2 Kings 4:2

2Ki 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

Ver. 2. What shall I do for thee?] Pay thy debts for thee I cannot; but if any way else I may bestead thee, I shall do it.

What hast thou in the house?] viz., Toward the payment of thy debts, which thou oughtest to endeavour to thine utmost.

Thy handmaid hath not anything.] Of any value. Hereby it appeareth that she was left very poor, yet speaketh she very respectfully of her late husband all along.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 4:2. Elisha said, What shall I do for thee? — How shall I relieve thee, who am myself poor? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? — Toward the discharge of thy husband’s debts.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thus God suffereth his many times to be brought to extreme necessity, before he succor them, that afterward they may the more praise his mercy.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

a pot--or cruet of oil. This comprising her whole stock of domestic utensils, he directs her to borrow empty vessels not a few; then, secluding herself with her children, [the widow] was to pour oil from her cruse into the borrowed vessels, and, selling the oil, discharge the debt, and then maintain herself and family with the remainder.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Save a pot of oil.] Oil was used as aliment, for anointing the body after bathing, and to anoint the dead. Some think that this pot of oil was what this widow had kept for her burial: see Mt 26:12.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) What hast thou?—The form of the pronoun here, and in 2Ki_4:3; 2Ki_4:7; 2Ki_4:16; 2Ki_4:23 infra, is peculiar, and points, as the present writer believes, to the northern origin of the narrative, rather than to later composition.

A pot of oil.—Usually explained, vas unguentarium, an “oil-flask.” Keil says that ’âsûk rather denotes “anointing,” unctio, and ’âsûk shèmen, “an anointing in (or with) oil,” i.e., oil enough for an anointing. But it seems better to take the word as a verb: “save (whereby) I may anoint myself with oil” (Mic_6:15). Vulgate, “parum olei, quo ungar.” The Jews, like the Greeks and Romans, anointed themselves after the bath (2Sa_12:20).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. save a pot of oil] The word rendered ‘pot’ is from a root meaning ‘to anoint’ and the LXX. has here ‘save the oil with which I shall anoint myself’. The word may be noticed because it indicates the poverty of the widow. It was not the finest oil, such as would be used for cooking food, that she had, but the more common kind which every Oriental makes use of after a bath.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Elisha said unto her, what shall I do for thee?.... Or can I do, being poor himself, and unable to relieve her out of his substance, and not knowing where to get anything for her; and so what could she expect from him? signifying, that he pitied her case, but all that he could do was to give her his best advice, and pray for her:

tell me what thou hast in thy house? that she could part with and dispose of, in order to pay her debt; and satisfy her creditor:

and she said, thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil; that is, nothing of any value; she might have some things, some sort of household goods, though perhaps she had parted with most of them in her poverty; this was the most valuable thing she had.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A pot of oil - Or, “an anointing of oil” - so much oil, i. e., as would serve me for one anointing of my person. The word used occurs only in this passage.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Anoint me, for delicacy or health, Matthew vi. 17. (Menochius) --- To abstain from this unction, in the East, was a great mortification, 2 Kings xiv. 2., and Deuteronomy xxviii. 40. Sanctius supposes, that the woman intended the oil to anoint her body for interment, Matthew xxvi. 12. Hebrew asuc, occurs no where else, and my signify a pot, or "skin of oil." The woman had nothing else. The original does not say what she intended to do with it. (Calmet) --- She might use it for food: (3 Kings xvii. 12.) but the Septuagint agree with the Vulgate. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

What shall I do for thee? how shall I relieve thee, who am myself poor?

What hast thou in the house, which may contribute to the payment of thy debts, or, at least, to the satisfaction of thy creditors, who may perchance deal favourably with thee through my persuasion?

Save a pot of oil; which was useful for divers things about the service of God, and health, or delight, or ornament, and other uses of men. See Jdg 9:9.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Elisha acknowledges at once the call upon him to do something for the woman. This is, no doubt, in part, because she is a widow. Widows were, in the Law, especially commended to the attention and care of the faithful. As Bahr says, "It is a well-known feature of the Mosaic Law, one which is distinctly prominent, that it often and urgently commands to succor the widows and the fatherless, and to care for them (Exo_22:22-24; Deu_14:29 Deu_24:17, 19 26:12 27:19) They are mentioned as representatives of the forsaken, the oppressed, and the necessitous as (Isa_10:2; Jer_6:6 Jer_22:3; Zec_7:10 Mat_3:5 RAPC Bar 6:37) It is especially emphasized and praised in Jehovah, that he is the Father and Judge (i.e. Protector of the rights) of the widows and the fatherless (Deu_10:18; Psa_68:5 Psa_146:9; Isa_9:17, etc.) Neglect and contempt of them are counted among the heaviest offences (Psa_94:6; Job_22:9; Eze_22:7) just as, on the other hand, compassion and care for them is a sign of the true fear of God, and of true piety. (Job_29:12 Job_31:16 RAPC Tob 1:7; Jam_1:27) Elisha could also gather from the tone of the woman"s address that she, like her late husband, was God-fearing. Tell me, what hast thou in the house? Hast thou anything, that is, which thou canst soil, and so pay the debt?

And she said, Thins handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil; literally, save an anointing of oil; i.e. so much oil as will suffice for one anointing of my person.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

What shall I - How shall I relieve thee, who am myself poor?

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

A jar of oil. Enough oil for anointment [=אָסוּךְ], and the ‘א’ is part of the root, like the ‘א’ of, “and my speech [=וְאַחְוָתִי] in your ears,” and the ‘א’ of, “the dread [=אִבְחַת] of those struck down by the sword.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.