2 Kings 4:42

_AND THERE CAME A MAN FROM BAALSHALISHA, AND BROUGHT THE MAN OF GOD BREAD OF THE FIRSTFRUITS, TWENTY LOAVES OF BARLEY, AND FULL EARS OF CORN IN THE HUSK THEREOF. AND HE SAID, GIVE UNTO THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY MAY EAT._ Brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves. Loaves in the East are exceedingly small, something like our penny rolls....

38-44 There was a famine of bread, but not of hearing the word of God, for Elisha had the sons of the prophets sitting before him, to hear his wisdom. Elisha made hurtful food to become safe and wholesome. If a mess of pottage be all our dinner, remember that this great prophet had no better for himself and his guests. The table often becomes a snare, and that which should be for our welfare, proves a trap: this is a good reason why we should not feed ourselves without fear. When we are receiving the supports and comforts of life, we must keep up an expectation of death, and a fear of sin. We must acknowledge God's goodness in making our food wholesome and nourishing; I am the Lord that healeth thee. Elisha also made a little food go a great way. Having freely received, he freely gave. God has promised his church, that he will abundantly bless her provision, and satisfy her poor with br...

Verse 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....

BAAL-SHALISHA - Fifteen Roman miles north of Lydda, in the Sharon plain to the west of the highlands of Ephraim. It was, apparently, the chief city of the “land of Shalisha” (marginal reference). BREAD OF THE FIRST FRUITS - It appears by this that the Levitical priests having withdrawn from the land of Israel (see 2 Chronicles 11:13), pious Israelites transferred to the prophets, whom God raised up, the offerings required by the Law to be given to the priests Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4. IN THE HUSK THEREOF - “In his bag.” The word does not occur elsewhere in Scripture....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 4:1 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). It serves no useful purpose to ask how miracles of this class were wrought. The inspired writers have not told us; and our own thoughts upon the subject can at the best be mere unfounded conjectures. The rationalistic attempts which have been made to solve the mystery exhibit a weakness and feeblen

AND THERE CAME A MAN FROM BAALSHALISHA,.... Of which place 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 Elisha, the father of them; believing it would be dispensed with, and acceptable, since they were not allowed to carry them to the proper person; and in this time of famine was very agreeable to the man of God, supposing it only a present: AND FULL EARS OF CORN IN THE HUSK THEREOF; these were g

3. THE MIRACLES CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The widow's oil multiplied (2 Kings 4:1)_ 2. The Shunammite and her reward (2 Kings 4:8) 3. The son of the Shunammite raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:18) 4. The deadly pottage healed (2 Kings 4:38) 5. The multitude fed (2 Kings 4:42) In the previous chapter Elisha appeared as the saviour of Israel, and now he acts in behalf of the widow of one of the sons of the prophets. His name is not given. Elisha had known him as one who feared the Lord. And now the widow deeply in

TWO MINOR MIRACLES OF ELISHA. The death (poison) in the pot healed and the feeding of a hundred prophets. The bread of the firstfruits (2 Kings 4:42) was by the Law the property of the priests (Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4). Here the loaves and ears of corn are offered to prophets. In the Christian _Teaching of the Twelve Apostles_ the prophets are to be given of the firstfruits, for they are your priests. There is no similar instance in the OT....

AND FULL EARS OF CORN IN THE HUSK THEREOF— _And also new corn in his scrip or bag._ Houbigant. REFLECTIONS.—Elisha's happy employment was in the prophetic schools, to instruct and encourage by his advice and experience those who might succeed him in the rising generation. Thus we find him employed at Gilgal; and by his miracles relieving their bodies while he fed their souls. 1. He commands his servant to provide a repast for his disciples, after his instructions. They had learned temperance in his school. The unskilful servant, employed to gather herbs in the fields, found a wild vine, and shred a quantity of the gourds into the pottage. The taste quickly discovered the noxious quality of the provision, and, suspecting poison, they cried out to Elisha. He calls for a handful of meal, and casts it into the pot; the miraculous effect of which healed this bitter broth, as the salt the wat...

B. MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES 4:42-44 TRANSLATION (42) And a man came from Baal-shalisha, and he brought to the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and grain in his sack. And he said, Give it to the people, that they might eat. (43) And his minister said, How shall I place this before a hundred men? And he said, Give it to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD: They shall eat, and there shall be leftovers. (44) And he put it before them, and they ate, and there were leftovers according to the word of the LORD. COMMENTS Gilgal seems to be the setting for the final miracle recorded in chapter 4. A man came from near-by Baal-shalisha to bring Elisha the firstfruits of his harvest. It would seem from this that the more pious among the Israelites regarded the prophets as having inherited the position of the Levitical priests whom Jeroboam had drive...