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Texts -- 2 Kings 4:38-44 (NET)

Context
Elisha Makes a Meal Edible
4:38 Now Elisha went back to Gilgal , while there was famine in the land . Some of the prophets were visiting him and he told his servant , “Put the big pot on the fire and boil some stew for the prophets .” 4:39 Someone went out to the field to gather some herbs and found a wild vine . He picked some of its fruit , enough to fill up the fold of his robe . He came back , cut it up , and threw the slices into the stew pot , not knowing they were harmful. 4:40 The stew was poured out for the men to eat . When they ate some of the stew , they cried out , “Death is in the pot , O prophet !” They could not eat it. 4:41 He said , “Get some flour .” Then he threw it into the pot and said , “Now pour some out for the men so they may eat .” There was no longer anything harmful in the pot .
Elisha Miraculously Feeds a Hundred People
4:42 Now a man from Baal Shalisha brought some food for the prophet – twenty loaves of bread made from the firstfruits of the barley harvest, as well as fresh ears of grain . Elisha said , “Set it before the people so they may eat .” 4:43 But his attendant said , “How can I feed a hundred men with this ?” He replied , “Set it before the people so they may eat , for this is what the Lord says , ‘They will eat and have some left over .’” 4:44 So he set it before them; they ate and had some left over , just as the Lord predicted .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Elisha

    [ebd] God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his successor (1 Kings 19:16). ...
    [isbe] ELISHA - e-li'-sha 'elisha`, "God is salvalion"; Septuagint Eleisaie; New Testament Elisaios, Eliseus, (Lk 4:27 the King James Version)): I. HIS CALL AND PREPARATION 1. His Call 2. His Preparation 3. The Parting Gift of Elij...
    [smith] (God his salvation), son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah; the attendant and disciple of Elijan, and subsequently his successor as prophet of the kingdom of Israel. The earliest mention of his name is in the command to Elijah in th...
    [nave] ELISHA, successor to the prophet Elijah. Elijah instructed to anoint, 1 Kin. 19:16. Called by Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:19. Ministers to Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:21. Witnesses Elijah's translation, receives a double portion of his spirit...

  • Shunem

    [isbe] SHUNEM - shoo'-nem (shunem; Codex Vaticanus Sounan; Codex Alexandrinus Sounam): A town in the territory of Issachar named with Jezreel and Chesulloth (Josh 19:18). Before the battle of Gilboa the Philistines pitched their ca...
    [nave] SHUNEM A city allotted to the tribe of Issachar, Josh. 19:18. Elisha dwells at, with the Shunammite, 2 Kin. 4. A young woman found in, to nourish David, 1 Kin. 1:3.

  • JEHOAHAZ

    [isbe] JEHOAHAZ - je-ho'-a-haz, je-ho-a'-haz (yeho'achaz, "Yah has grasped"; Ioachas; 2 Ki 13:1-9): (1) Son of Jehu, and 11th king of Israel. He is stated to have reigned 17 years. 1. Chronology of Reign: Josephus was already aware...

  • Miracles

    [nave] MIRACLES. Index of Sub-topics Catalog of, and Supernatural Events, Of Jesus, in Chronological Order, Of the Disciples of Jesus; Convincing Effect of; Design of; Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Miscellany of Minor Sub-...

  • JEHORAM; JORAM

    [isbe] JEHORAM; JORAM - je-ho'-ram, written also in the abbreviated form, (yehoram, yoram, "Yahweh is high"; the Revised Version (British and American) retains "Joram" for Hebrew yehoram in 2 Ki 9:15-24): (1) Ninth king of Israel (...

  • IMAGES

    [isbe] IMAGES - im'-aj-iz (tselem; eikon): 1. Definition 2. Origin 3. Historical Beginnings and Early Developments 4. Bible References and Palestinian Customs 5. Most Important Technical Terms (1) Matstsebhah ("pillar") (2) 'Ashera...

  • DANIEL, BOOK OF

    [isbe] DANIEL, BOOK OF - dan'-yel: I. NAME II. PLACE IN THE CANON III. DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK IV. LANGUAGES V. PURPOSE OF THE BOOK VI. UNITY VII. GENUINENESS 1. The Predictions 2. The Miracles 3. The Text 4. The Language 5. The Hist...

