2 Kings 4:4
New International Version
Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

New Living Translation
Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”

English Standard Version
Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”

King James Bible
And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

New King James Version
And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

New American Standard Bible
Then you shall come in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all these containers; and you shall set aside what is full.”

NASB 1995
“And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.”

NASB 1977
“And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels; and you shall set aside what is full.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.”

Amplified Bible
Then you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out [the oil you have] into all these containers, and you shall set aside each one when it is full.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side.”

American Standard Version
And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

Contemporary English Version
go home and shut the door behind you and your sons. Then begin filling the jars with oil and set each one aside as you fill it."

English Revised Version
And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then close the door behind you and your children, and pour oil into all those containers. When one is full, set it aside."

Good News Translation
"Then you and your sons go into the house, close the door, and start pouring oil into the jars. Set each one aside as soon as it is full."

International Standard Version
Then go in and shut the door behind you, taking only your children, and pour oil into all of the pots. As each one is filled, set it aside."

Majority Standard Bible
Then go inside, shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these jars, setting the full ones aside.”

NET Bible
Go and close the door behind you and your sons. Pour the olive oil into all the containers; set aside each one when you have filled it."

New Heart English Bible
You shall go in, and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour out into all those containers; and you shall set aside that which is full."

Webster's Bible Translation
And when thou hast come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

World English Bible
Go in and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour oil into all those containers; and set aside those which are full.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and you have entered, and have shut the door on you, and on your sons, and have poured it into all these vessels, and the full ones you remove.”

Young's Literal Translation
and thou hast entered, and shut the door upon thee, and upon thy sons, and hast poured out into all these vessels, and the full ones thou dost remove.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And come in and shut the door after thee and after thy sons, and thou shalt pour into all these vessels, and the full thou shalt remove.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And go in, and shut thy door, when thou art within, and thy sons: and pour out thereof into all those vessels: and when they are full take them away.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And enter and close your door. And when you are inside with your sons, pour from the oil into all those vessels. And when they are full, take them away.”

New American Bible
Then come back and close the door on yourself and your children; pour the oil into all the vessels, and as each is filled, set it aside.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then go in, and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And then go in, and shut the door upon you and upon your sons, and pour out into all these vessels; and the vessel which is full bring up to me.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And go in and shut the door on your person and on the persons of your sons, and pour into all these vessels, and the vessel that is full bring up to me.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And thou shalt go in, and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and pour out into all those vessels; and thou shalt set aside that which is full.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt go in and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and thou shalt pour forth into these vessels, and remove that which is filled.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Widow's 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.” 5So she left him, and after she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing jars to her, and she kept pouring.…

Cross References
1 Kings 17:14-16
for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’” / So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household. / The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.

2 Kings 3:16-17
and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’ / For the LORD says, ‘You will not see wind or rain, but the valley will be filled with water, and you will drink—you and your cattle and your animals.’

2 Kings 4:6-7
When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another.” But he replied, “There are no more jars.” Then the oil stopped flowing. / She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt. Then you and your sons can live on the remainder.”

2 Kings 6:1-7
Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. / Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha. / Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied. ...

2 Kings 7:1-2
Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’” / But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

2 Kings 13:17-19
“Open the east window,” said Elisha. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.” / Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped. / But the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times. Then you would have struck down Aram until you had put an end to it. But now you will strike down Aram only three times.”

Exodus 16:32-34
Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Keep an omer of manna for the generations to come, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” / So Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved for the generations to come.” / And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

1 Samuel 1:24
Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.

1 Kings 17:12-13
But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” / “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,

Matthew 14:17-21
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. / “Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said. / And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ...

Matthew 25:1-10
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. / Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. / The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. ...

Mark 6:41-44
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. / They all ate and were satisfied, / and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ...

Mark 8:6-9
And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd. / They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well. / The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ...

Luke 5:4-7
When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” / “Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” / When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear. ...

