MPV Commentary

Purifies Deadly Pottage.

The land was experiencing a severe famine (see 2Ki 8:1). The sons of the prophets were living under Elisha's roof and were seated before him as his students would sit under their master's instruction (compare 2Ki 6:1).

A large pot had been set on to cook a stew made from meat, rice or meal, and vegetables. The stew was being heated over an open fire on the floor.

Elisha went out into the field to gather herbs for the stew. Wild herbs were commonly used in cooking throughout the East, even by those who had their own gardens. People would often search fields daily for mallow, asparagus, and other wild plants.

The wild vine Elisha gathered was likely a colocynth, which resembles a cucumber plant with bitter fruit that can cause colic and stomach problems if eaten in large quantities. The meal Elisha poured into the pot symbolized the removal of the poisonous quality from the herbs.