II Kings 4:38 · Bible study
2 Kings 4:38 Commentary: A Large Pot in Famine
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Elisha's command to cook a large pot of stew for the prophets during famine, a lesson in trusting God's provision in scarcity.
Research Summary
- Meaning: In a famine, Elisha commands a large communal meal, demonstrating faith that God will provide for the prophetic community.
- Key words: shḵpot (set/put on, Qal imperative); nāzîd (boiled stew); bənê hannəḇîʾîm (sons of the prophets, disciples).
- Main debate: Whether this famine is the specific seven-year dearth of 2 Kings 8:1 or a general period of hunger.
- Theological theme: God’s provision through prophetic leadership; faith acting before the evidence of supply; community as the context of divine care.
- Best use: A narrative for teaching trust, generosity, and the role of spiritual leadership in times of crisis.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Elisha came again to Gilgal. There was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Get the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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 boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Elisha hath turned back to Gilgal, and the famine is in the land, and the sons of the prophets are sitting before him, and he saith to his young man, `Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Elisha came again to Gilgal. And there was a famine in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him. And he said to his servant, Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Eliseus returned to Galgal, and there was a famine in the land, and the sons of the prophets dwelt before him: And he said to one of his servants: Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Eliseo se volvió á Gilgal. Había entonces grande hambre en la tierra. Y los hijos de los profetas estaban con él, por lo que dijo á su criado: Pon una grande olla, y haz potaje para los hijos de los profetas.
E Eliseu se voltou a Gilgal. Havia então grande fome na terra. E os filhos dos profetas estavam com ele, pelo que disse a seu criado: Põe uma grande caçarola, e faze sopa para os filhos dos profetas.
Élisée revint à Guilgal, et il y avait une famine dans le pays. Comme les fils des prophètes étaient assis devant lui, il dit à son serviteur: Mets le grand pot, et fais cuire un potage pour les fils des prophètes.
Da aber Elisa wieder gen Gilgal kam, ward Teuerung im Lande, und die Kinder der Propheten wohnten vor ihm. Und er sprach zu seinem Diener: Setze zu einen großen Topf und koche ein Gemüse für die Kinder der Propheten!
Als nu Elisa weder te Gilgal kwam, zo was er honger in dat land, en de zonen der profeten zaten voor zijn aangezicht; en hij zeide tot zijn jongen: Zet den groten pot aan, en zied moes voor de zonen der profeten.
Eliseo se ne tornò a Ghilgal, e v’era carestia nel paese. Or mentre i discepoli de’ profeti stavan seduti davanti a lui, egli disse al suo servo: “Metti il marmittone al fuoco, e cuoci una minestra per i discepoli dei profeti”.
Potem wrócił się Elizeusz do Galgal, a głód był w onej ziemi, i synowie proroccy mieszkali przy nim. Tedy rzekł do sługi swego: Przystaw garniec wielki, a uwarz kaszę synom prorockim.
Елисей же возвратился в Галгал. И был голод в земле той, и сыны пророков сидели пред ним. И сказал он слуге своему: поставь большой котел и свари похлебку для сынов пророческих.
