Question 1

Who is the man from Baal-shalisha in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage does not give this man’s name, but it does tell us where he comes from and what he does. He is a man from Baal-shalisha who brings an offering of firstfruits to Elisha, called the man of God. He brings twenty barley loaves and some full ears of grain during a time of famine. This shows he respects God, honors the firstfruits law as best he can, and trusts that giving to God’s servant is still right, even when times are hard and the usual way of giving at the temple is blocked.

Question 2

What are the twenty barley loaves and ears of corn meant to show?

Accepted Answer

The twenty barley loaves and ears of corn are a small firstfruits offering brought in a hard season of famine. Humanly speaking, it is not enough to feed a hundred men. That is why the servant questions setting it before them. But God uses this small gift to feed all the men with food left over. So the loaves and ears of grain show both the giver’s obedience and God’s power to take a little and make it meet the needs of many when he chooses to bless it.

Question 3

Why does Elisha tell his servant, "Give the people, that they may eat"?

Accepted Answer

Elisha has received a gift, but he does not keep it for himself. He immediately thinks of the hungry group of prophets sitting before him. So he tells his servant, “Give the people, that they may eat.” He is acting like a caring father among them, trusting that if God has sent this food, it is meant to serve others. He also speaks with confidence because God has told him, “They shall eat, and shall leave thereof,” so he knows the food will be enough when it is shared.

Question 4

What does "They shall eat, and shall leave thereof" mean in this story?

Accepted Answer

When Elisha says, “They shall eat, and shall leave thereof,” he is passing on God’s promise. It means not only will the hundred men have enough to eat, but there will be leftovers. In a time of famine, this sounds unlikely, which is why the servant questions it. Yet the passage ends by repeating that they ate and had food left, “according to the word of the Lord.” This shows that God’s word, not the size of the gift, decides the outcome, and that God can provide more than his people expect.

Question 5

What was happening in Israel when this miracle took place?

Accepted Answer

This miracle happens during a famine in the land. Food is scarce, and even the sons of the prophets, who are learning and serving under Elisha, need help with their basic needs. Earlier in the same time period, Elisha dealt with a pot of poisoned stew and made it safe to eat. Here, a man brings firstfruits to Elisha instead of to the priests, because normal worship life in the nation is disrupted. In this setting of need and trouble, God shows his care by making a small amount of food feed many.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God is generous and attentive to his people’s needs, even in famine. He sees a group of poor students of the prophets and provides for them through a simple offering brought in obedience. God’s word, spoken through Elisha, decides what happens: “They shall eat, and shall leave thereof.” The result matches that word exactly. So we see that God is faithful to what he says, able to multiply small things, and kind to those who listen to his word and serve him in difficult days.

Question 7

Why did the servant doubt setting the loaves before one hundred men?

Accepted Answer

The servant looks at the amount of food and the size of the group and concludes it is not enough. The loaves were small, likely what one man might eat at a meal, and there were only twenty of them for about one hundred men, plus a few ears of grain. From a human point of view, it seems pointless or embarrassing to offer such a little to so many. His doubt highlights the contrast between human calculation and trust in what God has said through Elisha, making the outcome stand out even more.

Question 8

How can this miracle of Elisha feeding a hundred men encourage believers today?

Accepted Answer

This story encourages believers who feel they have very little to offer or are facing real lack. The man from Baal-shalisha brings what he has as firstfruits, and Elisha chooses to share it instead of holding it back. God then makes this small gift more than enough. Today, this can remind us that God is able to use our small acts of obedience and simple gifts to meet needs in ways we cannot see. It also points us to trust God’s word over our own sense of how limited our resources are.

2 Kings 4:42

¶ And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

Feeding a Hundred Men

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2 Kings 4:42

¶ And there came a man from Baal-shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.

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Feeding a Hundred Men

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