2 Kings

2 Kings 4:1–2

1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”

2“How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

Read all of 2 Kings 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

2 Kings 4:1

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Now the wifeמִנְּשֵׁ֣יmin·nə·šêPreposition-m; Noun - feminine plural constructH802 woman, wife, female
of oneאַחַ֣ת’a·ḥaṯNumber - feminine singularH259 one
of the sonsבְנֵֽי־ḇə·nê-Noun - masculine plural constructH1121 son
of the prophetsהַ֠נְּבִיאִיםhan·nə·ḇî·’îmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet
cried outצָעֲקָ֨הṣā·‘ă·qāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH6817 cry, cry out, call
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Elishaאֱלִישָׁ֜ע’ĕ·lî·šā‘Noun - proper - masculine singularH477 Elisha
Your servantעַבְדְּךָ֤‘aḇ·də·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
my husbandאִישִׁי֙’î·šîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH376 man
is deadמֵ֔תmêṯVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH4191 die
and youוְאַתָּ֣הwə·’at·tāhConjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
knowיָדַ֔עְתָּyā·ḏa‘·tāVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH3045 know
thatכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
your servantעַבְדְּךָ֔‘aḇ·də·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH5650 slave, servant
fearedיָרֵ֖אyā·rêAdjective - masculine singularH3373 fear
the LORDיְהוָ֑הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
And now his creditorוְהַ֨נֹּשֶׁ֔הwə·han·nō·šehConjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5383 lend, borrow
is comingבָּ֗אbāVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
to takeלָקַ֜חַתlā·qa·ḥaṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3947 take
my twoשְׁנֵ֧יšə·nêNumber - masculine dual constructH8147 two
childrenיְלָדַ֛יyə·lā·ḏayNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH3206 child, son, boy, youth
as hisל֖וֹlōwPreposition; third person masculine singular
slavesלַעֲבָדִֽים׃la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîmPreposition-l; Noun - masculine pluralH5650 slave, servant

2 Kings 4:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Howמָ֣הmāhInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
can Iאֶֽעֱשֶׂה־’e·‘ĕ·śeh-Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH6213 do, make
help youלָּ֔ךְlāḵPreposition; second person feminine singular
askedוַיֹּ֨אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Elishaאֱלִישָׁע֙’ĕ·lî·šā‘Noun - proper - masculine singularH477 Elisha
Tellהַגִּ֣ידִיhag·gî·ḏîVerb - Hifil - Imperative - feminine singularH5046 be conspicuous
meלִ֔יlîPreposition; first person common singular
whatמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
do you haveיֶּשׁ־yeš-AdverbH3426 being, substance, existence
in the houseבַּבָּ֑יִתbab·bā·yiṯPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH1004 house
She answeredוַתֹּ֗אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Your servantלְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥lə·šip̄·ḥā·ṯə·ḵāPreposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH8198 maid, maid-servant
has nothingאֵ֣ין’ênAdverbH369 nothing, nought
in the houseבַּבַּ֔יִתbab·ba·yiṯPreposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singularH1004 house
butאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
a jarאָס֥וּךְ’ā·sūḵNoun - masculine singular constructH610 flask
of oilשָֽׁמֶן׃šā·menNoun - masculine singularH8081 fat, oil

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

2 Kings 4:1 Matthew 18:25 · 2 Kings 2:3 · Psalm 147:11 · Nehemiah 5:2–5 · Leviticus 25:39–41 · Psalm 103:11 · Matthew 18:30 · Psalm 103:17 · James 2:13 · Matthew 18:35 · Psalm 112:1–2 · Ecclesiastes 8:12

2 Kings 4:2 1 Kings 17:12 · James 2:5 · 2 Kings 2:9 · John 6:5–7 · Matthew 15:34 · Acts 3:6

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.