TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Kings 2:19–25. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Elisha had, in this respect, a double portion of Elijah's spirit, that he wrought more miracles than Elijah. Some reckon them in number just double. Two are recorded in these verses - a miracle of mercy to Jericho and a miracle of judgment to Bethel, Psa 101:1.
I.Here is a blessing upon the waters of Jericho, which was effectual to heal them.
Jericho was built in disobedience to a command, in defiance to a threatening, and at the expense of the lives of all the builder's children; yet, when it was built, it was not ordered to be demolished again, nor were God's prophets or people forbidden to dwell in it, but even within those walls that were built by iniquity we find a nursery of piety. Fools, they say, build houses for wise men to dwell in. Here the wealth of the sinner provided a habitation for the just. We find Christ at Jericho, Luk 19:1. Hither Elisha came, to confirm the souls of the disciples with a more particular account of Elijah's translation than their spies, who saw at a distance, could give them. Here he staid while the fifty men were searching for him. And,
1.The men of Jericho represented to him their grievance, Kg2 2:19. God's faithful prophets love to be employed; it is wisdom to make use of them during the little while that their light is with us. They had not applied to Elijah concerning the matter, perhaps because he was not so easy of access as Elisha was; but now, we may hope, by the influence of the divinity-school in their city, they were reformed. The situation was pleasant and afforded a good prospect; but they had neither wholesome water to drink nor fruitful soil to yield them food, and what pleasure could they take in their prospect? Water is a common mercy, which we should estimate by the greatness of the calamity which the want or unwholesomeness of it would be. Some think that it was not all the ground about Jericho that was barren and had bad water, but some one part only, and that where the sons of the prophets had their lodgings, who are here called the men of the city.
2.He soon redressed their grievance. Prophets should endeavour to make every place they come to, some way or other, the better for them, endeavouring to sweeten bitter spirits, and to make barren souls fruitful, by the due application of the word of God. Elisha will heal their waters; but,
(1.)They must furnish him with salt in a new cruse, Kg2 2:20. If salt had been proper to season the water, yet what could so small a quantity do towards it and what the better for being in a new cruse? But thus those that would be helped must be employed and have their faith and obedience tried. God's works of grace are wrought, not by any operations of ours, but in observance of his institutions.
(2.)He cast the salt into the spring of the waters, and so healed the streams and the ground they watered. Thus the way to reform men's lives is to renew their hearts; let those be seasoned with the salt of grace; for out of them are the issues of life. Make the tree good and the fruit will be good. Purify the heart and that will cleanse the hands.
(3.)He did not pretend to do this by his own power, but in God's name: Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. He is but the instrument, the channel through which God is pleased to convey this healing virtue. By doing them this kindness with a Thus saith the Lord, they would be made the more willing hereafter, to receive from him a reproof, admonition, or command, with the same preface. If, in God's name, he can help them, in God's name let him teach and rule them. Thus saith the Lord, out of Elisha's mouth, must, ever after, be of mighty force with them.
(4.)The cure was lasting, and not for the present only: The waters were healed unto this day, Kg2 2:22. What God does shall be for ever, Ecc 3:14. When he, by his Spirit, heals a soul, there shall be no more death nor barrenness; the property is altered: what was useless and offensive becomes grateful and serviceable.
II.Here is a curse upon the children of Bethel, which was effectual to destroy them; for it was not a curse causeless.
At Bethel there was another school of prophets. Thither Elisha went next, in this his primary visitation, and the scholars there no doubt welcomed him with all possible respect, but the townsmen were abusive to him. One of Jeroboam's calves was at Bethel; this they were proud of, and fond of, and hated those that reproved them. The law did not empower them to suppress this pious academy, but we may suppose it was their usual practice to jeer the prophets as they went along the streets, to call them by some nickname or other, that they might expose them to contempt, prejudice their youth against them, and, if possible, drive them out of their town. Had the abuse done to Elisha been the first offence of that kind, it is probable that it would not have been so severely punished. But mocking the messengers of the Lord, and misusing the prophets, was one of the crying sins of Israel, as we find, Ch2 36:16. Now here we have,
1.An instance of that sin. The little children of Bethel, the boys and girls that were playing in the streets (notice, it is likely, having come to the town of his approach), went out to meet him, not with their hosannas, as they ought to have done, but with their scoffs; they gathered about him and mocked him, as if he had been a fool, or one fit to make sport with. Among other things that they used to jeer the prophets with, they had this particular taunt for him, Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head. It is a wicked thing to reproach persons for their natural infirmities or deformities; it is adding affliction to the afflicted; and, if they are as God made them, the reproach reflects upon him. But this was such a thing as scarcely deserved to be called a blemish, and would never have been turned to his reproach if they had had any thing else to reproach him with. It was his character as a prophet that they designed to abuse. The honour God had crowned him with should have been sufficient to cover his bald head and protect him from their scoffs. They bade him go up, perhaps reflecting on the assumption of Elijah: "Thy master," they say, "has gone up; why dost not thou go up after him? Where is the fiery chariot? When shall we be rid of thee too?" These children said as they were taught; they had learned of their idolatrous parents to call foul names and give bad language, especially to prophets. These young cocks, as we say, crowed after the old ones. Perhaps their parents did at this time send them out and set them on, that, if possible, they might keep the prophet out of their town.
