The Meaning of 2 Kings 4:2 Explained

2 Kings 4:2

KJV: And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

YLT: And Elisha saith unto her, 'What do I do for thee? declare to me, what hast thou in the house?' and she saith, 'Thy maid-servant hath nothing in the house except a pot of oil.'

Darby: And Elisha said to her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid has not anything at all in the house but a pot of oil.

ASV: And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me; what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thy handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Elisha  said  unto her, What shall I do  for thee? tell  me, what hast  thou in the house?  And she said,  Thine handmaid  hath not any thing in the house,  save a pot  of oil. 

What does 2 Kings 4:2 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 4:1-7 - Every Vessel Filled
Elisha's ministry was not startling. It was redemptive and constructive. Widows came to him for help against their creditors; mothers appealed on behalf of their children; poison was rendered powerless; and loaves were multiplied. Do not judge power by the noise it makes. The dew excites less notice than a thunder-storm, but it may be more refreshing. A life filled with quiet ministry will bear comparison with one whose outbursts of passion are followed by reaction and depression. Twelve hours of daily sunshine, year in and year out, are preferable to the summer of daylight in the Arctic Circle, followed by months of midnight.
When our need is urgent, and we spread it before God, the question is never about the amount of oil, but of the empty vessels. We fear that there will not be enough oil; God is concerned lest we fail to bring sufficient vessels to hold all He wants to give. The oil was multiplied in the pouring, as the meal of the other widow was increased in the spending. God's oil will never be exhausted so long as we can receive and impart. According to our faith will it be done. It is not a question of how much God can give, but how much we can use. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 4

1  Elisha multiplies the widow's oil
8  He obtains a son for the good Shunammite
18  He restores her son when dead
38  At Gilgal he heals the deadly pottage
42  He satisfies a hundred men with twenty loaves

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 4:2 mean?

So said to her Elisha what shall I do for you Tell me what do have - you in the house and she said has nothing Your maidservant any in the house except but a jar of oil
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֱלִישָׁע֙ מָ֣ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ לָּ֔ךְ הַגִּ֣ידִי לִ֔י מַה־ יֶּשׁ־ [לכי] (לָ֖ךְ) ؟ בַּבָּ֑יִת וַתֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣ין לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥ כֹל֙ בַּבַּ֔יִת כִּ֖י אִם־ אָס֥וּךְ שָֽׁמֶן

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלֶ֤יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֱלִישָׁע֙  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־  shall  I  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָּ֔ךְ  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
הַגִּ֣ידִי  Tell 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לִ֔י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
יֶּשׁ־  do  have 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
[לכי]  - 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
؟ בַּבָּ֑יִת  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר  and  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵ֣ין  has  nothing 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
לְשִׁפְחָתְךָ֥  Your  maidservant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שִׁפְחָה  
Sense: maid, maid-servant, slavegirl.
כֹל֙  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בַּבַּ֔יִת  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
כִּ֖י  except 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אָס֥וּךְ  a  jar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אָסוּךְ  
Sense: flask, small oil jug.
שָֽׁמֶן  of  oil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.