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Elisha Makes Poisoned Food Safe

The Bible makes it very clear that we should not take unnecessary risks to prove God's power. It also teaches that we can trust God to take care of us when things do go wrong. According to Strong's Lexicon “pottage” is boiled food, or soup.

And Elisha came again to Gilgal, and there was a dearth in the land. And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said unto his servant, “Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.”

And one went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine and gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage; for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat.

And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, “O, you man of God, there is death in the pot.” And they could not eat thereof.

But he said, “Then bring meal.” And he cast it into the pot; and he said, “Pour out for the people that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.

(2 Kings 4:38-41)

Words that May Be New
dearth: drought, a time of no or little rain
gourds: hard-shelled round vegetables such as squash or pumpkins
harm: injury
herbs: food from plants; today it usually refers to plant foods used for seasoning or healing
meal: ground grain
poison: causing illness or death when eaten (or touched, breathed, etc.)
pot: a round dish used for cooking
pottage: soup
seethe: to cook; this word has a more technical meaning in modern English
shred: to cut into little pieces; here it means to cut them into little pieces and mix them into the stew