2 Kings

2 Kings 4:38–40

³⁸When 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.”

³⁹One of them went out to the field to gather herbs, and he found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment could hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were.

⁴⁰And they poured it out for the men to eat, but when they tasted the stew they cried out, “There is death in the pot, O man of God!” And they could not eat it.

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 4:38

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Elisha	וֶאֱלִישָׁ֞ע	we·’ĕ·lî·šā‘	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H477 Elisha
returned	שָׁ֤ב	šāḇ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7725 turn back, return
to Gilgal	הַגִּלְגָּ֙לָה֙	hag·gil·gā·lāh	Article; Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H1537 Gilgal
there was a famine	וְהָרָעָ֣ב	wə·hā·rā·‘āḇ	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7458 famine, hunger
in the land	בָּאָ֔רֶץ	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
As the sons	וּבְנֵי֙	ū·ḇə·nê	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of the prophets	הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים	han·nə·ḇî·’îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet
were sitting	יֹשְׁבִ֖ים	yō·šə·ḇîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
at his feet	לְפָנָ֑יו	lə·p̄ā·nāw	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
he said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to his attendant	לְנַעֲר֗וֹ	lə·na·‘ă·rōw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
Put on	שְׁפֹת֙	šə·p̄ōṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H8239 set
the large	הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה	hag·gə·ḏō·w·lāh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
pot	הַסִּ֣יר	has·sîr	Article; Noun - common singular	H5518 pot
and boil	וּבַשֵּׁ֥ל	ū·ḇaš·šêl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular	H1310 boil, seethe
some stew	נָזִ֖יד	nā·zîḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H5138 thing sodden or boiled, pottage
for the sons	לִבְנֵ֥י	liḇ·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of the prophets	הַנְּבִיאִֽים׃	han·nə·ḇî·’îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet

2 Kings 4:39

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
One	אֶחָ֣ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
went out	וַיֵּצֵ֨א	way·yê·ṣê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the field	הַשָּׂדֶה֮	haś·śā·ḏeh	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
to gather	לְלַקֵּ֣ט	lə·laq·qêṭ	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H3950 pick or gather up
herbs	אֹרֹת֒	’ō·rōṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H219 light
and he found	וַיִּמְצָא֙	way·yim·ṣā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
a wild	שָׂדֶ֔ה	śā·ḏeh	Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
vine	גֶּ֣פֶן	ge·p̄en	Noun - common singular construct	H1612 vine
from	מִמֶּ֛נּוּ	mim·men·nū	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
which he gathered	וַיְלַקֵּ֥ט	way·laq·qêṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3950 pick or gather up
as many wild	שָׂדֶ֖ה	śā·ḏeh	Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
gourds	פַּקֻּעֹ֥ת	paq·qu·‘ōṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H6498 wild cucumber
as his garment	בִגְד֑וֹ	ḇiḡ·ḏōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H899 treachery
Then he came back	וַיָּבֹ֗א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
and cut them up	וַיְפַלַּ֛ח	way·p̄al·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6398 cleave
into	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the pot	סִ֥יר	sîr	Noun - common singular construct	H5518 pot
of stew	הַנָּזִ֖יד	han·nā·zîḏ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5138 thing sodden or boiled, pottage
though	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
no one	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
knew	יָדָֽעוּ׃	yā·ḏā·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3045 know

2 Kings 4:40

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And they poured it out	וַיִּֽצְק֥וּ	way·yiṣ·qū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3332 pour, cast, flow
for the men	לַאֲנָשִׁ֖ים	la·’ă·nā·šîm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H582 man, mankind
to eat	לֶאֱכ֑וֹל	le·’ĕ·ḵō·wl	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H398 eat
but when they tasted	כְּאָכְלָ֨ם	kə·’ā·ḵə·lām	Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H398 eat
the stew	מֵהַנָּזִ֜יד	mê·han·nā·zîḏ	Preposition-m, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5138 thing sodden or boiled, pottage
they	וְהֵ֣מָּה	wə·hêm·māh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
cried out	צָעָ֗קוּ	ṣā·‘ā·qū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H6817 cry, cry out, call
There is death	מָ֤וֶת	mā·weṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H4194 death
in the pot	בַּסִּיר֙	bas·sîr	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H5518 pot
O man	אִ֣ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
of God	הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
And they could not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
eat	לֶאֱכֹֽל׃	le·’ĕ·ḵōl	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H398 eat

Cross-references

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

2 Kings 4:38 2 Kings 2:3 · 2 Kings 8:1 · 2 Kings 2:1 · Acts 22:3 · Luke 10:39 · Leviticus 26:26

2 Kings 4:40 Mark 16:18 · Exodus 10:17 · Exodus 15:23

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.