2 Kings 4:43
New International Version
“How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked. But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’”

New Living Translation
“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!”

English Standard Version
But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’”

Berean Standard Bible
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.’ ”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
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.’”

NASB 1995
His attendant said, “What, will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’”

NASB 1977
And his attendant said, “What, shall I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
And his attendant said, “What, will I give this before one hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says Yahweh, ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’”

Amplified Bible
His servant said, “How am I to set [only] this before a hundred [hungry] men?” He said, “Give it to the people so that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’”

Christian Standard Bible
But Elisha’s attendant asked, “What? Am I to set this before a hundred men? ” “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat, and they will have some left over.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Elisha’s attendant asked, “What? Am I to set 20 loaves before 100 men?"” Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said, “for this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat, and they will have some left over.’”

American Standard Version
And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

Contemporary English Version
"There's not enough here for 100 people," his servant said. "Just give it to them," Elisha replied. "The LORD has promised there will be more than enough."

English Revised Version
And his servant said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? But he said, Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But his servant asked, "How can I set this in front of a hundred people?" "Give it to the people to eat," the man of God said. "This is what the LORD says: They will eat and even have some left over."

Good News Translation
but he answered, "Do you think this is enough for a hundred men?" Elisha replied, "Give it to them to eat, because the LORD says that they will eat and still have some left over."

International Standard Version
Elisha's attendant asked, "What? Will this serve 100 men?" But he replied, "Distribute it to the people so they can eat, because this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have a surplus!'"

Majority Standard Bible
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.’”

NET Bible
But his attendant said, "How can I feed a hundred men with this?" He replied, "Set it before the people so they may eat, for this is what the LORD says, 'They will eat and have some left over.'"

New Heart English Bible
His servant said, "What, should I set this before a hundred men?" But he said, "Give the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD, 'They will eat, and will have some left over.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
And his servitor said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave of it.

World English Bible
His servant said, “What, should I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for Yahweh says, ‘They will eat, and will have some left over.’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And his minister says, “How do I give this before one hundred men?” And he says, “Give to the people, and they eat, for thus said YHWH: Eat and leave”;

Young's Literal Translation
And his minister saith, 'What -- do I give this before a hundred men?' and he saith, 'Give to the people, and they eat, for thus said Jehovah, Eat and leave;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he serving will say, What I shall I give this before a hundred men? and he will say, Give to the people, and they shall eat; for thus said Jehovah, Eating, and they leave.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And his servant answered him: How much is this, that I should set it before a hundred men? He said again: Give to the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the Lord: They shall eat, and there shall be left.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And his servant responded to him, “What amount is this, that I should set it before a hundred men?” But he said again: “Give it to the people, so that they may eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat, and there shall be still more.’ ”

New American Bible
But his servant objected, “How can I set this before a hundred?” Elisha again said, “Give it to the people to eat, for thus says the LORD: You will eat and have some left over.”

New Revised Standard Version
But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And his servant said, What, should I set this before a hundred men? And Elisha said to him again, Give them to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD, They shall eat and shall leave some.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And his Minister said to him: “What! Shall I give this before a hundred men?” And Elisha said to him: “Give to the people and they shall eat, because thus says LORD JEHOVAH: ‘They shall eat and they shall have a surplus.’”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And his servant said: 'How should I set this before a hundred men?' But he said: 'Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD: They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And his servant said, Why should I set this before a hundred men? and he said, Give to the people, and let them eat; for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat and leave.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Feeding a Hundred Men
42Now a man from Baal-shalishah came to the man of God with a sack of twenty loaves of barley bread from the first ripe grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” said Elisha. 43But 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.’” 44So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.…

Cross References
John 6:11-13
Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. / And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” / So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Matthew 14:19-21
And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. / They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. / About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

Mark 6:41-44
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. / They all ate and were satisfied, / and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ...

Luke 9:16-17
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people. / They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Exodus 16:15-18
When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. / This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. You may take an omer for each person in your tent.’” / So the Israelites did this. Some gathered more, and some less. ...