2.A specimen of that ruin which came down upon Israel at last, for misusing God's prophets, and of which this was intended to give them fair warning. Elisha heard their taunts, a good while, with patience; but at length the fire of holy zeal for God was kindled in his breast by the continued provocation, and he turned and looked upon them, to try if a grave and severe look would put them out of countenance and oblige them to retire, to see if he could discern in their faces any marks of ingenuousness; but they were not ashamed, neither could they blush; and therefore he cursed them in the name of the Lord, both imprecated and denounced the following judgment, not in personal revenge for the indignity done to himself, but as the mouth of divine justice to punish the dishonour done to God. His summons was immediately obeyed. two she-bears (bears perhaps robbed of their whelps) came out of an adjacent wood, and presently killed forty-two children, Kg2 2:24. Now in this,
(1.)The prophet must be justified, for he did it by divine impulse. Had the curse come from any bad principle God would not have said Amen to it. We may think it would have been better to have called for two rods for the correction of these children than two bears for the destruction of them. But Elisha knew, by the Spirit, the bad character of these children. He knew what a generation of vipers those were, and what mischievous enemies they would be to God's prophets if they should live to be men, who began so early to be abusive to them. He intended hereby to punish the parents and to make them afraid of God's judgments.
(2.)God must be glorified as a righteous God, that hates sin, and will reckon for it, even in little children. Let the wicked wretched brood make our flesh tremble for fear of God. Let little children be afraid of speaking wicked words, for God notices what they say,. Let them not mock any for their defects in mind or body, but pity them rather; especially let them know that it is at their peril if they jeer God's people or ministers, and scoff at any for well-doing. Let parents, that would have comfort in their children, train them up well, and do their utmost betimes to drive out the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts; for, as bishop Hall says, "In vain do we look for good from those children whose education we have neglected; and in vain do we grieve for those miscarriages which our care might have prevented." Elisha comes to Bethel and fears not the revenges of the bereaved parents; God, who bade him do what he did, he knew would bear him out. Thence he goes to Mount Carmel (Kg2 2:25), where it is probable there was a religious house fit for retirement and contemplation. Thence he returned to Samaria, where, being a public place, this father of the prophets might be most serviceable. Bishop Hall observes here, "That he can never be a profitable seer who is either always or never alone."
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
“He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!” After Elisha had settled the matters concerning his disciples in Jericho, he moved to his dwelling place in Bethel, and during his journey the facts, which the Scripture places here, happened to him. It seems that the impudence of the children resulted from the teaching of their parents, because they were iniquitous and hostile to Elijah and all his disciples. And we may also think that they had been sent by their masters to repeat what they had learned. The word proclaimed according to Elisha by the disciples of Elijah, their fellow citizens, with regard to the ascension of their master grieved the people of Bethel a great deal. That is why, I suppose, those children did not only mention his baldness but also found further insults, which they said before him to outrage his fame, so that nobody might believe his word, if he repeated in Bethel what he had told and about which he had convinced many people in Jericho. In fact, they had meditated on this evil thought and said, “This is the reason for his coming.” Now, Elisha, even though he was upset by the effrontery of the children, was much more enraged by the craftiness and the iniquities of their parents, and he corrected both by a harsh and terrible sentence: he punished the former, so that they might not add to their iniquity by growing up to adulthood; the latter, so that they might be corrected and cease from their wickedness. He, who had blessed the children of Jericho and benefited them to the highest degree for their faith, because, after seeing that he had divided the Jordan through his word, they had said that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha, decreed this bitter sentence against the people of Bethel. Indeed, the people of Bethel did not believe, when they heard from children of prophets who were in their city, the news of the ascension of Elijah.“Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.” On the day the Lord sent Elijah to anoint Elisha, he said that he would have taken revenge through him on the children of Israel, who had revolted against him, that is, those who escaped from the sword of Hazael and Jehu, Elisha would have caused to perish. This is, therefore, the beginning of the punishment: the word pronounced against the iniquitous began to be fulfilled.
