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Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

2 Kings 4:2

And Elisha said unto her - What shall I do for thee? tell me what thou, hast, in the house. And she said - Thy maid-servant hath, nothing at all, in the house, save a flask of oil.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Debtor;   Elisha;   Miracles;   Oil;   Poor;   Readings, Select;   Servant;   Widow;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Elisha;   Home;   Human;   Limitations, Human;   Limited Resources;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Miracles Wrought through Servants of God;   Oil;   Poor, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Miracle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Miracle;   Orphan;   Poor and Poverty, Theology of;   Widow;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Preaching;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Elijah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Oil;   Pottery in Bible Times;   Sons of the Prophets;   Vessels and Utensils;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Debt;   Marriage;   Medicine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Feeding the Multitudes;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Gehazi;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Pot;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Oil;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Preaching;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Debt;   Elisha;   Handmaid;   Oil;   Pot;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Slaves and Slavery;  

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? tell me; what do you have in the house? And she said, Your slave doesn't have anything in the house, save a pot of oil.
New Living Translation
"What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied.
English Revised Version
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
New Century Version
Elisha answered, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" The woman said, "I don't have anything there except a pot of oil."
New English Translation
Elisha said to her, "What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" She answered, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil."
Webster's Bible Translation
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
World English Bible
Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? tell me; what have you in the house? She said, Your handmaid has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.
Amplified Bible
Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have [of value] in the house?" She said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a [small] jar of [olive] oil."
English Standard Version
And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom Elisee seide, What wolt thou that Y do to thee? seie thou to me, what hast thou in thin hows? And she answeride, Y thin handmayde haue not ony thing in myn hows, no but a litil of oile, bi which Y schal be anoyntid.
Berean Standard Bible
"How can I help you?" asked Elisha. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" She answered, "Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil."
Contemporary English Version
"Maybe there's something I can do to help," Elisha said. "What do you have in your house?" "Sir, I have nothing but a small bottle of olive oil."
American Standard Version
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.
Bible in Basic English
Then Elisha said to her, What am I to do for you? say now, what have you in the house? And she said, Your servant has nothing in the house but a pot of oil.
Complete Jewish Bible
Elisha asked her, "What should I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" She answered, "Your servant has nothing in the house but a flask of oil."
Darby Translation
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything at all in the house but a pot of oil.
Easy-to-Read Version
Elisha answered, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" The woman said, "I don't have anything in the house except a jar of olive oil."
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Elisha said unto her: 'What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house?' And she said: 'Thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.'
King James Version (1611)
And Elisha said vnto her, What shall I doe for thee? Tell mee, what hast thou in the house? And shee sayd, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, saue a pot of oyle.
New Life Bible
Elisha said to her, "What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your woman servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
New Revised Standard
Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" She answered, "Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Elisha saide vnto her, What shall I do for thee? tell mee, what hast thou at home? And she sayd, Thine handmayd hath nothing at home, saue a pitcher of oyle.
George Lamsa Translation
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? Tell me, what have you in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has nothing in the house except a pot of oil.
Good News Translation
"What shall I do for you?" he asked. "Tell me, what do you have at home?" "Nothing at all, except a small jar of olive oil," she answered.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Eliseus said to her: What wilt thou have me do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in thy house? And she answered: I, thy handmaid, have nothing in my house but a little oil, to anoint me.
Revised Standard Version
And Eli'sha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil."
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Elisa saide vnto her: Tell me what I shall do for thee? What hast thou in thyne house? She saide: Thyne handemayde hath nothing at all in the house, saue a pitcher with oyle.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie said, What shall I do for thee? tell me what thou hast in the house. And she said, Thy servant has nothing in the house, except oil wherewith I anoint myself.
Christian Standard Bible®
Elisha asked her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
Hebrew Names Version
Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? tell me; what have you in the house? She said, Your handmaid has nothing in the house, except a pot of oil.
King James Version
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Lexham English Bible
Elisha asked her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" Then she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of olive oil."
Literal Translation
And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for you? Tell me. What do you have in the house? And she said, Your handmaid has nothing in the house except a pot of oil.
Young's Literal Translation
And Elisha saith unto her, `What do I do for thee? declare to me, what hast thou in the house?' and she saith, `Thy maid-servant hath nothing in the house except a pot of oil.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Eliseus sayde vnto her: What shal I do for the? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? She sayde: Thy handmayden hath nothinge in the house but a pitcher wt oyle.
THE MESSAGE
Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil."
New American Standard Bible
So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
New King James Version
So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."
Legacy Standard Bible
And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your servant-woman has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."

Contextual Overview

1 Now, a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets, made outcry unto Elisha, saying - Thy servant, my husband, is dead, and, thou, knowest that, thy servant, was one who revered Yahweh, - now, the creditor, hath come to take my two boys to himself as bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her - What shall I do for thee? tell me what thou, hast, in the house. And she said - Thy maid-servant hath, nothing at all, in the house, save a flask of oil. 3 And he said - Go, ask thee vessels, from without, of all thy neighbours, - empty vessels, let them not be few. 4 And, when thou hast come in, then shalt thou shut the door behind thee and behind thy sons, and shalt pour out into all these vessels, - and, that which is full, shalt thou set aside. 5 So she went out from his presence, and shut the door behind her, and behind her sons, - they bringing near to her, and she pouring out. 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son - Bring me a vessel more. And he said unto her - There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 7 Then came she in, and told the man of God, and he said - Go, sell the oil, and pay thy creditor, - and, thou and thy sons, shall live of the rest.

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
So Yahweh God put him forth from the garden of Eden, - to till the ground wherefrom he had been taken.
Genesis 4:25
And Adam again knew his wife, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth, - For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain slew him!
Genesis 4:26
And to Seth - to him also, was born a son, and he called his name Enosh, - then, was a beginning made, to call on the name of Yahweh.
Genesis 9:20
And Noah began to he a husbandman, - so he planted a vineyard:
Genesis 37:13
So Israel said unto Joseph Are not, thy brethren, feeding the flock in Shechem? Come on! and let me send thee unto them. And he said to him Behold me!
Genesis 47:3
And Pharaoh said unto the brethren of Joseph - What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh - Feeders of flocks, are thy servants, both we and our fathers.
Exodus 3:1
Now, Moses, was shepherding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law priest of Midian, - so he led forth the flock behind the desert, and came in unto the mountain of God to Horeb.
Psalms 127:3
Lo! an inheritance from Yahweh, are children, A reward, the fruit of the womb:
Amos 7:15
But Yahweh, took me away, from following the flock, - and Yahweh, said unto me, Go prophesy against my people Israel.
Luke 11:51
From the blood of Abel, unto the blood of Zachariah who was destroyed betwixt the altar and the house; Yea! I say unto you - It shall be sought out from this generation.

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.


 
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