The Meaning of 2 Kings 4:6 Explained

2 Kings 4:6

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.

YLT: and it cometh to pass, at the filling of the vessels, that she saith unto her son, 'Bring nigh unto me a vessel more,' and he saith unto her, 'There is not a vessel more;' and the oil stayeth.

Darby: And it came to pass when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said to her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 4:6 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 4:1-7 - Every Vessel Filled
Elisha's ministry was not startling. It was redemptive and constructive. Widows came to him for help against their creditors; mothers appealed on behalf of their children; poison was rendered powerless; and loaves were multiplied. Do not judge power by the noise it makes. The dew excites less notice than a thunder-storm, but it may be more refreshing. A life filled with quiet ministry will bear comparison with one whose outbursts of passion are followed by reaction and depression. Twelve hours of daily sunshine, year in and year out, are preferable to the summer of daylight in the Arctic Circle, followed by months of midnight.
When our need is urgent, and we spread it before God, the question is never about the amount of oil, but of the empty vessels. We fear that there will not be enough oil; God is concerned lest we fail to bring sufficient vessels to hold all He wants to give. The oil was multiplied in the pouring, as the meal of the other widow was increased in the spending. God's oil will never be exhausted so long as we can receive and impart. According to our faith will it be done. It is not a question of how much God can give, but how much we can use. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 4

1  Elisha multiplies the widow's oil
8  He obtains a son for the good Shunammite
18  He restores her son when dead
38  At Gilgal he heals the deadly pottage
42  He satisfies a hundred men with twenty loaves

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 4:6 mean?

And it came to pass when were full the vessels that she said to her son bring me another vessel And he said to her [There is] not another Vessel so ceased the oil
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כִּמְלֹ֣את הַכֵּלִ֗ים וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל־ בְּנָהּ֙ הַגִּ֨ישָׁה אֵלַ֥י עוֹד֙ כֶּ֔לִי וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אֵ֥ין ע֖וֹד כֶּ֑לִי וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד הַשָּֽׁמֶן

וַיְהִ֣י ׀  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כִּמְלֹ֣את  when  were  full 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
הַכֵּלִ֗ים  the  vessels 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר  that  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בְּנָהּ֙  her  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַגִּ֨ישָׁה  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
אֵלַ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עוֹד֙  another 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
כֶּ֔לִי  vessel 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלֶ֔יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֵ֥ין  [There  is]  not 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
ע֖וֹד  another 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
כֶּ֑לִי  Vessel 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּלִי  
Sense: article, vessel, implement, utensil.
וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד  so  ceased 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
הַשָּֽׁמֶן  the  oil 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.