Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
Then he said, 'Go and borrow containers from all your neighbors, empty jars and pots. Don't just borrow a few, get as many as you can.'
The prophet Elisha is telling the widow to gather as many empty containers as possible from her neighbors, preparing for God's miraculous provision.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context of ancient Israel during the 9th century BC, Elisha served as a prophet succeeding Elijah, performing miracles to aid the poor and faithful. This verse is part of a narrative where a widow, facing creditors who threatened to take her sons as slaves due to unpaid debts, receives instructions from Elisha to gather empty vessels from neighbors as a step toward a miraculous provision of oil. This story reflects the social realities of debt and poverty in Israelite society, where prophets like Elisha intervened to demonstrate God's care for the vulnerable.
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