2 Kings 4:43

Doubt Generosity

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.

⁴² And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

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.

⁴⁴ So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

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: But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
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.
WEB: His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for the LORD says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’”
ASV: And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
DARBY: And his attendant said, How shall I set this before a hundred men? And he said, Give the people that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah: They shall eat, and shall have to spare.
BLB: And his servant said, “How shall I set this before the face of a hundred men?” And He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat. For thus says YHWH, ‘[They] shall eat and have left over.’”

ÅB: Men hans tjener sa: Hvordan kan jeg sette dette fram for hundre mann? Han svarte: Gi det til folket, så de kan få spise! For så sier Herren: De skal spise og få tilovers.
OTB: Men hans tjener sa, "Hvordan skal jeg sette dette foran hundre menn?" Likevel sa han, "Gi dem til folket så de kan spise, for dette er hva Herren sier: 'De skal spise og ha noe til overs.'"
B1930: Men hans tjener sa: Hvorledes kan jeg sette dette frem for hundre mann? Han svarte: Gi det til folket, så de kan få ete! For så sier Herren: De skal ete og få tilovers.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Luke 9:13
But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
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Matthew 14:20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
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John 6:9
There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
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Matthew 16:8–10
Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
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John 6:11–13
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
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Matthew 15:33–34
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
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Mark 6:37–39
He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
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Matthew 14:16–17
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
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