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.
Parallel translations
- WEB When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” He said to her, “There isn’t another container.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
- KJV And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.
- NKJV Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased.
- NASB When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he said to her, “There are no more containers.” Then the oil stopped.
- NLT Soon every container was full to the brim! “Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons. “There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
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 oil keeps flowing until every borrowed vessel is full, then stops when there are no more. God's supply matched her faith and capacity to receive.
Overview
The miracle ceases only when the containers run out, not the oil, showing the limit was hers, not God's. Had she gathered more jars, more would have been filled. The detail underscores that God gives generously according to the faith that prepares for Him. It pictures the inexhaustible riches available in God, restricted only by our small expectations.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 14:20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- 2 Kgs 13:19But 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.”
- Luke 6:19The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.
- Matt 15:37They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
- Matt 13:58And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
- 2 Kgs 4:43–44But 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.’”
- Josh 5:12And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.
- John 6:12And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
- 2 Chr 6:12–13Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.
- Matt 9:29Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.”
- 1 Kgs 17:14for 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.’”
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 4:6 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.