  • Gilgal

    [ebd] rolling. (1.) From the solemn transaction of the reading of the law in the valley of Shechem between Ebal and Gerizim the Israelites moved forward to Gilgal, and there made a permanent camp (Josh. 9:6; 10:6). It was "beside ...
    [isbe] GILGAL - gil'-gal (gilgal, "circle"; Galgala): The article is always with the name except in Josh 5:9. There are three places to which the name is attached: (1) The first camp of Israel after crossing the Jordan (Josh 4:19; ...
    [smith] (a wheel; rolling). The site of the first camp of the Israelites on the west of the Jordan, the place at which they passed the first night after crossing the river, and where the twelve stones were set up which had been take...
    [nave] GILGAL 1. Place of the first encampment of the Israelites W. of the Jordan, Josh. 4:19; 9:6; 10:6, 43; 14:6. Monument erected in, to commemorate the passage of the Jordan by the children of Israel, Josh. 4:19-24. Circumcis...

  • PROPHET

    [ebd] (Heb. nabi, from a root meaning "to bubble forth, as from a fountain," hence "to utter", comp. Ps. 45:1). This Hebrew word is the first and the most generally used for a prophet. In the time of Samuel another word, ro'eh, "s...
    [smith] The ordinary Hebrew word for prophet is nabi , derived from a verb signifying "to bubble forth" like a fountain; hence the word means one who announces or pours forth the declarations of God. The English word comes from the G...

  • Gourd

    [ebd] (1.) Jonah's gourd (Jonah 4:6-10), bearing the Hebrew name kikayon (found only here), was probably the kiki of the Egyptians, the croton. This is the castor-oil plant, a species of ricinus, the palma Christi, so called from ...
    [smith] Kikayan only in (Jonah 4:6-10) The plant which is intended by this word, and which afforded shade to the prophet Jonah before Nineveh, is the Ricinus commnunis , or castor-oil plant, which, a native of Asia, is now naturaliz...
    [nave] GOURD Jonah's, believed to be a vine resembling the American squash, used in Assyria to cover booths, Jonah 4:6-10. The wild gourd mentioned 2 Kin. 4:39 is supposed to be a plant in appearance like the cucumber.

  • FOOD

    [ebd] Originally the Creator granted the use of the vegetable world for food to man (Gen. 1:29), with the exception mentioned (2:17). The use of animal food was probably not unknown to the antediluvians. There is, however, a disti...
    [isbe] FOOD - food: I. VEGETABLE FOODS 1. Primitive Habits 2. Cereals 3. Leguminous Plants 4. Food of Trees II. ANIMAL FOOD LITERATURE In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for...

  • Minister

    [ebd] one who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Ex. 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name i...
    [smith] This term is used in the Authorized Version to describe various officials of a religious and civil character. Its meaning, as distinguished from servant, is a voluntary attendant on another. In the Old Testament it is applied...
    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • BARLEY

    [ebd] a grain much cultivated in Egypt (Ex. 9:31) and in Palestine (Lev. 27:16; Deut. 8:8). It was usually the food of horses (1 Kings 4:28). Barley bread was used by the poorer people (Judg. 7:13; 2 Kings 4:42). Barley of the fir...
    [isbe] BARLEY - bar'-li (se`orah): (1) In the Bible, as in modern times, barley was a characteristic product of Palestine--"a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees," etc. (Dt 8:8), the failure of whose crop was a nation...
    [smith] is one of the most important of the cereal grains, and the most hardy of them all. It was grown by the Hebrews, (Leviticus 27:16; 8:8; Ruth 2:17) etc., who used it for baking into bread chiefly among the poor, (Judges 7:13; 2...

  • Firstfruits

    [smith] The law ordered in general that the first of all ripe fruits and of liquors, or, as it is twice expressed, the first of first-fruits, should be offered in God?s house. (Exodus 22:29; 23:19; 34:27) It was an act of allegiance...
    [nave] FIRSTFRUITS First ripe of fruits, grain, oil, wine, and first of fleece, required as an offering, Ex. 22:29; Lev. 2:12-16; Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4; 2 Chr. 31:5; Neh. 10:35, 37, 39; Prov. 3:9; Jer. 2:3; Rom. 11:16. Offerings ...

  • MEALS, MEAL-TIME

    [isbe] MEALS, MEAL-TIME - melz: Bread materials, bread-making and baking in the Orient are dealt with under BREAD (which see). For food-stuffs in use among the Hebrews in Bible times more specifically see FOOD. This article aims to...

  • HERB

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. 'eseb, any green plant; herbage (Gen. 1:11, 12, 29, 30; 2:5; 3:18, etc.); comprehending vegetables and all green herbage (Amos 7:1, 2). (2.) Yarak, green; any green thing; foliage of trees (2 Kings 19:26; Ps. 37:2)...
    [isbe] HERB - hurb, urb: (1) yaraq, "green thing" (Ex 10:15; Isa 15:6); a garden of herbs" (Dt 11:10; 1 Ki 21:2); "(a dinner, the margin portion of) herbs" (Prov 15:17). (2) `esebh; compare Arabic `ushb, "herbage," "grass," etc.; "...

