Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 4:2

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.

2. save a pot of oil ] The word rendered ‘pot’ is from a root meaning ‘to anoint’ and the LXX. has here ‘save the oil with which I shall anoint myself’. The word may be noticed because it indicates the poverty of the widow. It was not the finest oil, such as would be used for cooking food, that she had, but the more common kind which every Oriental makes use of after a bath.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

A pot of oil – Or, an anointing of oil – so much oil, i. e., as would serve me for one anointing of my person. The word used occurs only in this passage.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 2. Save a pot of oil.] Oil was used as aliment, for anointing the body after bathing, and to anoint the dead. Some think that this pot of oil was what this widow had kept for her burial: see Mt 26:12.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

What shall I do for thee? how shall I relieve thee, who am myself poor?

What hast thou in the house, which may contribute to the payment of thy debts, or, at least, to the satisfaction of thy creditors, who may perchance deal favourably with thee through my persuasion?

Save a pot of oil; which was useful for divers things about the service of God, and health, or delight, or ornament, and other uses of men. See Jdg 9:9.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

2-4. a potor cruet of oil.This comprising her whole stock of domestic utensils, he directs herto borrow empty vessels not a few; then, secluding herself with herchildren, [the widow] was to pour oil from her cruse into theborrowed vessels, and, selling the oil, discharge the debt, and thenmaintain herself and family with the remainder.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Elisha said unto her, what shall I do for thee?…. Or can I do, being poor himself, and unable to relieve her out of his substance, and not knowing where to get anything for her; and so what could she expect from him? signifying, that he pitied her case, but all that he could do was to give her his best advice, and pray for her:

tell me what thou hast in thy house? that she could part with and dispose of, in order to pay her debt; and satisfy her creditor:

and she said, thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil; that is, nothing of any value; she might have some things, some sort of household goods, though perhaps she had parted with most of them in her poverty; this was the most valuable thing she had.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(2) What hast thou?The form of the pronoun here, and in 2Ki. 4:3; 2Ki. 4:7; 2Ki. 4:16; 2Ki. 4:23 infra, is peculiar, and points, as the present writer believes, to the northern origin of the narrative, rather than to later composition.

A pot of oil.Usually explained, vas unguentarium, an oil-flask. Keil says that sk rather denotes anointing, unctio, and sk shmen, an anointing in (or with) oil, i.e., oil enough for an anointing. But it seems better to take the word as a verb: save (whereby) I may anoint myself with oil (Mic. 6:15). Vulgate, parum olei, quo ungar. The Jews, like the Greeks and Romans, anointed themselves after the bath (2Sa. 12:20).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

So may all the faithful servants: of the Lord say, by way of leading the minds of the needy to Jesus; – What shall I do for thee? But Jesus can do all.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2Ki 4:2 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.

Ver. 2. What shall I do for thee? ] Pay thy debts for thee I cannot; but if any way else I may bestead thee, I shall do it.

What hast thou in the house? ] viz., Toward the payment of thy debts, which thou oughtest to endeavour to thine utmost.

Thy handmaid hath not anything. ] Of any value. Hereby it appeareth that she was left very poor, yet speaketh she very respectfully of her late husband all along.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

What shall I: 2Ki 2:9, 2Ki 6:26, 2Ki 6:27, Mat 15:34, Joh 6:5-7, Act 3:6, 2Co 6:10

save a pot of oil: 1Ki 17:12, Jam 2:5

Reciprocal: 1Ki 17:14 – The barrel of meal Pro 18:23 – poor Mar 8:8 – they took Joh 2:7 – Fill Joh 6:13 – and filled

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2Ki 4:2. Elisha said, What shall I do for thee? How shall I relieve thee, who am myself poor? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? Toward the discharge of thy husbands debts.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

4:2 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 {d} pot of oil.

(d) Thus God permits his to be brought many times to extreme necessity, before he helps them, that afterward they may praise his mercy even more.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes