2 Kings 4:38
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 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.
Elisha came again to Gilgal, returning to and visiting there, with the sons of the prophets sitting and gathered before him, during a dearth or famine in the land. They were gathered together for a meal, and he directed his servant to put on the great pot and boil pottage, ordering a large pot of stew to feed them. The meal was afterward poisoned by unfamiliar wild gourds put into it, and Elisha made it safe to eat, an incident identified as the healing of the poisoned pottage.
The sons of the prophets were a community of prophetic students and learners gathered under Elisha's leadership, sitting together before him and receiving instruction and care from him. Their gathering shows that ancient Israel had a College or School of the Prophets for training workers, and the school at Gilgal was one of the later schools. It was established after the two schools in Samuel's day at Ramah and Kirjath-jearim and the two added in Elijah's time at Jericho and Bethel, along with another later school at Samaria.
In directing the meal Elisha met their needs in the famine, showing his personal care for them and a ministry of practical help. The gathering presents a model for schools devoted to teaching God's word and educating people for service. The pot is an image for the food given to God's people: harmful teaching is like poisonous gourds added to it, while God's grace is like meal that counteracts the poison and death, so the flock must be fed sound spiritual food in due season.