fencing) 1d) on behalf of (metaph. especially with Hithpael)

and behindוּבְעַד־u-ve-'ad-H1157
about/through/for

בַּ֫עַד (be.ad) 1) behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about 1a) through (of action) 1b) behind (with verbs of shutting) 1c) about (with verbs of fencing) 1d) on behalf of (metaph. especially with Hithpael)

children yourבָּנַ֔יִךְba-NA-yikhH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

and you will pour outוְיָצַ֕קְתְּve-ya-TZAKTH3332G
to pour: pour

יָצַק (ya.tsaq) : pour 1) to pour, flow, cast, pour out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pour, pour out 1a2) to cast 1a3) to flow 1b) (Hiphil) to pour, pour out 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be poured 1c2) cast, molten (participle) 1c3) being firmly established (participle)

onעַ֥ל'alH5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

allכָּל־kol-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the vesselsהַכֵּלִ֖יםha-ke-LIMH3627
article/utensil

כְּלִי (ke.li) 1) article, vessel, implement, utensil 1a) article, object (general) 1b) utensil, implement, apparatus, vessel 1b1) implement (of hunting or war) 1b2) implement (of music) 1b3) implement, tool (of labour) 1b4) equipment, yoke (of oxen) 1b5) utensils, furniture 1c) vessel, receptacle (general) 1d) vessels (boats) of paper-reed

the theseהָאֵ֑לֶּהha-'E-lehH0428
these

אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)

and the full [one]וְהַמָּלֵ֖אve-ha-ma-LE'H4392
full

מָלֵא (ma.le) 1) full, fulness, that which fills 1a) fully (adv)

you will set asideתַּסִּֽיעִי׃ta-SI-'iH5265
to set out

נָסַע (na.sa) 1) to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pull out or up 1a2) to set out, depart 1a3) to journey, march 1a4) to set forth (of wind) 1b) (Niphal) to be pulled up, be removed, be plucked up 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to set out, lead out, cause to spring up 1c2) to remove, quarry

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.