1 Kings 17:14-16
for 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.’” / So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household. / The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.

Matthew 15:36-38
Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. / They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. / A total of four thousand men were fed, besides women and children.

Mark 8:6-9
And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd. / They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well. / The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ...

John 6:5-9
When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” / But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do. / Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.” ...

2 Kings 7:1-2
Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’” / But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

2 Kings 7:16-20
Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. It was then that a seah of fine flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. / Now the king had appointed the officer on whose arm he leaned to be in charge of the gate, but the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king had come to him. / It happened just as the man of God had told the king: “About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel.” ...

John 2:7-9
Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. / “Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, / and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

Luke 5:4-7
When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” / “Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” / When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear. ...

2 Chronicles 31:10
and Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok, answered him, “Since the people began to bring their contributions into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and there is plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed His people; this great abundance is what is left over.”

Psalm 78:19-25
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? / When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?” / Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel, ...


Treasury of Scripture

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 said the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.

his servitor

2 Kings 4:12
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him.

What

Matthew 14:16,17
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat…

Matthew 15:33,34
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? …

Mark 6:37-39
He 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? …

They shall eat

Matthew 14:20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

Matthew 15:37
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

Matthew 16:8-10
Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? …

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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














But his servant asked
The phrase introduces a moment of doubt and questioning. The Hebrew word for "servant" here is "na'ar," which can mean a young man or attendant. This servant represents a common human reaction to divine instructions that seem impossible. In the broader biblical narrative, servants often play crucial roles in the unfolding of God's plans, highlighting that God uses all people, regardless of status, to fulfill His purposes.

How can I set this
This question reflects a natural human skepticism when faced with a task that seems beyond one's resources. The Hebrew root "natan," meaning "to give" or "to set," implies an act of offering or presenting. The servant's question underscores a lack of understanding of God's provision, a theme recurrent in Scripture where human limitations are contrasted with divine abundance.

before a hundred men?
The number "hundred" in biblical terms often signifies completeness or a large quantity. In the context of ancient Israel, feeding a hundred men with limited resources would indeed seem daunting. This phrase sets the stage for a miraculous event, reminiscent of other biblical accounts where God provides abundantly, such as the feeding of the 5,000 in the New Testament. It challenges the reader to trust in God's provision, even when circumstances appear insurmountable.

(43) Servitor.--Minister, or attendant.

What, should I set this before an hundred men?--Or, How am I to set? &c. (Comp. Matthew 14:33.)

He said again.--And he said.

They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.--Heb., eating and leaving! an exclamatory mode of speech, natural in hurried and vehement utterance.

Verse 43. - And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? The servant felt that the quantity was quite insufficient, and thought it absurd to invite a hundred men to sit down to a meal, which would not satisfy a fifth of the number; but Elisha repeated his command. He said again, Give the people, that they may eat. This time, however, he added an explanation of the proceeding: for thus saith the Lord, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. God had supernaturally intimated to him that the quantity of food would prove ample for the hundred men; they would show that they had had enough by leaving some of it. And the result was as predicted.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But his servant
מְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ (mə·šā·rə·ṯōw)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8334: To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to

asked,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“How
מָ֚ה (māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

am I to set
אֶתֵּ֣ן (’et·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

twenty loaves
זֶ֔ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

before
לִפְנֵ֖י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

a hundred
מֵ֣אָה (mê·’āh)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 3967: A hundred

men?”
אִ֑ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

“Give
תֵּ֤ן (tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

it to the people
לָעָם֙ (lā·‘ām)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

to eat,”
וְיֹאכֵ֔לוּ (wə·yō·ḵê·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

said Elisha,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

this is what
כֹ֥ה (ḵōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

says:
אָמַ֛ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘They will eat
אָכֹ֥ל (’ā·ḵōl)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 398: To eat

and have [some] left over.’”
וְהוֹתֵֽר׃ (wə·hō·w·ṯêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3498: To jut over, exceed, to excel, to remain, be left, to leave, cause to abound, preserve


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OT History: 2 Kings 4:43 His servant said What should I set (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 4:42
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