Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, May 15th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Kings 2:21

Then he went out to the place where the water began flowing from the ground. Elisha threw the salt into the water and said, "The Lord said, ‘I am making this water pure! From now on this water will not cause any more death or keep the land from growing crops.'"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Elisha;   Jericho;   Miracles;   Salt;   Water;   Thompson Chain Reference - Elisha;   Miracles;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Miracles Wrought through Servants of God;   Salt;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Jericho;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kings, First and Second, Theology of;   Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Heaven;   Prophet;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Jericho;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Salt;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Elisha;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Jericho;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Elisha;   Jericho;   Salt;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Elijah;   Jericho;   Joab;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jehoz'abad;   Jer'icho;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Barren;   Elisha;   Heal;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Elisha;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’”
Hebrew Names Version
He went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
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 Century Version
Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt in it. He said, "This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. From now on it won't cause death, and it won't keep the land from growing crops.'"
New English Translation
He went out to the spring and threw the salt in. Then he said, "This is what the Lord says, ‘I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops."
Amplified Bible
Then Elisha went to the spring of water and threw the salt in it and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I [not the salt] have purified and healed these waters; there shall no longer be death or barrenness because of it.'"
New American Standard Bible
Then he went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'I have purified these waters; there shall not come from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he went vnto the spring of the waters, and cast there the salt, and said, Thus saith the Lorde, I haue healed this water: death shall no more come thereof, neither barennesse to the ground.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says Yahweh, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or barrenness any longer.'"
Contemporary English Version
and he carried it to the spring. He threw the salt into the water and said, "The Lord has made this water pure again. From now on you'll be able to grow crops, and no one will starve."
Complete Jewish Bible
He went out to the source of the water, threw salt into it and said, "This is what Adonai says: ‘I have healed this water; it will no longer cause death or miscarrying.'"
Darby Translation
And he went forth to the source of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith Jehovah: I have healed these waters: there shall not be from thence any more death or barrenness.
George Lamsa Translation
And he went forth to the spring of water and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus says the LORD: I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
Good News Translation
and he went to the spring, threw the salt in the water, and said, "This is what the Lord says: ‘I make this water pure, and it will not cause any more deaths or miscarriages.'"
Lexham English Bible
Then he went out to the spring of waters and threw the salt into it there and said, "Thus says Yahweh, ‘I hereby purify these waters; let there be no longer any death or unproductiveness from it.'"
Literal Translation
And he went out to the source of the waters and threw salt there, and said, So says Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there shall not be death and sterility there any more.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then wete he forth vnto the well of water, and cast the salt therin, & sayde: Thus sayeth the LORDE: I haue healed this water: from hence forth shal there no deed ner vnfrutefulnes come of it.
American Standard Version
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.
Bible in Basic English
Then he went out to the spring from which the water came, and put salt in it, and said, The Lord says, Now I have made this water sweet; no longer will it be death-giving or unfertile.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he went vnto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in thyther, and saide, thus saith the Lord: I haue healed these waters, there shall not come hencefoorth either death or barennesse.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.'
King James Version (1611)
And he went forth vnto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I haue healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death, or barren land.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Elisaie went out to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and says, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be any longer death thence or barren land.
English Revised Version
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.
Berean Standard Bible
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.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he yede out to the welle of watris, and sente salt in to it, and seide, The Lord seith these thingis, Y haue helid these watris, and nethir deeth, nether bareynesse, schal be more in tho.
Young's Literal Translation
and he goeth out unto the source of the waters, and casteth there salt, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there is not thence any more death and sterility.'
Update Bible Version
And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus says Yahweh, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from there anymore death or miscarrying.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he went forth to 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].
World English Bible
He went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus says Yahweh, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.
New King James Version
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."'
New Living Translation
Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, "This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility."
New Life Bible
Then he went out to the well of water and threw salt into it, and said, "This is what the Lord says, ‘I have made this water pure. It will not cause death or loss of fruit any more.'"
New Revised Standard
Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, "Thus says the Lord , I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast therein, saith, - and said - Thus, saith Yahweh, I have healed these waters; there shall come from thence, no longer, death or aptness to miscarry.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He went out to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it, and said: Thus saith the Lord: I have healed these waters, and there shall be no more in them death or barrenness.
Revised Standard Version
Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it, and said, "Thus says the LORD, I have made this water wholesome; henceforth neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it."
THE MESSAGE
He then went to the spring, sprinkled the salt into it, and proclaimed, " God 's word: I've healed this water. It will no longer kill you or poison your land." And sure enough, the water was healed—and remains so to this day, just as Elisha said.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'"

Contextual Overview

19 The men of the city said to Elisha, "Sir, you can see this city is in a nice place, but the water is bad. That is why the land cannot grow crops." 20 Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it." They brought the bowl to Elisha. 21 Then he went out to the place where the water began flowing from the ground. Elisha threw the salt into the water and said, "The Lord said, ‘I am making this water pure! From now on this water will not cause any more death or keep the land from growing crops.'" 22 The water became pure and is still good today. It happened just as Elisha had said. 23 Elisha went from that city to Bethel. He was walking up the hill to the city, and some boys were coming down out of the city. They began making fun of him. They said, "Go away, you bald-headed man! Go away, you bald-headed man!" 24 Elisha looked back and saw them. He asked the Lord to cause bad things to happen to them. Then two bears came out of the forest and attacked the boys. There were 42 boys ripped apart by the bears. 25 Elisha left Bethel and went to Mount Carmel and from there he went back to Samaria.

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
The sun began to go down and Abram got very sleepy. While he was asleep, a very terrible darkness came over him.
1 Samuel 26:12
So David took the spear and water jug that were near Saul's head, and then David and Abishai left Saul's camp. No one knew what had happened. No one saw it. No one even woke up. Saul and all of his soldiers slept because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.
Job 4:13
Like a bad dream in the night, it ruined my sleep.
Job 33:15
He may speak in a dream, or in a vision at night, when people are in a deep sleep lying in their beds.
Proverbs 19:15
Laziness brings on sleep, and an appetite for rest brings on hunger.
Daniel 8:18
While Gabriel was speaking, I fell to the ground and went to sleep. It was a very deep sleep. Then Gabriel touched me and lifted me to my feet.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile