2 Kings 2:21

Contextual Overview

¹⁹The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.” ¹⁹ The men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, we pray you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees: but the water is bad, and the land miscarries. ¹⁹ And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. ¹⁹ Now the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful." ¹⁹ The people of the city said to Elisha, "Look, master, this city is a nice place to live as you can see. But the water is so bad the land cannot grow crops." ¹⁹ The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, the city has a good location, as our master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn't produce crops." ¹⁹Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, this city is in a pleasant place, as my lord [Elisha] sees; but the water is bad and the land is barren." ¹⁹ Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold now, the site of the city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful." ¹⁹ And the men of the citie saide vnto Elisha, Beholde, we pray thee: the situation of this citie is pleasant, as thou, my lorde, seest, but the water is naught, and the ground baren. ¹⁹Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold now, the habitat of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cast: 2 Kings 4:41, 2 Kings 6:6, Exodus 15:25, Exodus 15:26, Leviticus 2:13, Matthew 5:11, Mark 9:50, John 9:6

I have healed: Ezekiel 47:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:18-28, Revelation 22:2, Revelation 22:3

there shall: Psalms 107:33-38, Revelation 21:4

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 3:12 - The word 2 Kings 5:10 - wash Hosea 9:8 - with

Cross-References

Genesis 15:12
When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Avram. Now terror and great darkness fell on him.

Genesis 15:12
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:12
And it happened, as the sun went down, then a deep sleep fell upon Abram and, behold, a great terrifying darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:12
As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep. While he was asleep, a very terrible darkness came.

Genesis 15:12
When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, and great terror overwhelmed him.

Genesis 15:12
When the sun was setting, a deep sleep overcame Abram; and a horror (terror, shuddering fear, nightmare) of great darkness overcame him.

Genesis 15:12
Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:12
And when the sunne went downe, there fell an heauie sleepe vpon Abram: and loe, a very fearefull darkenes fell vpon him.

Genesis 15:12
Now it happened that when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.

Genesis 15:12
As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and everything became dark and frightening.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters,.... The fountain from whence they flowed, the head of them:

and cast the salt in there; which was an unlikely means of making bad water good, since that makes it brackish, and not so drinkable, and what makes ground barren; but this method, contrary to nature, was taken, that the miracle might appear the greater; or, as the Jews express it, be a miracle within a miracle:

and said, thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; he did not pretend to heal them in his own name, and by his own power, but in the name and by the power of the Lord, to whom he would have it ascribed:

there shall not be from thence any more death, or barren land; or miscarrying; no more noxious and mortal diseases should be got by drinking them, nor any abortions occasioned by them in women, cattle, and fruit trees, as had been.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 2:21. And 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 for a short time, and only on that portion of the stream which now arose from the spring; and in a few moments its effects must have disappeared. But the miracle here was permanent: the death of men and cattle, which had been occasioned by the insalubrity of the waters, ceased, the land was no longer barren; and the waters became permanently fit for all agricultural and domestic uses.