2 Kings 4:3
New International Version
Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.

New Living Translation
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.

English Standard Version
Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few.

Berean Standard Bible
“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.

King James Bible
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

New King James Version
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few.

New American Standard Bible
Then he said, “Go, borrow containers elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few.

NASB 1995
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.

NASB 1977
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he said, “Go, ask for vessels for yourself, from those outside, from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few.

Amplified Bible
Then he said, “Go, borrow containers from all your neighbors, empty containers—and not just a few.

Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “Go out and borrow empty containers from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “Go and borrow empty containers from everyone—from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few.

American Standard Version
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to her: “Go ask for yourself vessels from the streets of all your neighbors, empty vessels. Do not be fainthearted.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said to her, Go, borrow for thyself vessels without of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Contemporary English Version
Elisha told her, "Ask your neighbors for their empty jars. And after you've borrowed as many as you can,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to her: Go, borrow of all thy neighbours empty vessels not a few.

English Revised Version
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Elisha said, "Borrow many empty containers from all your neighbors.

Good News Translation
"Go to your neighbors and borrow as many empty jars as you can," Elisha told her.

International Standard Version
He told her, "Go out to all of your neighbors in the surrounding streets and borrow lots of pots from them. Don't get just a few empty vessels, either.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then he said: 'Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Go, ask [for] vessels for yourself from outside, from all your neighbors—empty vessels—let [them] not be few;

Majority Standard Bible
“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.

New American Bible
He said, “Go out, borrow vessels from all your neighbors—as many empty vessels as you can.

NET Bible
He said, "Go and ask all your neighbors for empty containers. Get as many as you can.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few.

New Heart English Bible
Then he said, "Go, borrow containers from of all your neighbors, even empty containers. Do not borrow just a few.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

World English Bible
Then he said, “Go, borrow empty containers from all your neighbors. Don’t borrow just a few containers.

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'Go, ask for thee vessels from without, from all thy neighbours -- empty vessels -- let them not be few;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Widow's Oil
2“How can I help you?” asked Elisha. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 3“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few. 4Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”…

Cross References
2 Kings 4:2
"How can I help you?" asked Elisha. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" She answered, "Your servant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil."

2 Kings 4:4
Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside."


Treasury of Scripture

Then he said, Go, borrow you vessels abroad of all your neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

empty vessels

2 Kings 3:16
And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches.

John 2:7
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

borrow not a few [heb] scant not

2 Kings 13:18,19
And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed…

Psalm 81:10
I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

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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














(3) Abroad.--Literally, from the outside (of the house); out of doors.

Borrow not a few.--See margin. Do not scant, or stint, namely, to borrow.

Verse 3. - Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. God stints not in his gifts (Isaiah 55:1). When he offers them, men should take advantage of the offer largely, in the same spirit in which it is made (see below, 2 Kings 13:19).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Go,”
לְכִ֨י (lə·ḵî)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

said [Elisha],
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“borrow
שַׁאֲלִי־ (ša·’ă·lî-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

empty
רֵקִ֖ים (rê·qîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7386: Empty, worthless

jars
כֵּלִים֙ (kê·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3627: Something prepared, any apparatus

from
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your neighbors.
שְׁכֵנָ֑יִךְ‪‬ (šə·ḵê·nā·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 7934: A resident, a fellow-citizen

Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

gather just a few.
תַּמְעִֽיטִי׃ (tam·‘î·ṭî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 4591: To pare off, lessen, in, to be, small, few


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OT History: 2 Kings 4:3 Then he said Go borrow you vessels (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 4:2
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