2 Kings 4:38

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 ¹  and he told his servant, “Put the big pot on the fire ²  and boil some stew for the prophets.” ³ 

2 Kings 7:4

7:4 If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation, ⁴  and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect ⁵  to the Syrian camp! If they spare us, ⁶  we’ll live; if they kill us – well, we were going to die anyway.” ⁷ 

[4:38]  ¹ tn Heb “the sons of the prophets were sitting before him.”

[4:38]  ² tn The words “the fire” are added for clarification.

[4:38]  ³ tn Heb “sons of the prophets.”

[7:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city and we will die there.”

[7:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “fall.”

[7:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “keep us alive.”

[7:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “we will die.” The paraphrastic translation attempts to bring out the logical force of their reasoning.