2 Kings 4:1-4

Elisha Helps a Widow and Her Sons

4:1 Now a wife of one of the prophets ¹  appealed ²  to Elisha for help, saying, “Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the Lord. ³  Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.” 4:2 Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a small jar of olive oil.” 4:3 He said, “Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers. ⁴  Get as many as you can. ⁵  4:4 Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers; ⁶  set aside each one when you have filled it.”

2 Kings 4:37

4:37 She came in, fell at his feet, and bowed down. Then she picked up her son and left.

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¹ tn Heb “a wife from among the wives of the sons of the prophets.”

² tn Or “cried out.”

³ tn Heb “your servant feared the Lord.” “Fear” refers here to obedience and allegiance, the products of healthy respect for the Lord’s authority.

⁴ tn Heb “Go, ask for containers from outside, from all your neighbors, empty containers.”

⁵ tn Heb “Do not borrow just a few.”

⁶ tn Heb “all these vessels.”