2 Kings 4:38

Miracles with food

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. A group of prophets was sitting before him. He said to his servant, "Put on the big pot and cook some stew for the prophets."

2 Kings 4:38 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:38

And Elisha came again to Gilgal
Where he was with Elijah a little before his assumption to heaven, ( 2 Kings 2:1 ) and whither he went, there being a school of the prophets, as he did to all places where there were any, and where he had been before with Elijah; partly to instruct, encourage, and strengthen them, and partly to confirm his office as a prophet by miracles, which he did in several places he came to:

and there was a dearth in the land;
a famine through drought:

and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him:
as disciples before their master, see ( Acts 22:3 )

and he said unto his servant;
very probably Gehazi:

set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets;
who seemed to have lived together in one house or college, and to be to the number of one hundred, see ( 2 Kings 4:43 ) and therefore required to have a large pot set on to boil pottage for them all.

2 Kings 4:38 In-Context

36 Elisha called for Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite woman." Gehazi called her, and she came to Elisha. He told her, "Pick up your son."

37 She came and fell at his feet, facedown on the ground. Then she picked up her son and left.

38 When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. A group of prophets was sitting before him. He said to his servant, "Put on the big pot and cook some stew for the prophets."

39 So one of them went out to the field to gather plants; he found a wild vine and gathered wild gourds from it, filling his garment. He came and cut them up into the pot of stew, but no one knew what they were.

40 The stew was served to the men, but as they started to eat it, they cried out and said, "There is death in that pot, man of God!" They couldn't eat it.