What should we say of the merits of Elisha? This, first of all, is praiseworthy—that he wished to outdo his father in grace, asking that more be given him than he knew that the one who possessed it had. He is, to be sure, covetous in his request but deserving in his merits. For while he demands from his father more than he had, he made him stand out by his own merits more than he was able. For this same Elisha came to Jericho after the ascension of his master and was asked by the townspeople to remain in that city. And when they said to him, “The town is in a good location, but the waters are bad and sterile,” he ordered a clay vessel to be given him and, going to the source of the waters, he threw the salt that was kept in it into the waters, saying, “Thus says the Lord: I have cleansed the waters; neither death nor sterility shall come from them. And the waters have been cleansed up until this day.” See how great, then, are the merits of Elisha! His first stay in his children’s city results in much fruitfulness, because in doing away with the sterility of the waters he makes many people the object of his benefaction. For in accomplishing this Elisha did not cleanse a single person or offer healing to a single household, but he restored the people of the whole city. For if he had done this later the city would have remained without an inhabitant; everyone would have grown old, afflicted with sterility. Therefore Elisha cleansed the people as well when he cleansed the waters, and in blessing the spring of waters he showed favor to the spring, as it were, of souls. For as, by his blessing, water came forth from the earth’s hidden channels, so also healthy offspring came forth from the hidden organs of the womb. For Elisha blessed not only those streams alone that were contained in the bowels of the springs but also those that were eventually going to flow later and were still concentrated in the earth’s damp soil. Hence Scripture says that Elisha gave a blessing at the source of the waters so that the prophet’s sanctifying act might seize the water as it distilled, before the bosom of the spring concealed it.
Therefore, since the holy apostle Paul says that “these things happened to them as a figure,” let us see what the true meaning is of this figure—that is to say, what that city is that suffers sterility and what the vessel means and also why sprinkled salt should confer health. In the same apostle we read that this is said of the church: “Rejoice, you sterile ones who do not bear; break forth and shout, you who do not beget.” The church, then, is that sterile city that, because of the bad condition of the waters before the coming of Christ (that is to say, because of the sacrilege of the Gentile peoples), was unable to conceive children for God in its sterility. But when Christ came, taking on a human body like a clay vessel, he cleansed the bad condition of the waters; that is to say, “He cut off the sacrileges of the peoples,” and immediately the church, which used to be sterile, began to be fruitful. - "Sermon 84.3-4"
What should we say about the merits of Elisha? His first praiseworthy deed was his wish to surpass his father in grace, expressed when he asked that more grace be given to him than he knew was found in him who possessed such grace. To be sure, he was greedy to make such a request, but worthy to receive merit. Because Elisha demanded more from his father than he had, his father enabled him to excel in his merits more than he would have otherwise been able to do. When this Elisha came to Jericho after the ascension of his master and was asked by the citizens to remain with them in the city, they said to him: “The location of this city is good, but the water is bad, even causing sterility.” Then Elisha ordered them to give him a clay vessel, and arriving at the source of the waters, he threw the salt kept in the vessel onto the waters and said: “This is what the Lord says: I have healed the waters. No longer will anyone die from them or become sterile. And the waters remain healed to this very day.” Consider then how great the merits of Elisha are! His first stay in the children’s city results in great fruitfulness, for when he removes the sterility of the waters, he enables the succession of heirs. By performing this one deed, he did not merely heal a single person or offer medicine to the house of one person, but restored the people of the entire city. If he had performed this act later, the sterility would have taken its course and the city would have remained without inhabitants once the entire population grew old. So when Elisha healed the waters he also healed the people. And when he blessed the source of the waters, he showed favor to the source of souls. For just as by his sanctifying act water issued forth from the hidden courses in the earth, so healthy offspring came forth from the hidden organs of the womb. Elisha not only blessed the streams that were still being held in the bowels of the springs, but also those that, though still saturated in the damp soil of the earth, would later flow forth little by little. So the Scripture says that Elisha gave his blessing at the source of the water in order that the prophet’s blessing might catch the trickling water before the bosom of the spring encompassed it. Since the holy apostle Paul says that “these things were happening to them as a symbol,” let us look into how this very symbol contains the truth. In other words, let us investigate what the city that suffers from sterility stands for, and what the clay vessel intends to communicate, and finally what it means that scattered salt brings the restoration of health. We read in the writings of the same apostle what is said about the church: “Rejoice, O barren one who does not give birth, break forth and shout you who do not beget children.” Based on this passage, the church is that sterile city, which prior to the arrival of Christ, was not able to produce sons for God while suffering from sterility because of the corruption of the water, that is, the sacrilege of the pagan nations. But when Christ came, assuming a human body as if a fragile vessel, he healed the vices of the waters, that is, “he cut off the sacrileges of the peoples,” and at once, the church, which had been sterile, began to be fruitful.