以利沙 又來到 吉甲，那地 正有饑荒。先知 門徒 坐 在他面前，他吩咐僕人 說：「你將大 鍋 放在火上，給先知 門徒 熬 湯。」
And Elisha went back to Gilgal, now there was very little food in the land; and the sons of the prophets were seated before him. And he said to his servant, Put the great pot on the fire, and make soup for the sons of the prophets.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 4:38
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse sets the stage for a demonstration of divine provision through Elisha’s prophetic leadership. The famine is real and severe, likely the seven-year dearth foretold in 2 Kings 8:1 (Barnes, Cambridge, Keil). Elisha has returned to Gilgal, a centre of prophetic activity (2 Kings 2:1), and the “sons of the prophets” are gathered as disciples, “sitting before him” in the posture of learners (Gill, Cambridge). His command to “set on the great pot” (Hebrew: shḵpot, a Qal imperative meaning “put on, set”) and boil stew indicates a large communal meal for the whole company (Gill notes the number may be about a hundred). Matthew Henry observes that Elisha is “among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them.” The consensus sees this act as an expression of faith: in the middle of scarcity, the prophet acts on trust that God will make the food sufficient. This immediately leads into the miracle of the poisoned pottage and the multiplication of loaves (vv. 39, 44), confirming that the Lord provides through his servant’s obedience.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Elisha commands a large pot of stew for the sons of the prophets during a famine, an act of trust in God’s provision that sets up the subsequent miracles of purification and multiplication.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the famine | A literal famine in the land during Elisha’s ministry. | Some see it as the seven-year famine prophesied in 2 Kings 8:1 (Barnes, Cambridge, Keil); others treat it as a general dearth without specifying a link to that prophecy. |
| The servant mentioned | Elisha had a personal attendant who served the prophetic community. | Gill identifies the servant as Gehazi; Keil suggests it was a pupil of the prophets, not the well-known Gehazi. |
| Nature of the sons of the prophets | They were a community of disciples living together under prophetic instruction. | Were they exclusively young, unmarried men? Lange argues from 2 Kings 4:1 that some were married with families, so the community included various life stages. |
| Chronological placement | The events in 2 Kings 4 are grouped thematically, not chronologically. | Some place this story after the Shunammite narrative (vv. 8, 37), while others note that 2 Kings 8:1 refers back to this famine, suggesting it comes earlier in sequence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is Gilgal, the first campsite of Israel after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:19, 20). By Elisha’s day, it had become a seat for prophetic schools, visited frequently by Elijah and Elisha on their circuits (1 Samuel 7:16; Cambridge Bible). The famine is described with the definite article in Hebrew: hārāʿāḇ, “the famine”, Barnes and Keil connect it to the seven-year dearth Elisha had earlier announced (2 Kings 8:1). This famine was part of divine judgment on Israel’s idolatry (Deuteronomy 28:22, 24, 38, 40).
The “sons of the prophets” (bənê hannəḇîʾîm) were communities of disciples who lived together under a senior prophet’s instruction (1 Samuel 19:20; 1 Kings 20:35). They were not all celibate or young; some were married with families (Lange, on 2 Kings 4:1). “Sitting before him” is the standard position for receiving teaching, as later in Acts 22:3 (Gill). The communal “great pot” would have been a large vessel, perhaps like the Egyptian “great pot” seen in monumental paintings, a goblet with legs standing over a fire (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Elisha’s command to cook stew for everyone reflects the hospitality and shared life of the prophetic community. Even during famine, the table is spread, and the prophet leads by trusting God to provide abundant food, a pattern that echoes Elijah’s provision for the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17) and foreshadows Christ’s feeding of the multitudes.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and versions note no significant textual variants for 2 Kings 4:38. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The definite article on hārāʿāḇ (“the famine”) is present in all major Hebrew witnesses, pointing to a specific known famine rather than an indefinite shortage. Translations vary between “dearth” (KJV, ASV) and “famine” (WEB, BSB), but the underlying word is the same.
Reception History
This verse has been read across church history as a pattern for pastoral provision in times of scarcity. Adam Clarke records that the father of poet Edward Young used this verse as his text for a charity sermon to support the sons of clergy, applying the “great pot” as an image of the church’s responsibility to care for ministers’ families. In the Reformed tradition, Matthew Henry draws a parallel between Elisha’s care for the sons of the prophets and the duty of Christian leaders to feed both body and soul. The story’s emphasis on communal provision has also been cited in discussions of famine relief, reminding believers that faith in God’s supply often begins with a simple, obedient act of preparing a meal.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faith acts before the provision arrives. Elisha commands a large pot of stew while the famine is still in the land. He does not wait until food appears; he obeys, and God works through that obedience.
- Community is a channel of provision. The sons of the prophets share a meal. One pot serves all. In crisis, God often provides through the gathered body.
- Leadership in scarcity requires courage. Elisha could have rationed or sent the disciples away. Instead, he orders a feast. His confidence in God shapes how he leads.
Five-point outline
- The setting: Gilgal, a place of prophetic instruction and memory.
- The crisis: Famine, a divine discipline and a test of trust.
- The command: “Set on the great pot”, a deliberate act of faith in the face of lack.
- The community: The sons of the prophets gathered as one household.
- The outcome (vv. 39, 44): God purifies and multiplies the food, proving his faithfulness.
Illustration hooks
- Preparing a meal you cannot afford. A parent invites guests for dinner when the cupboards are almost bare. The act of serving becomes an act of trust.