Luke 9:13-17
But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” / (There were about five thousand men.) He told His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” / They did so, and everyone was seated. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And when you are come in, you shall shut the door on you and on your sons, and shall pour out into all those vessels, and you shall set aside that which is full.

thou shalt shut

2 Kings 4:32,33
And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed…

1 Kings 17:19,20
And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed…

Isaiah 26:20
Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

and shalt pour

Mark 6:27-44
And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, …

Mark 8:5-9
And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven…

John 2:7-9
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim…

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Door Entered Filled Full Inside Jars Oil Pour Poured Putting Remove Shut Shutting Side Vessels
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Door Entered Filled Full Inside Jars Oil Pour Poured Putting Remove Shut Shutting Side Vessels
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














Then go inside
The phrase "go inside" signifies a movement from the public to the private, a transition from the external world into a place of intimacy and seclusion. In Hebrew, the word for "inside" (בַּיִת, bayit) often refers to a house or dwelling, symbolizing a place of safety and refuge. This instruction to go inside underscores the importance of faith being nurtured in the quiet, away from the distractions of the world, where God often works His miracles in the hidden places of our lives.

shut the door behind you and your sons
The act of shutting the door is symbolic of creating a sacred space, free from external influences and distractions. In biblical times, shutting the door was a way to ensure privacy and focus. This phrase emphasizes the need for undisturbed communion with God, where faith can be exercised without the skepticism of onlookers. It also highlights the importance of family unity in faith, as the sons are included in this intimate act of obedience and trust.

and pour oil
Oil in the Bible is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit, anointing, and provision. The Hebrew word for oil (שֶׁמֶן, shemen) is associated with abundance and blessing. The act of pouring oil signifies an act of faith and obedience, trusting that God will provide even when resources seem limited. It is a reminder that God’s provision often requires our active participation and faith in His promises.

into all these jars
The jars represent the vessels of our lives, ready to be filled with God’s provision. In the ancient Near East, jars were common household items used for storage, symbolizing preparedness and capacity. This phrase encourages believers to prepare their hearts and lives to receive God’s blessings, ensuring that they are ready to be filled with His Spirit and grace.

setting the full ones aside
This instruction to set aside the full jars signifies the importance of recognizing and valuing God’s blessings. It suggests a sense of stewardship and gratitude, acknowledging that what God provides is to be cherished and used wisely. The act of setting aside also implies anticipation of continued provision, encouraging believers to trust in God’s ongoing faithfulness and abundance.

(4) And when . . . thou shalt shut.--And go in and shut the door. The object was to avoid disturbance from without; perhaps, also, because publicity was undesirable in the case of such a miracle. (Comp. our Lord's injunction of secrecy on those whom He healed, and His exclusion of the people, in Luke 8:51; Luke 8:54.)

Thou shalt set aside.--By the help of thy sons (2Kings 4:5-6).

Verse 4. - And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons. The miracle was to be performed secretly. Attention was not to be called to it - perhaps because otherwise the prophet would have been overwhelmed with applications from others; perhaps because the act was not a mere mechanical one, but required that, during its performance, the hearts of the woman and of her sons should be lifted up in prayer and adoration and thankfulness to God for the mercy which he was bestowing. Interruption from without would have interfered with the frame of mind which was befitting the occasion. Compare our Lord's secret performance of many miracles. And shalt pour out into all those vessels - i.e. those which thou shalt have borrowed - and thou shalt set aside that which is full; i.e. as each vessel is filled, it shall be removed and set aside, and one of the empty vessels substituted - that the pouring might be continuous.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then go inside,
וּבָ֗את (ū·ḇāṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

shut
וְסָגַ֤רְתְּ (wə·sā·ḡart)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 5462: To shut up, to surrender

the door
הַדֶּ֙לֶת֙ (had·de·leṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1817: Something swinging, the valve of a, door

behind you
בַּעֲדֵ֣ךְ (ba·‘ă·ḏêḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1157: In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, for

and
וּבְעַד־ (ū·ḇə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 1157: In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, for

your sons,
בָּנַ֔יִךְ (bā·na·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and pour
וְיָצַ֕קְתְּ (wə·yā·ṣaqt)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 3332: To pour out, to melt, cast as metal, to place firmly, to stiffen, grow hard

oil into
עַ֥ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

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

these
הָאֵ֑לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

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

setting the full ones
וְהַמָּלֵ֖א (wə·ham·mā·lê)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4392: Full, filling, fulness, fully

aside.”
תַּסִּֽיעִי׃ (tas·sî·‘î)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey


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OT History: 2 Kings 4:4 You shall go in and shut (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 4:3
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