Wild Gourd

In a time of dearth a lap-full of gourds from a wild vine was gathered to provide a meal for Elisha and the sons of the prophets (2 Kings 4:39³⁹And 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. (2 Kings 4:39)). Some suppose this to have been the wild cucumber, the leaves of which resemble those of the vine, but have a bitter poisonous taste. Others think the poisonous Colocynth, the Colocynthis agri, to be referred to. The ancient versions support this. A kindred word is translated “knops” in 1 Kings 6:18¹⁸And the cedar of the house within was carved with knops and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen. (1 Kings 6:18) (“gourds,” margin), as ornaments in the temple, for which the fruit of the Colocynth would be a graceful model.