2 Kings 4:39

37 Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.

And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.

40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.
KJV
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
WEB
One went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered a lap full of wild gourds from it, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew; for they didn’t recognize them.
ASV
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not.
DARBY
Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it his lap full of wild colocynths, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they did not know them.
BLB
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and he found a vine of the field, and he gathered from it gourds of the field—the fullness of his garment—and he came and sliced [them] into the pot of stew, though they knew not.
ÅB
Da gikk en av dem ut på marken for å sanke urter, og han fant en vill slyngplante og sanket av den ville gresskar, sin kappe full, og da han kom inn, skar han dem opp i matgryten; for de kjente ikke til dem.
OTB
Da gikk en ut på marken for å samle urter, og fant en vill vinranke, og samlet fra den et fang fullt av ville gresskar, og kom og skar dem opp i gryten med stuing, selv om de ikke visste hva det var.
B1930
Da gikk en av dem ut på marken for å sanke urter, og han fant en vill slyngplante og sanket av den ville gresskar, sin kappe full, og da han kom inn, skar han dem op i matgryten; for de kjente ikke til dem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Isaiah 5:4

    What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 2:21

    Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

    Read in context
  • Matthew 15:13

    But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

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  • Hebrews 12:15

    Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

    Read in context