But his servant asked, “How am I to set twenty loaves before a hundred men?” “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”
Parallel translations
- WEB His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give the people, that they may eat; for Yahweh says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’”
- KJV And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.
- NKJV But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ”
- NASB But his attendant said, “How am I to serve this to a hundred men?” Nevertheless he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for this is what the Lord says: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ”
- NLT “What?” his servant exclaimed. “Feed a hundred people with only this?” But Elisha repeated, “Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the Lord says: Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The servant doubts twenty loaves can feed a hundred men, but Elisha promises leftovers by Yahweh's word. God's provision overflows human expectation.
Overview
The servant's objection highlights the gap between the small supply and the great need. Elisha answers with God's promise that there will be food to spare. The miracle rests on the word of Yahweh, not on the size of the gift. This foreshadows Jesus feeding thousands with a few loaves, with baskets left over.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Luke 9:13But 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.”
- Matt 14:20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- John 6:9“Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”
- John 6:11–13Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
- Matt 16:8–10Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?
- Matt 15:37They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- Matt 15:33–34The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”
- Luke 9:17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- Mark 6:37–39But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?”
- Matt 14:16–17“They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.”
- Mark 8:4His disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?”
- Mark 8:20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said.
- Mark 6:42–43They all ate and were satisfied,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 4:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.