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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 4:38-44

We have here Elisha in his place, in his element, among the sons of the prophets, teaching them, and, as a father, providing for them; and happy it was for them that they had one over them who naturally cared for their state, under whom they were well fed and well taught. There was a dearth in the land, for the wickedness of those that dwelt therein, the same that we read of, 2 Kgs. 8:1. It continued seven years, just as long again as that in Elijah's time. A famine of bread there was, but not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 4:42

And there came a man from Baalshalisha ,.... Of which place See Gill on 1 Samuel 9:4 , the Targum is, from the south country: and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley ; so that it was now barley harvest, and this the first fruits of it, which, according to the law, Leviticus 23:10 , was to be brought to the priest; but being forbid in the land of Israel going up to Jerusalem, religious men brought their firstfruits to the prophets, and here to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 4:43

And his servitor said ,.... His servant Gehazi very probably: what, should I set this before one hundred men ? for so many, it seems, the sons of the prophets were in this place; and these loaves being very small, no more, it is thought by some, than one man could eat, and the ears of corn but few, the servant suggests they would be nothing comparatively to such a company of men: he said again, give the people, that they may eat ; he insisted upon it that his orders should be obeyed:... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 4:44

So he set it before them ,.... The twenty barley loaves, and the full ears of corn: and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord ; as the disciples did at the miracle of the loaves and fishes; though that must be allowed to be a greater miracle than this, Matthew 14:17 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 4:42

Bread of the first-fruits - This was an offering to the prophet, as the first-fruits themselves were an offering to God. Corn in the husk - Probably parched corn or corn to be parched, a very frequent food in the East; full ears, before they are ripe, parched on the fire. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 4:43

Thus saith the Lord , They shall eat , and shall leave thereof - It was God, not the prophet, who fed one hundred men with these twenty loaves, etc. This is something like our Lord's feeding the multitude miraculously. Indeed, there are many things in this chapter similar to facts in our Lord's history: and this prophet might be more aptly considered a type of our Lord, than most of the other persons in the Scriptures who have been thus honored. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 4:1-44

TYPICAL MIRACLES WROUGHT BY ELISHA . General introduction . The miracles of this chapter are all of them miracles of mercy. The first and last consist in the multiplying of food, and thus belong to the same class as our Lord's feeding the four and the five thousands, and Elijah's increasing the meal and oil of the widow of Zarephath ( 1 Kings 17:10-16 ). It serves no useful purpose to ask how miracles of this class were wrought. The inspired writers have not told us; and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 4:38-44

Ministries to man, good and bad. "And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land," etc. Elisha had returned to Gilgal, the seat of a school of the prophets; he had come thither once more on his yearly circuit, and during the famine, which prevailed in the land. As the students sat before their master, he discerned in their emaciated forms the terrible effects upon them of the famine. In the narrative we discover the action of several ministries, or events with which men... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 4:42

And there came a man from Baal-shalisha. "Baal-shalisha" is reasonably identified with the "Beth-shalisha" of Eusebius and Jerome, which they place twelve Roman miles north of Diospolis, or Lydda (now Ludd). By "north" we must probably understand "northeast," since the "land of Shalisha" lay between the territories of Ephraim and Benjamin ( 1 Samuel 9:4 ). The position thus indicated would not be very far from the Gilgal ( Jiljileh ) of 2 Kings 2:1-25 . and 2 Kings 4:38 . And... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 4:42-44

4. The feeding of a hundred men on twenty loaves . read more

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