- The classroom in hard times. A teacher continues to teach even when the school has no resources, the lesson is not just content but faith lived out.
- The church that gives in a recession. A congregation decides to increase its food pantry budget when giving is down. They discover God provides through the very hands that serve.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Am I allowed to be generous when I feel I don’t have enough?
- Does God really promise to meet physical needs when we serve others first?
- What does it look like to obey a command that seems impractical in times of scarcity?
Leading a Discussion
This verse opens a window into the life of a prophetic community during a real famine. Elisha’s command to cook a large stew is the turning point, an act of faith that leads to two miracles. As a group, let the story challenge your assumptions about scarcity and generosity.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the setting? Why is it significant that Elisha returns to Gilgal and finds the sons of the prophets “sitting before him”?
- In what ways does the famine frame this story? How does the presence of the article “the” famine change how you read it? (See also 2 Kings 8:1.)
- Elisha orders a large pot for a meal during a famine. What does this decision reveal about his faith and his view of God’s character?
- How does the communal nature of the meal (the “great pot,” the gathered prophets) challenge our individualistic ways of handling hardship?
- Read verses 39, 41. How does the crisis of the poisoned stew deepen the lesson about God’s provision? What does Elisha’s response teach us about how to bring needs to God?
- In your own life, when have you been asked to give or serve in a situation where resources felt dangerously low? How did you respond?
- What one practical step could this group take this week to trust God’s provision in a specific area of scarcity?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 26:26 | When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight. You shall eat, and not be satisfied. |
| Deuteronomy 28:22 | Yahweh will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with fiery heat, with the sword, with blight, and with mildew. They will pursue you until you perish. |
| Deuteronomy 28:24 | Yahweh will make the rain of your land powder and dust. It will come down on you from the sky, until you are destroyed. |
| Deuteronomy 28:38 | You will carry much seed out into the field, and will gather little in, for the locust will consume it. |
| Deuteronomy 28:40 | You will have olive trees throughout all your borders, but you won’t anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives will drop off. |
| I Samuel 7:16 | He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places. |
| I Samuel 7:17 | His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there. |
| I Samuel 19:20 | Saul sent messengers to seize David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, God’s Spirit came on Saul’s messengers, and they also prophesied. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Elisha had been at Gilgal with Elijah just before Elijah's translation, and a dearth made provision urgent. He observes that God's power worked through the prophet to supply plentifully. Clarke adds that this verse was fittingly used for a charity sermon benefiting ministers' sons.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the famine as the very one Elisha had prophesied, now beginning. He clarifies that the sons of the prophets were sitting before Elisha as disciples before their teacher, receiving instruction from him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the famine mentioned here is specifically the one foretold later in the narrative, and that Gilgal served as a regular center for prophetic training. The sons of the prophets gathered around Elisha to learn from his experience, and his teaching built their faith and courage, making them reformers with hope for Israel's renewal.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Afterward Elisha returned to Gilgal, and a famine was in the land, and the children of the Prophets dwelt with him. And hee sayd vnto his seruant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the children of the Prophets.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Elisha returned to Gilgal because a school of prophets was there, and he visited every such place to teach them and confirm his prophetic office through miracles. The one hundred sons of the prophets lived together, so Elisha ordered a large pot for their meal.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the sons of the prophets sat before Elisha as students under a teacher, living together in the same house. He then describes the great pot as resembling Egyptian cooking vessels—a large goblet on two legs over a fire, holding a stew of chopped meat mixed with rice or meal and vegetables.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch insist the miracle was genuinely supernatural, rejecting any natural explanation. The meal poured into the pot could not by itself neutralize the poisonous colocynths; it served only as the physical medium for the Spirit’s power working through Elisha to make the food perfectly wholesome.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes the widow's oil was only a small quantity for anointing, not for food, highlighting her complete destitution. He stresses the miracle required her to work in faith and solitude behind a shut door, free from distraction. The husband's debt came not from folly but from fearing God, and the creditor's demand was legally justified under the Law.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that Elisha was truly in his element among the sons of the prophets, acting as both teacher and father who naturally cared for their needs. He notes the famine lasted seven years because of the people's wickedness, twice as long as Elijah's, highlighting God's sustained judgment alongside Elisha's provision.