Home › Old Testament › 2 Kings › The Widow’s Oil › Borrowing Empty Containers

The unnamed widow and her two sons carry empty containers borrowed from several neighbors toward their home, preparing to follow Elisha’s instruction.

Free printable Bible coloring page

Borrowing Empty Containers

2 Kings 4:1-7

The Big Idea

When a difficult task is ahead, we can respond with trust, careful obedience, and willing help from one another.

Print

The Bible Story

The Widow’s Oil

This scene comes from 2 Kings 4:3–4, within the account of the widow’s oil. After her husband’s death, the widow faced serious debt, and the creditor might take her two sons as servants. Elisha asked what she had in her house. She answered that she had only a jar of oil. Elisha told her to borrow empty containers from all her neighbors, not just a few. He instructed her to go inside with her sons, shut the door, and pour the oil into the containers, setting each filled one aside. The family’s gathering of containers shows their obedience to the prophet’s instruction and their careful preparation. The Bible does not name the widow, her sons, or the neighbors, and it does not identify the containers’ number or type.

Themes

Compassion for a vulnerable familyDebt and protection of childrenObedience to prophetic instructionProvision through what the widow already hasResponsible use of provision

Bible moment

The Bible moment

This scene comes from 2 Kings 4:3–4, within the account of the widow’s oil. After her husband’s death, the widow faced serious debt, and the creditor might take her two sons as servants. Elisha asked what she had in her house. She answered that she had only a jar of oil. Elisha told her to borrow empty containers from all her neighbors, not just a few. He instructed her to go inside with her sons, shut the door, and pour the oil into the containers, setting each filled one aside. The family’s gathering of containers shows their obedience to the prophet’s instruction and their careful preparation. The Bible does not name the widow, her sons, or the neighbors, and it does not identify the containers’ number or type.

Look closely

What children can notice

The widow and her two sons gather empty containers borrowed from their neighbors and bring them toward their home. Elisha’s instruction is represented through the family’s purposeful preparation before the quiet miracle.

Talk together

Talk about it

  • How did the widow and her sons prepare to follow Elisha’s instruction?
  • How can our family help one another with a difficult task?

For families, church, and class

Use this page

Use this page before reading 2 Kings 4:1–7 aloud, or invite children to notice how the family works together. Emphasize compassion, obedience, and responsible preparation. Explain the debt gently and briefly, without adding details beyond the passage. Ask children to draw the family carrying unspecified empty containers toward their home, keeping the miracle for the later part of the story.

Source note

From this passage

2 Kings 4:3-4 · Elisha and the Widow’s Oil

The widow and her two sons gather empty containers borrowed from their neighbors and bring them toward their home. Elisha’s instruction is represented through the family’s purposeful preparation before the quiet miracle.

Continue the Story

The Widow’s Oil

More from this story

Choose another meaningful scene to color.

Elisha listens as an unnamed widow shows him a small jar of oil inside her house, based on 2 Kings 4:2.

The Widow Shows Her Jar of Oil

2 Kings 4:1-7

An unnamed widow pours oil from a jar into containers inside her closed household while her two sons bring empty containers and set filled ones aside.

Oil Fills the Containers

2 Kings 4:1-7

An illustration concept of the unnamed widow, her two sons, Elisha, and containers of oil in the household setting, showing provision for the family.

Provision for the Family

2 Kings 4:1-7

More from 2 Kings

The captive Israelite girl respectfully speaks with Naaman’s wife in a simple household setting about the prophet in Samaria who could help Naaman.

A Helpful Message

2 Kings 5:1-19

Naaman prepares to travel to Israel with the king of Aram’s letter, horses or chariots, silver, gold, and changes of clothing.

Naaman Carries the King’s Letter

2 Kings 5:1-19

Naaman at Elisha’s house receives from Elisha’s messenger the instruction to wash seven times in the Jordan River, with Elisha nearby and horses and chariots present.

Wash in the Jordan

2 Kings 5:1-19

Naaman and his servants at the Jordan River as Naaman washes seven times and is restored, based on 2 Kings 5:11-14.

Naaman Chooses Obedience

2 Kings 5:1-19

More from the Old Testament · All 2 Kings pages · Life of Jesus

Kingdom Coloring library

Search the whole kingdom

Gathering suggestions…