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.
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.’”
- BSB 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.’”
- 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 he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
- Matt 14:20And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
- John 6:9There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
- John 6:11–13And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
- Matt 16:8–10Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
- Matt 15:37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
- Matt 15:33–34And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
- Luke 9:17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
- Mark 6:37–39He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
- Matt 14:16–17But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
- Mark 8:4And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
- Mark 8:20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
- Mark 6:42–43And they did all eat, and were filled.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.