2 Kings 4:42

42 Forsooth some man came from Baalshalisha, and bare to the man of God loaves of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and thing made of corns, in his scrip. And the man of God said, Give thou to the people, that it eat. (And some man came from Baalshalisha, and brought in his bag, to the man of God, loaves of the first fruits, yea, twenty barley loaves, and some full ears of corn. And the man of God said, Give thou to the people, so that they can eat.)

2 Kings 4:42 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 4:42

And there came a man from Baalshalisha
Of which place (See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:4), the Targum is, from the south country:

and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of
barley;
so that it was now barley harvest, and this the first fruits of it, which, according to the law, ( Leviticus 23:10 ) , was to be brought to the priest; but being forbid in the land of Israel going up to Jerusalem, religious men brought their firstfruits to the prophets, and here to Elisha, the father of them; believing it would be dispensed with, and acceptable, since they were not allowed to carry them to the proper person; and in this time of famine was very agreeable to the man of God, supposing it only a present:

and full ears of corn in the husk thereof;
these were green ears of corn, which they used to parch; but might not be eaten until the firstfruits were offered, and then they might, ( Leviticus 23:14 ) , the Targum renders it, "in his garment", in the skirt of his clothes; and to the same purpose are the Syriac and Arabic versions; and so Jarchi interprets it; and Ben Gersom says, it signifies some vessel in which he brought them:

and he said, give unto the people, that they may eat;
Elisha did not reserve this offering or present for himself, but, as he had freely received, he freely gave.

2 Kings 4:42 In-Context

40 Therefore they poured in to fellows to eat; and when they had tasted of the seething, they cried out, and said, Death is in the pot! death is in the pot! thou man of God. And they might not eat it. (And so they poured it out for the fellows to eat; but when they had tasted the broth, or the stew, they cried out, and said, Death is in the pot! death is in the pot, O man of God! And they could not eat it.)

41 And he said, Bring ye meal. And when they had brought, he put it into the pot, and said, Pour ye out to the company, that they eat; and anything of bitterness was no more in the pot. (And he said, Bring ye some meal. And when they had brought it, he put it into the pot, and said, Pour ye it out for the group, so that everyone can eat some; and there was no longer anything of bitterness in the pot.)

42 Forsooth some man came from Baalshalisha, and bare to the man of God loaves of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and thing made of corns, in his scrip. And the man of God said, Give thou to the people, that it eat. (And some man came from Baalshalisha, and brought in his bag, to the man of God, loaves of the first fruits, yea, twenty barley loaves, and some full ears of corn. And the man of God said, Give thou to the people, so that they can eat.)

43 And his servant answered to him, What is this, that I set before an hundred men? Again Elisha said, Give thou to the people, that it eat; for the Lord saith these things, They shall eat, and there shall leave [over]. (And his servant answered to him, This is not enough to put before a hundred men! But again Elisha said, Give thou to the people, so that they can eat; for the Lord saith these things, They shall eat, and there shall be some left over.)

44 Then he put before them, the which ate; and there (was) left (some) meat, after the word of the Lord. (Then he put it before them, and they ate; and indeed, there was some food left over, according to the word of the Lord.)