2 Kings 2:21

2 Kings 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
• New International Version (NIV)Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ ”

Context of 2 Kings 2:21

19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” 20“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him, and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’” 22And the waters there have been healthy to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha. 23From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”

2 Kings 2:21 word by word

וַיֵּצֵא֙ אֶל־מוֹצָ֣א הַמַּ֔יִם וַיַּשְׁלֶךְ־שָׁ֖ם מֶ֑לַח וַיֹּ֜אמֶר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה רִפִּ֙אתִי֙ לַמַּ֣יִם הָאֵ֔לֶּה לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֥ה מִשָּׁ֛ם ע֖וֹד מָ֥וֶת וּמְשַׁכָּֽלֶת׃Read the interlinear

• and Elisha went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• the springמוֹצָאmôtsâ' môtsâ' · exitH4161
• the springמַיmayim · waterH4325
• castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• the saltמֶ֫לַחmelach · saltH4417
• into itשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• This is whatכֹּהkôh · thusH3541
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• I have healedרָפָאrâphâ' râphâh · to healH7495
• thisאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428
• Noלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• longerעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
• will it causeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• or unfruitfulnessמְשַׁכֶּ֫לֶתshâkôl · barrennessH7921

Cross-references for 2 Kings 2:21

• 2 Kings 4:41Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
• 2 Kings 6:6“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.
• Exodus 15:25And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,
• Leviticus 2:13And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.
• Matthew 5:11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
• Mark 9:50Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
• John 9:6When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes.
• Ezekiel 47:8And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Dead Sea, the water there becomes fresh.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
• Revelation 22:2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
• Psalms 107:33He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,
• Revelation 21:4‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Commentaries on 2 Kings 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21And cast the salt in there - He cast in the salt at the place where the waters sprang out of the earth. Jarchi well observes here, "Salt is a thing which corrupts water; therefore, it is evident that this was a true miracle." What Elisha did on this occasion, getting the new cruse and throwing in the salt, was only to make the miracle more conspicuous. If the salt could have had any natural tendency to render the water salubrious, it could have acted only…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The spring of the waters - The spring intended is probably that now called Ain-es-Sultan, which is not much more than a mile from the site of the ancient town. It is described as a large and beautiful fountain of sweet and pleasant water. The springs issuing from the eastern base of the highlands of Judah and Benjamin are to this day generally brackish.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-25Verses 19-25 Observe the miracle of healing the waters. Prophets should make every place to which they come better for them, endeavouring to sweeten bitter spirits, and to make barren souls fruitful, by the word of God, which is like the salt cast into the water by Elisha. It was an apt emblem of the effect produced by the grace of God on the sinful heart of man. Whole families, towns, and cities, sometimes have a new appearance through the preaching of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-22Elisha used a new bowl (Deuteronomy 21:3) filled with salt (Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24) to ask God to purify the people and the environment. Elisha emphasized that the Lord, not he or the salt, purified the water.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 2:21

• Elisha
• Jericho
• Miracles
• Salt
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Double
• Elijah
• Elisha
• Heal
• Jericho
• Lord
• Mock
• Rest
• Barren; Barrenness
• Friend; Friendship

Commentaries on 2 Kings 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings