2 Kings 4:3
in 2 Kings 4“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
KJV
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
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This verse in 2 Kings 4
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThen he said, go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours,.... For he perceived that she had none: even empty vessels; which they might more readily lend her: borrow not a few; but as many as she could get; the prophet, under a divine impulse, was directed to say this to her, foreseeing, by a spirit of prophecy, that a large quantity of oil would be given her.
This site's exposition
the creditor is come to take
on 2 Kings 4:1-3
A widow of the prophetic guild that runs back to Samuel's company at Ramah (1 Sam 19:20) cries for her two sons about to be taken as bondmen under the debt-servitude law of Lev 25:39. Elisha's remedy begins the way his master's did at Zarephath, asking the poorest woman in the room what she still has rather than what she lacks (1 Ki 17:12). The borrowing itself is the woman's own labor: empty vessels, not a few, set the size of the miracle before any oil is poured.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Notice, dearly beloved: as long as that widow had oil in her own vessel, it was not enough for her, and she could not pay her debt. It is true, brothers. If a person loves only himself, he does not suffice for himself, and he …
Here the Scripture relates the other miracle that Elisha performed in order to help the widow. He made flow into the vessels an amount of oil sufficient to pay the debt of her husband and abundantly multiplied it for the nourishment of her children.From the …
Let us now consider what blessed Elisha said to her: "Borrow many vessels of your neighbors and your friends, shut your door, and pour out of that oil into the vessels of your neighbors." Who were those neighbors, except the Gentiles? Although that widow typified …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
She must shut the door, to prevent interruptions from the creditors, and others while it was in the doing, that they might not seem proudly to boast of this miraculous supply, and that they might have opportunity for prayer and praise to God upon this extraordinary occasion. Observe, (1.) The oil was to be multiplied in the pouring, as the other widow's meal in the spending.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
This comprising her whole stock of domestic utensils, he directs her to borrow empty vessels not a few; then, secluding herself with her children, [the widow] was to pour oil from her cruse into the borrowed vessels, and, selling the oil, discharge the debt, and then maintain herself and family with the remainder.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
IT is needful that we read the whole story—"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the Prophets unto 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 unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has not anything in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow vessels abroad of all your neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when you are come in, you shall shut the door upon you and upon your sons and shall pour out into all those vessels and you shall set aside that which is full. "So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her. And she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her sons, Bring me yet a vessel. And they said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil and pay your debt and live, you and your children on the rest." The best of men may die in poverty—here is the widow of a Prophet left in destitution. We must not hastily censure those who leave their families unprovided for—circumstances may have rendered it impossible for the breadwinner to do more than supply the pressing wants of the hour. Yet assuredly it is sad to see the widow of so worthy a man in such straits! A widow, and especially the widow of a Prophet of the Lord—our concern for her is tender.
IT is needful that we read the whole story—"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the Prophets unto 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 unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְכִ֨י | lekhi | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| שַׁאֲלִי־ | shaali- | ask | H7592 → | 171 times |
| לָ֤ךְ | lakh | for yourself | ||
| כֵּלִים֙ | kelim | vessels | H3627 → | 325 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַח֔וּץ | hachutz | the outside | H2351 → | 164 times |
| מֵאֵ֖ת | meet | from with | H854 → | 929 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׁכֵנָ֑יִךְ | shikhnikhe | neighbors your | H7934 → | |
| כֵּלִ֥ים | kelim | vessels | H3627 → | 325 times |
| רֵקִ֖ים | rekim | empty | H7386 → | |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּמְעִֽיטִי׃ | tamiti | you make few | H4591 → |
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לְכִ֨יgo
lekhiH1980 →1546 times
שַׁאֲלִי־ask
shaali-H7592 →171 times
לָ֤ךְfor yourself
lakh
כֵּלִים֙vessels
kelimH3627 →325 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַח֔וּץthe outside
hachutzH2351 →164 times
מֵאֵ֖תfrom with
meetH854 →929 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שְׁכֵנָ֑יִךְneighbors your
shikhnikheH7934 →
כֵּלִ֥יםvessels
kelimH3627 →325 times
רֵקִ֖יםempty
rekimH7386 →
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּמְעִֽיטִי׃you make few
tamitiH4591 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 16:24Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
it leads to
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- James 4:2–3
You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.
- John 15:11
I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Through
Psalms 81:10I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
it leads to
- John 15:7
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
- Psalms 107:9
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
- Exodus 20:2
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- John 7:37
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
- John 15:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 128.3; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 128.2; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2063: “The Filling of Empty Vessels” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 4:3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.