  • Prophets

    [nave] PROPHETS Called Seers, 1 Sam. 9:19; 2 Sam. 15:27; 24:11; 2 Kin. 17:13; 1 Chr. 9:22; 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 29:30; Isa. 30:10; Mic. 3:7. Schools of, 1 Kin. 20:35; 2 Kin. 2:3-15; 4:1, 38; 9:1. Kept the chronicles, 1 Chr....

  • BAAL

    [smith] geographical. This word occurs as the prefix or suffix to the names of several places in Palestine, some of which are as follows: BAAL a town of Simeon, named only in (1 Chronicles 4:33) which from the parallel list in (J...

  • Husk

    [ebd] In Num. 6:4 (Heb. zag) it means the "skin" of a grape. In 2 Kings 4:42 (Heb. tsiqlon) it means a "sack" for grain, as rendered in the Revised Version. In Luke 15:16, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, it designates the bean...
    [nave] HUSK, a pod, Num. 6:4; 2 Kin. 4:42. Eaten by the prodigal son, Luke 15:16.

  • VINE

    [isbe] VINE - vin: 1. Hebrew Words: (1) gephen, usually the cultivated grape vine. In Nu 6:4; Jdg 13:14 we have gephen ha-yayin, literally, "vine of wine," translated "grape vine" (Numbers) and "vine," margin "grape vine" (Jgs); 2 ...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The point of this section is the importance of maintaining purity in the marriage relationship to preserve God's blessing on Israel.In verses 11-15 the writer explained the first steps an Israelite man who suspected his wife ...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Kings)3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:184. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1-8:155. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-246. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25-9:29C. The ...
  • The Gilgal in view may have been the one between Jericho and the Jordan, or it may have been one about seven miles north of Bethel since Elijah and Elisha went down to Bethel (v. 2).10This account presupposes previous revelat...
  • God again disciplined Israel by withholding fertility from the land and producing a famine (v. 38). The people were not only hungry for bread but also for what would truly satisfy their spiritual hunger, namely, the Word of G...
  • Archaeologists debate the site of Baal-salishah. In obedience to the Mosaic Law the man in view brought Elisha his offering of first-fruits to honor God by giving this offering to His servants (Num. 18:13; Deut. 18:4). This s...
  • Several details in this incident hinge on timing that God supernaturally controlled to bring blessing on the woman as God had promised. God directed her away from the famine before it came on Israel for the nation's apostasy ...
  • Hazael was the governor of Damascus.50The Gentile King of Aram had more interest in inquiring of Yahweh than Jehoram's predecessor did (v. 8; cf. 1:2). It was customary in the Near East to make a great show of giving gifts. I...
  • Jehoash (Joash) had respect and affection for Elisha. He anticipated the loss that the death of God's spiritual warrior would be to Israel (v. 14). He recognized that Israel's real defense lay in Yahweh's angelic army and in ...
  • 7:14 Amos replied that he was not a prophet by his own choosing; he did not decide to pursue prophesying as a career. Neither had he become a prophet because his father had been one. In Amos' culture it was common and expecte...
  • The title of the book is the name of its writer.All we know for sure about Habakkuk was that he was a prophet who lived during the pre-exilic period of Israel's history.1The meaning of his name is questionable. It may come fr...
  • Matthew's record of this miracle, which all four Gospels contain, stresses Jesus' power to create, His compassion, and the disciples' responsibility to minister to multitudes as Jesus' representatives. It also previews the ki...
  • Jesus had previously fed 5,000 men, but that was near the northeast coast of Galilee, where the people were Jews (14:13-21). Now He fed 4,000 men on the east coast of Galilee, where the people were mainly Gentiles.15:32-33 Ma...
  • This is one of the sections of Mark's Gospel that has a chiastic structure (cf. 3:22-30; 6:14-29; 11:15-19).A The appeal of Jairus for his daughter 5:21-24B The healing of the woman with the hemorrhage 5:25-34A' The raising o...
  • This is the only miracle that all four evangelists recorded. It is important because it is the climax of Jesus' miracles that authenticated His person as divine (cf. Ps. 146:7). It was perhaps the most forceful demonstration ...
  • The importance of this sign is clear in that all four Gospels contain an account of it. Apparently John was familiar with the other evangelists' versions of this miracle as well as being an eyewitness of the event. His story ...
  • "John evidently wants us to see that the activity of Jesus as the Light of the world inevitably results in judgment on those whose natural habitat is darkness. They oppose the Light and they bring down condemnation on themsel...
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