6 And it came to pass, when the vessels H3627 were full, H4390 that she said H559 unto her son, H1121 Bring H5066 me yet a vessel. H3627 And he said H559 unto her, There is not a vessel H3627 more. And the oil H8081 stayed. H5975
And G2532 they did G5315 all G3956 eat, G5315 and G2532 were filled: G5526 and G2532 they took up G142 of the fragments G2801 that remained G4052 twelve G1427 baskets G2894 full. G4134
And the manna H4478 ceased H7673 on the morrow H4283 after they had eaten H398 of the old corn H5669 of the land; H776 neither had the children H1121 of Israel H3478 manna H4478 any more; but they did eat H398 of the fruit H8393 of the land H776 of Canaan H3667 that year. H8141
And his servitor H8334 said, H559 What, should I set H5414 this before H6440 an hundred H3967 men? H376 He said again, H559 Give H5414 the people, H5971 that they may eat: H398 for thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 They shall eat, H398 and shall leave H3498 thereof. So he set H5414 it before H6440 them, and they did eat, H398 and left H3498 thereof, according to the word H1697 of the LORD. H3068
And the man H376 of God H430 was wroth H7107 with him, and said, H559 Thou shouldest have smitten H5221 five H2568 or six H8337 times; H6471 then hadst thou smitten H5221 Syria H758 till thou hadst consumed H3615 it: whereas now thou shalt smite H5221 Syria H758 but thrice. H7969 H6471
And he stood H5975 before H6440 the altar H4196 of the LORD H3068 in the presence of all the congregation H6951 of Israel, H3478 and spread forth H6566 his hands: H3709 For Solomon H8010 had made H6213 a brasen H5178 scaffold, H3595 of five H2568 cubits H520 long, H753 and five H2568 cubits H520 broad, H7341 and three H7969 cubits H520 high, H6967 and had set H5414 it in the midst H8432 of the court: H5835 and upon it he stood, H5975 and kneeled down H1288 upon his knees H1290 before all the congregation H6951 of Israel, H3478 and spread forth H6566 his hands H3709 toward heaven, H8064
Then G5119 touched he G680 their G846 eyes, G3788 saying, G3004 According G2596 to your G5216 faith G4102 be it G1096 unto you. G5213
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Kings 4
Commentary on 2 Kings 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
Great service Elisha had done, in the foregoing chapter, for the three kings: to his prayers and prophecies they owed their lives and triumphs. One would have expected that the next chapter would tell us what honours and what dignities were conferred on Elisha for this, that he should immediately be preferred at court, and made prime-minister of state, that Jehoshaphat should take him home with him, and advance him in his kingdom. No, the wise man delivered the army, but no man remembered the wise man, Eccl. 9:15. Or, if he had preferment offered him, he declined it: he preferred the honour of doing good in the schools of the prophets before that of being great in the courts of princes. God magnified him, and that sufficed him-magnified him indeed, for we have him here employed in working no fewer than five miracles.
2Ki 4:1-7
Elisha's miracles were for use, not for show; this recorded here was an act of real charity. Such also were the miracles of Christ, not only great wonders, but great favours to those for whom they were wrought. God magnifies his goodness with his power.
2Ki 4:8-17
The giving of a son to such as were old, and had been long childless, was an ancient instance of the divine power and favour, in the case of Abraham, and Isaac, and Manoah, and Elkanah; we find it here among the wonders wrought by Elisha. This was wrought in recompence for the kind entertainment which a good woman gave him, as the promise of a son was given to Abraham when he entertained angels. Observe here,
2Ki 4:18-37
We may well suppose that, after the birth of this son, the prophet was doubly welcome to the good Shunammite. He had thought himself indebted to her, but henceforth, as long as she lives, she will think herself in his debt, and that she can never do too much for him. We may also suppose that the child was very dear to the prophet, as the son of his prayers, and very dear to the parents, as the son of their old age. But here is,
2Ki 4:38-44
We have here Elisha in his place, in his element, among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them; and happy it was for them that they had one over them who naturally cared for their state, under whom they were well fed and well taught. There was a dearth in the land, for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein, the same that we read of, ch. 8:1. It continued seven years, just as long again as that in Elijah's time. A famine of bread there was, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom, who were taught, that they might teach others. Two instances we have here of the care he took about their meat. Christ twice fed those to whom he preached. Elisha was in the more care about it now because of the dearth, that the sons of the prophets might not be ashamed in this evil time, but, even in the days of famine, might be satisfied, Ps. 37:19.