Let us see what these facts mean, dearly beloved. Elisha, as I have frequently suggested, is the type of our Lord and Savior. That bitter spring seems to signify Adam, from whom the human race has sprung. Before the coming of the true Elisha, that is, our Lord and Savior, the human race remained in barrenness and bitterness through the sin of the first man. Although that new vessel in which salt was thrown represents a type of the apostles, still we can fittingly accept in it the mystery of the Lord’s incarnation. Now salt is put there as wisdom, for we read, “Let all your speech be seasoned with salt.” Moreover, since Christ is not only “the power of God” but also “the wisdom of God,” the body of Christ like a new vessel was filled with the salt of divine wisdom when the Word was made flesh. Furthermore, the new vessel with salt was thrown into the bitter waters by Elisha, and they were changed into sweetness and fruitfulness. Similarly, the new vessel, that is, the incarnate Word, was sent by God the Father to recall the human race like bitter flowing waters to sweetness, to lead it to pure charity from evil habits and sterility of good works and to restore it to the fruitfulness of justice. Truly, brothers, does it not seem to you as though the new vessel full of the salt of divine wisdom was put into the water when Christ the Lord went down into the river to be baptized? Then all the waters were changed into sweetness and were sanctified by that new vessel, that is, the body of Christ. As a result, not only were the waters not sterile, but throughout the world by the grace of baptism they have produced a countless number of Christians like abundant fruit and an exceedingly rich harvest.Although we believe that this truth is fulfilled in things which are seen, still we know that it also takes place spiritually in all people. That the waters signify the people is mentioned in the Apocalypse: “The waters that you saw are peoples and nations.” Moreover, that the vessel with salt that was put in the water represents the apostles is very clearly indicated by our Lord in the Gospel when he says, “You are the salt of the earth.” Therefore, by his grace he made new apostles out of old people and filled them with the salt of his teachings and divine wisdom, sending them to the whole world as to the spring of the entire human race, to remove its barrenness and bitterness. Finally, from the time that the salt of divine wisdom is afforded to human hearts, all bitterness of relations or sterility in good works is known to be removed.
Therefore, dearly beloved, as we mentioned above, understand Christ our Lord in blessed Elisha and the human race in that spring. Recognize clearly the malice of the devil, which served the first man in what was bitter and sterile. In that new vessel that was put in the spring full of salt, devoutly think of Christ’s teaching seasoned with the salt of divine wisdom and through the apostles directed to the human race. We, too, dearly beloved, without any preceding good merits have received such great goods from the Lord through his generous graces and have merited to be changed from bitterness to sweetness, summoned from barrenness to the fruitfulness of good works.
