A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing the man of God twenty barley loaves made from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, “Give it to the people to eat.” 43 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.” 44 He set it before them, and when they had eaten, they had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
There was a famine in the land (2 Kgs. 4:38) and, in ancient Israel, famine was a physical hardship and carried spiritual significance. It was often seen as a sign of God’s judgment or a period of trial and testing. During such times, food was scarce, and any available provisions became precious commodities. The people were dependent on God for their survival.
In an act of charity and devotion, a man brings Elisha, the prophet, an offering of twenty barley loaves made from the firstfruits, along with fresh grain. Offering the firstfruits was an act of devotion to God (Lev. 23:20). It acknowledged God’s sovereignty, Elisha's prophetic authority, and God’s presence with him. Elisha instructed that the loaves should be given to the people to eat. Elisha’s servant questioned how twenty barley loaves could feed 100 men (cf. Jn. 6:7-9) but Elisha repeated his command and added that God promised there would be some left over. The people ate and as the Lord promised, food was left over. God provides in abundance (Mal. 3:10).
The miraculous feeding is reminiscent of similar OT acts (Ex. 16:4-15; 1 Kgs. 17:8-16) and prefigures the feeding miracles of Christ (e.g. the feeding of the 5,000 - Mt. 14:13-21) offering a foretaste of the Kingdom where God's generosity will be fully realized.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your boundless provision, shown through the miracle of the loaves. In times of scarcity, help us to trust in Your abundance and to share generously with others. Strengthen our faith to see Your hand at work in all circumstances. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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