2 Kings 4 43

2 Kings 4:43 kjv

And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

2 Kings 4:43 nkjv

But his servant said, "What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?" He said again, "Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: 'They shall eat and have some left over.' "

2 Kings 4:43 niv

"How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.'?"

2 Kings 4:43 esv

But his servant said, "How can I set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, 'They shall eat and have some left.'"

2 Kings 4:43 nlt

"What?" his servant exclaimed. "Feed a hundred people with only this?" But Elisha repeated, "Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the LORD says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!"

2 Kings 4 verses

2 Kings 4 43 Meaning

2 Kings 4:43 records a moment of human skepticism met with divine assurance through Elisha the prophet. When faced with only twenty loaves of bread for a hundred men, Elisha's servant questioned the feasibility of such a distribution. Elisha, however, commanded him to proceed, declaring an authoritative prophecy from the LORD: "They shall eat and leave some of it." This verse highlights God's ability to provide supernaturally, transforming scarcity into abundance, demonstrating His boundless provision through His word spoken by His prophet.

2 Kings 4 43 Context

2 Kings chapter 4 narrates several miracles performed by Elisha, the prophet who succeeded Elijah, showcasing God's continued powerful presence among His people and through His chosen servant. The chapter emphasizes God's compassion and ability to meet pressing needs, particularly in times of distress or scarcity. Leading up to verse 43, Elisha has already miraculously multiplied a widow's oil (vv. 1-7), raised the Shunammite woman's son from the dead (vv. 8-37), and purified a deadly stew for the "sons of the prophets" (vv. 38-41).

Immediately before this verse, a man from Baal-shalisha brings a small offering of twenty barley loaves and fresh grain to Elisha during a period of likely famine. Elisha instructs his servant to feed these humble provisions to the "sons of the prophets," who were a community of disciples or students gathered around him. Verse 43 encapsulates the conflict between human logic (scarcity) and divine power (abundance), acting as the pivotal statement before the miracle of feeding one hundred men is recorded in the very next verse. This event reinforces the divine authority vested in Elisha, confirming his prophetic office as one through whom YHWH works mighty deeds.

2 Kings 4 43 Word analysis

• Then his servant said: This highlights human practicality and natural limitations. The servant, likely Gehazi, expresses a common, reasonable doubt when faced with an improbable command, representing human logic pitted against divine instruction.
• "How can I set this before one hundred men?":
  • How (Hebrew: אֵיךְ ʾeikh): This interrogative conveys genuine perplexity and highlights the extreme disparity between the resources at hand (twenty loaves) and the large number of people (one hundred). It reveals an immediate calculation based on natural possibilities, indicating skepticism rooted in logical assessment of scarcity.
  • set this before: Implies the act of serving, distributing, or making available the food.
  • one hundred men: A significant number for a small group, making the task appear impossible from a human perspective. The problem is quantitatively defined, setting up the magnitude of the miracle.
• And he said,: This marks Elisha's direct, authoritative response, contrasting with the servant's doubt. Elisha speaks not from his own human reasoning but as an instrument of divine will.
• "Give it to the people, that they may eat;:
  • Give it: Elisha's clear and simple command. It requires immediate obedience despite the apparent absurdity. This command is an act of faith in God's ability.
  • that they may eat: The purpose is clear: to nourish the hungry, underscoring God's practical care for His people's physical needs.
• for thus says the LORD:
  • for: Establishes the divine basis for Elisha's command, moving from human logic to God's authoritative decree.
  • thus says the LORD (Hebrew: כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה koh amar Yahweh): This is a prophetic formula, a declarative statement signifying a direct oracle from YHWH, the covenant God of Israel. This phrase shifts the entire dynamic from a human problem to a divine promise, establishing the absolute authority and certainty of the following words. It signals that what follows is not Elisha’s idea, but God’s revealed will, thereby guaranteeing its fulfillment. It strongly asserts God’s active involvement and omnipotence.
• "They shall eat and leave some of it.":
  • They shall eat: Assures complete consumption, directly countering the servant's implicit fear that there wouldn't be enough.
  • and leave some of it (Hebrew: וְהוֹתִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ wəhôtîru mimmennû): This is the miraculous component of the prophecy. Not only will there be enough, but there will be a surplus (leftovers). This signifies God's generous abundance (שׁפע shefa) beyond mere sufficiency. This detail is a hallmark of divine provision in Scripture, where God does not merely provide "just enough," but often with overflow, serving as an undeniable sign of His miraculous intervention. The mention of leftovers echoes the manna provision and foreshadows Jesus' feeding miracles.

2 Kings 4 43 Bonus section

The type of bread—barley loaves—is significant. Barley was generally considered a poorer man's food, further emphasizing the humble nature of the resources. Its abundance from so little points to God's ability to use even the smallest or seemingly insignificant things to perform great wonders, highlighting that the power rests not in the material but in the divine command. The recipients of the miracle, the "sons of the prophets," were often in vulnerable situations, depending on gifts and communal living, underscoring God's faithfulness to those committed to Him and His word. This miracle is part of a series that establishes Elisha as a powerful man of God, whose ministry closely mirrors and sometimes surpasses that of his predecessor, Elijah, thus demonstrating the ongoing prophetic office and God's continued presence with Israel. It prepares the reader for an understanding of the divine capacity to provide in all circumstances, a theme that resonates throughout biblical history culminating in the ultimate provision of Christ as the Bread of Life.

2 Kings 4 43 Commentary

2 Kings 4:43 serves as a profound statement on the nature of divine provision, illustrating the fundamental difference between human logic and God's supernatural power. Elisha's servant represents human rationality, unable to conceive of how limited resources (twenty barley loaves) could satisfy such a large demand (one hundred men). His "How can I...?" is a cry of practical impossibility. This common human reaction highlights our tendency to judge situations based on what we see and understand rather than on God's infinite capabilities.

Elisha's response, however, decisively bypasses human reasoning. His command to "Give it to the people" is an act of pure faith, grounded entirely on the preceding phrase: "for thus says the LORD." This is the cornerstone of the verse—it's not Elisha's wisdom or power, but God's revealed will that makes the impossible possible. The prophet acts as a conduit for YHWH's Word, and God's Word alone carries the power to accomplish what it declares.

The promise, "They shall eat and leave some of it," signifies more than mere sufficiency; it declares divine abundance. God's miracles often transcend bare necessity, leaving a surplus that serves as tangible proof of His unmeasured grace and limitless resources. This foreshadows Christ's feeding of the multitudes, where baskets of leftovers were gathered, demonstrating the inexhaustible nature of God's provision. The miracle powerfully vindicates God's word against human doubt, reassuring that He is the ever-sufficient Provider for His people's physical needs, often in ways that defy natural explanation. This event also implicitly serves as a polemic against the false gods of the surrounding nations, like Baal, who were believed to control fertility and rain but consistently failed to provide in times of famine; only YHWH could provide such superabundant life.