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.
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.
- BSB 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.
- 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.
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 filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
- 2 Kgs 13:19The man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times. Then you would have struck Syria until you had consumed it; whereas now you will strike Syria just three times.”
- Luke 6:19All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.
- Matt 15:37They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
- Matt 13:58He didn’t do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
- 2 Kgs 4:43–44His 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.’”
- Josh 5:12The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more; but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
- John 6:12When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.”
- 2 Chr 6:12–13He stood before Yahweh’s altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands
- Matt 9:29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
- 1 Kgs 17:14For Yahweh, the God of Israel says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on 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.