2 Kings 4:38
“And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Elisha comes to Gilgal during a famine and commands his servant to prepare a large meal for the company of prophets.
Context
The scene shifts from a wealthy woman's house to a prophet's school during a time of food scarcity. Elisha is leading a community of younger prophets, and he instructs his servant to cook for them, an act of faith and provision.
What Does 2 Kings 4:38 Mean?
Elisha is now at Gilgal, a place associated with covenant renewal in Israel's history. But a dearth grips the land. Grain is scarce, hunger is real. Yet Elisha sits among the sons of the prophets and, with matter-of-fact authority, tells his servant, 'Set on the great pot.' In a time of famine, he orders a feast. This is not foolishness but faith: the expectation that God will provide.
A dearth can mean spiritual famine as well as physical hunger. In a time when the Word of the Lord is rare, when vision fails, Elisha gathers the prophets and feeds them. So Christ came not in abundance but in scarcity, in a land occupied by Rome, and fed the multitudes. The kingdom does not wait for surplus to arrive before it begins to feed. It begins now, in the need itself, and trusts God for the outcome.
In the Original Language
dearth (ra'av, 'famine'), a severe shortage; the spiritual resonance of hunger runs deep in the prophetic tradition.
Application
In times of scarcity, whether physical or spiritual, faith calls us to gather together and trust God's provision rather than withdraw in fear.