4 Kings 7:1
And Eliseus said: Hear ye the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a bushel of fine flour shall be sold for a stater, and two bushels of barley for a stater, in the gate of Samaria.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dixit autem Eliseus : Audite verbum Domini : Hæc dicit Dominus : In tempore hoc cras modius similæ uno statere erit, et duo modii hordei statere uno, in porta Samariæ.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ εἶπεν Ἐλεισαῖε Ἄκουσον λόγον Κυρίου Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Ὡς ἡ ὥρα αὕτη αὔριον, μέτρον σεμιδάλεως σίκλου ἐν ταῖς πύλαις Σαμαρείας.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֔ע שִׁמְע֖וּ דְּבַר יְהוָ֑ה כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה כָּעֵ֤ת מָחָר֙ סְאָֽה סֹ֣לֶת בְּשֶׁ֗קֶל וְסָאתַ֧יִם שְׂעֹרִ֛ים בְּשֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשַׁ֥עַר שֹׁמְרֽוֹן
Haydock's commentary
A stater. It is the same as a sicle or shekel. (Challoner)
As it is in Hebrew and Septuagint.
Bushel, or "measure," (Haydock) above 9 pints.
Gate, where the market place commonly was. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter I. We are taught by David and Solomon how to take counsel with our own heart. Scipio is not to be accounted prime author of the saying which is ascribed to him. The writer proves what glorious things the holy prophets accomplished in their time of quiet, and shows, by examples of their and others' leisure moments, that a just man is never alone in trouble
6. Let us compare this leisure of his with that of others. Other men for the sake of rest are wont to withdraw their minds from business, and to retire from the company and companionship of men; to seek the retirement of the country or the solitude of the fields, or in the city to give their minds a rest and to enjoy peace and quietness. But Elisha was ever active. In solitude he divided Jordan on passing over it, so that the lower part flowed down, whilst the upper returned to its source. On Carmel he promises the woman, who so far had had no child, that a son now unhoped for should be born to her. He raises the dead to life, he corrects the bitterness of the food, and makes it to be sweet by mixing meal with it. Having distributed ten loaves to the people for food, he gathered up the fragments that were left after they had been filled. …
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XX. After the terrible siege of Samaria was ended in accordance with Elisha's prophecy, he relates what regard the four lepers showed for what was virtuous
119. Elisha sat with the elders at Bethel, and before the king’s messenger came to him he said to the elders: “See ye how the son of that murderess hath sent to take away mine head?” Then the messenger entered and brought the king’s command threatening instant danger to his life. Him the prophet answered: “To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.” Then when the messenger sent by the king would not believe it, saying: “If the Lord would rain abundance of corn from heaven, not even so would that come about,” Elisha said to him: “Because thou hast not believed, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shall not eat of it.”