Deep Dive

II Kings 4:7

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She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 7

Great service Elisha had done, in he 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, Ecc 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. I. He multiplied the poor widow's oil (Kg2 4:1-7). II. He obtained for the good Shunammite the blessing of a son in her old age (Kg2 4:8-17). III. He raised that child to life when it was dead (Kg2 4:18-27). IV. He healed the deadly pottage (Kg2 4:38-41). V. He fed 100 men with twenty small loaves (Kg2 4:42-44).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 7

בּוֹא (bôwʼ, H935) — to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) נָגַד (nâgad, H5046) — properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to… אִישׁ (ʼîysh, H376) — a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term… אֱלֹהִים (ʼĕlôhîym, H430) — gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with… אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) יָלַךְ (yâlak, H3212) — to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses) מָכַר (mâkar, H4376) — to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or… שֶׁמֶן (shemen, H8081) — grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness שָׁלַם (shâlam, H7999) — to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed;… נְשִׁי (nᵉshîy, H5386) — a debt חָיָה (châyâh, H2421) — to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive בֵּן (bên, H1121) — a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative… יָתַר (yâthar, H3498) — to jut over or exceed; by implication, to excel; (intransitively) to remain or be left;…

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Philippians 4:8rank 1

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

Psalms 37:21rank 1

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.

Romans 12:17rank 1

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

I Kings 12:22rank 1

But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

I Thessalonians 4:12rank 0

Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

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