2 Kings 4:2

Contextual Overview

¹One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the Lord. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.” ¹ Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets to Elisha, saying, Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take to him my two children to be bondservants. ¹ Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord : and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. ¹ Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord , but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." 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!" ¹ Now a wife of one of the prophets appealed to Elisha for help, saying, "Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord . Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants." ¹Now one of the wives of a man of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha [for help], saying "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant [reverently] feared the LORD; but the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves [in payment for a loan]." ¹ Now a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." ¹ And one of the wiues of the sonnes of the Prophets cryed vnto Elisha, saying, Thy seruant mine husbande is dead, and thou knowest, that thy seruant did feare the Lord: and the creditour is come to take my two sonnes to bee his bondmen. ¹Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared Yahweh; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What shall I: 2 Kings 2:9, 2 Kings 6:26, 2 Kings 6:27, Matthew 15:34, John 6:5-7, Acts 3:6, 2 Corinthians 6:10

save a pot of oil: 1 Kings 17:12, James 2:5

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 17:14 - The barrel of meal Proverbs 18:23 - poor Mark 8:8 - they took John 2:7 - Fill John 6:13 - and filled

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of `Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
And Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God forced Adam out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.

Genesis 3:23
therefore the LORD God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
therefore the LORD God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
Therefore the Lord God sent him foorth from the garden of Eden, to till ye earth, whence he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
therefore Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent them out of the Garden of Eden, where they would have to work the ground from which the man had been made.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Elisha said unto her, what shall I do for thee?.... Or can I do, being poor himself, and unable to relieve her out of his substance, and not knowing where to get anything for her; and so what could she expect from him? signifying, that he pitied her case, but all that he could do was to give her his best advice, and pray for her:

tell me what thou hast in thy house? that she could part with and dispose of, in order to pay her debt; and satisfy her creditor:

and she said, thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil; that is, nothing of any value; she might have some things, some sort of household goods, though perhaps she had parted with most of them in her poverty; this was the most valuable thing she had.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A pot of oil - Or, “an anointing of oil” - so much oil, i. e., as would serve me for one anointing of my person. The word used occurs only in this passage.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 4:2. Save a pot of oil. — Oil was used as aliment, for anointing the body after bathing, and to anoint the dead. Some think that this pot of oil was what this widow had kept for her burial: see Matthew 26:12.