2 Kings 4:1
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
2 “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.”
3 “Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead. You know that your servant feared the LORD. Now the creditor has come to take for himself my two children to be slaves.”
- ASV
- 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 Jehovah: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two children to be bondmen.
- DARBY
- And a woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha saying, Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant feared Jehovah; and the creditor is come to take my two children to be bondmen.
- BLB
- And 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 was fearing YHWH, and the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
- ÅB
- En kvinne som var hustru til en av profetenes disipler, ropte til Elisa og sa: Din tjener, min mann, er død, og du vet at din tjener fryktet Herren; og nå kommer en som han sto i gjeld til, og vil ta begge mine sønner til slaver.
- OTB
- Nå var det en kvinne blant profetenes disipler som ropte til Elisja og sa: "Din tjener, min mann, er død, og du vet at din tjener fryktet Herren. Nå har kreditoren kommet for å ta mine to barn til sine slaver."
- B1930
- En kvinne som var hustru til en av profetenes disipler, ropte til Elisa og sa: Din tjener, min mann, er død, og du vet at din tjener fryktet Herren; og nu kommer en som han stod i gjeld til, og vil ta begge mine sønner til træler.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Matthew 18:25
Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.
Read in context2 Kings 2:3
Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
Read in contextNehemiah 5:2–5
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
Read in contextPsalms 147:11
The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.
Read in contextLeviticus 25:39–41
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor.
Read in contextMatthew 18:35
That is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Read in contextPsalms 112:1–2
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 8:12
Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
Read in context