2 Kings 4 (KJV)
Read 2 Kings chapter 4 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
2 Kings 4
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2 Kings 4 Summary
Second Kings 4 records four miracles of Elisha that reveal God's care for ordinary people in everyday crises. A widow's oil multiplies to pay her debts and save her sons from slavery. A wealthy Shunammite woman's hospitality is rewarded with a promised son, and when the child dies, Elisha raises him back to life. Elisha purifies a pot of poisonous stew and multiplies twenty loaves to feed a hundred men.
Unlike Elijah's dramatic public confrontations, Elisha's miracles are domestic and personal — debt relief, infertility, a child's death, contaminated food. This chapter shows that God is not only the God of Sinai and Carmel but also the God of the kitchen, the nursery, and the family budget.
Key Themes
Widow's oil multipliedShunammite's sonResurrection miracleDomestic provisionGod in everyday life
Key Verses in 2 Kings 4
"And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed."
— 2 Kings 4:6
The oil stopped when the vessels ran out — God's provision matches your capacity to receive.
"Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well."
— 2 Kings 4:26
The Shunammite declares 'it is well' while rushing to Elisha about her dead son — faith expressed in crisis.
"Give the people, that they may eat. For thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof."
— 2 Kings 4:43-44
Multiplication of bread that foreshadows Jesus feeding the five thousand.
Life Application
The widow's oil stopped when she ran out of vessels. The miracle was limited not by God's supply but by her preparation. This principle applies broadly: God's provision often matches the capacity you bring to Him. Gather more vessels — pray bigger prayers, prepare more fully, expect more from God. He won't run dry before you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the Shunammite woman?
She was a wealthy, hospitable woman who built a room for Elisha to use during his travels. Though she had no son and her husband was old, Elisha prophesied she would have a child. When the child died years later, her faith drove her to seek Elisha, who raised the boy.
How does the bread miracle relate to Jesus?
Elisha fed a hundred men with twenty loaves and had leftovers — strikingly similar to Jesus feeding five thousand with five loaves (and four thousand with seven). The parallel establishes Jesus as the greater prophet, performing Elisha's miracle on an exponentially larger scale.
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