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.

2 KINGS 4:4KJV
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2 Kings 4:4 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 4:4 mean?

In 2 Kings 4:4, Elisha tells a widow how to use the empty containers she has gathered. She is to take her sons inside, close the door, and pour her small supply of oil into the containers, moving each one aside when it is full.

The closed door places the pouring inside the family home, with her sons present. After Elisha’s instruction to borrow vessels in verse 3, the command to set full ones aside makes room for the next empty vessel.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 4:4

  • “vessels” — כְּלִי (keli): This word can mean a container or an article used for a task. Here, the vessels are borrowed containers, not necessarily a particular kind of jar.
  • “aside” — נָסַע (nasaʿ): This word can carry the sense of moving something away. Here, it pictures clearing each full container from the place where the widow is pouring.

Why 2 Kings 4:4 matters

  • The widow’s sons have a place in the event, not just in the problem that brought her to Elisha. Verse 1 says a creditor has come to take them as servants; verse 5 shows them bringing vessels to her as she pours.
  • The number of containers matters to the story. Verse 3 tells the widow to borrow many, and verse 6 says the oil stops when no empty vessel remains.
  • The full vessels become the means of addressing the debt. In verse 7, Elisha tells the widow to sell the oil, pay what she owes, and live on what remains with her sons.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H3332 · used in 51 verses

  • Genesis 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
  • Leviticus 14:26 And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
  • 2 Kings 4:40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.

“full” Hebrew H4392 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 23:9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.
  • Numbers 7:67 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • Ecclesiastes 1:7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

“door” Hebrew H1817 · used in 78 verses

  • Genesis 19:6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
  • 2 Kings 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
  • Nehemiah 13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

“shut” Hebrew H5462 · used in 87 verses

  • Genesis 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
  • 1 Samuel 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
  • Job 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.