2 Kings 2:21

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.

20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

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.

22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.

23 And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
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.’”
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.
WEB
He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “The LORD says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
ASV
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.
DARBY
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.
BLB
And he went out to the source of the waters, and he cast in there the salt and said, “Thus says YHWH, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there anymore death or barrenness.’”
ÅB
Og han gikk ut til det sted hvor vannet vellet fram, og kastet salt nedi og sa: Så sier Herren: Nå har jeg gjort dette vann godt; det skal ikke mere volde død eller for tidlige fødsler.
OTB
Så gikk han ut til kilden og kastet saltet i den, og sa, «Dette er hva Herren sier: Jeg har helbredet dette vannet. Aldri igjen skal det forårsake død eller gjøre landet ufruktbart.»
B1930
Og han gikk ut til det sted hvor vannet vellet frem, og kastet salt nedi og sa: Så sier Herren: Nu har jeg gjort dette vann godt; det skal ikke mere volde død eller for tidlige fødsler.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Exodus 15:25–26

    And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 4:41

    But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

    Read in context
  • Leviticus 2:13

    And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

    Read in context
  • Revelation 21:4

    And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

    Read in context
  • Revelation 22:2–3

    In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 6:6

    And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

    Read in context
  • John 9:6

    When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

    Read in context
  • Mark 9:50

    Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

    Read in context