2 Kings 4:1-6

1 The wife of a man from the groups of prophets said to Elisha, "Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know he honored the Lord. But now the man he owes money to is coming to take my two boys as his slaves!"

2 Elisha answered, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" The woman said, "I don't have anything there except a pot of oil."

3 Then Elisha said, "Go and get empty jars from all your neighbors. Don't ask for just a few.

4 Then go into your house and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and set the full ones aside."

5 So she left Elisha and shut the door behind her and her sons. As they brought the jars to her, she poured out the oil.

6 When the jars were all full, she said to her son, "Bring me another jar." But he said, "There are no more jars." Then the oil stopped flowing.

2 Kings 4:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 4

This chapter treats of the miracles of Elisha, of his multiplying a poor widow's pot of oil for the payment of her husband's debts, 2Ki 4:1-7 of obtaining a son for a Shunamitish woman, who had been very hospitable to him, 2Ki 4:8-17, of his raising up her son to life when dead, 2Ki 4:18-37, of his curing the deadly pottage made of wild gourds, 2Ki 4:38-41, and of his feeding one hundred men with twenty barley loaves, 2Ki 4:42-44.