Now according to the letter, dearly beloved, we are to believe, as we mentioned above, that blessed Elisha was aroused with God’s zeal to correct the people, rather than moved by unwholesome anger, when he permitted the Jewish children to be torn to pieces. His purpose was not revenge but their amendment, and in this fact, too, the passion of our Lord and Savior was plainly prefigured. Just as those undisciplined children shouted to blessed Elisha, “Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead,” so at the time of the passion the insane Jews with impious words shouted to Christ the true Elisha, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” What does “Go up, you baldhead” mean except: Ascend the cross on the site of Calvary? Notice further, brothers, that just as under Elisha forty-two boys were killed, so forty-two years after the passion of our Lord two bears came, Vespasian and Titus, and besieged Jerusalem. Also consider, brothers, that the siege of Jerusalem took place on the Paschal solemnity. Thus, by the just judgment of God the Jews who had assembled from all the provinces suffered the punishment they deserved, on the very days on which they had hung the true Elisha, our Lord and Savior, on the cross. Indeed, at that time, that is, in the forty-second year after the passion of our Lord, the Jews as if driven by the hand of God assembled in Jerusalem according to their custom to celebrate the Passover. We read in history that three million Jews were then gathered in Jerusalem; eleven hundred thousand of them are read to have been destroyed by the sword of hunger, and one hundred thousand young men were led to Rome in triumph. For two years that city was besieged, and so great was the number of the dead who were cast out of the city that their bodies equaled the height of the walls. This destruction was prefigured by those two bears that are said to have torn to pieces forty-two boys for deriding blessed Elisha. Then was fulfilled what the prophet had said, “The boar from the forest lays it waste, and the beasts of the field feed on it,” for as was indicated, after forty-two years that wicked nation received what it deserved from the two bears, Vespasian and Titus.
Continue studying 2 Kings 2:22 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
The permanent healing of Jericho's waters serves as the definitive confirmation of Elisha's inaugural miracle, establishing his prophetic authority and demonstrating God's enduring power to bring comprehensive and permanent restoration. This verse attests that the once unwholesome waters of Jericho were not merely temporarily improved but fundamentally and perpetually transformed, providing a continuous source of life for the city and validating Elisha's word as a direct and authoritative utterance from the Lord Himself.
Context
Literary Context
This verse provides the triumphant conclusion to Elisha's first public miracle, immediately following the dramatic ascension of Elijah into heaven and the subsequent recognition of Elisha as his successor by the "sons of the prophets" (2 Kings 2:12-18). Upon Elisha's arrival in Jericho, the city's inhabitants presented him with a critical problem: their water supply was "bad, and the ground barren" (2 Kings 2:19). Elisha responded decisively, requesting a new bowl filled with salt, which he then cast into the spring, declaring, "Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters; from now on neither death nor barrenness shall come from it" (2 Kings 2:21). Verse 22 functions as the divine attestation and historical validation of Elisha's prophetic word, confirming the immediate and lasting efficacy of the miracle, thereby solidifying his authority and underscoring the Lord's active presence with him.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, a reliable and pure water source was absolutely vital for the survival and prosperity of any settlement, making Jericho's problem of "bad" water a matter of existential concern, directly impacting human health, livestock, and agricultural productivity. Jericho itself carried immense historical and theological significance, being the first city conquered by Israel upon entering the Promised Land, famously falling through divine intervention (Joshua 6). It was also a city under a specific curse pronounced by Joshua, stating that anyone who rebuilt it would do so at the cost of his firstborn and youngest sons (Joshua 6:26). This curse was tragically fulfilled centuries later by Hiel the Bethelite (1 Kings 16:34). Elisha's healing of Jericho's waters, therefore, carried profound symbolic weight beyond mere physical restoration. It signified God's power to reverse curses and bring life to places historically marked by death and barrenness, showcasing a new era of divine blessing and demonstrating God's redemptive power even over long-standing judgments.
Key Themes
The healing of Jericho's waters highlights several crucial themes within the book of Kings and broader biblical theology. Primarily, it underscores Divine Healing and Restoration, demonstrating God's sovereign capacity to transform what is broken, corrupted, or cursed into a vibrant source of life and blessing. The permanence of the healing ("unto this day") emphasizes the completeness and enduring nature of God's redemptive work, a recurring motif in Elisha's ministry. Secondly, this miracle serves as a powerful Validation of Prophetic Authority and Succession. As Elisha's inaugural public act, it immediately confirms that the "spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha" (2 Kings 2:15), establishing him as God's chosen messenger and the legitimate heir to Elijah's prophetic mantle. Thirdly, the event speaks to God's Sustaining Provision for Life. Water is fundamental for existence, and the restoration of Jericho's spring ensures the city's continued vitality and prosperity, illustrating God's active concern for the well-being of His people and His faithfulness to sustain them. Lastly, it embodies the theme of Transformation, where a source of death and barrenness is turned into a fount of life, symbolizing God's ability to bring spiritual renewal and fruitfulness to barren lives and situations, reflecting His ongoing work in creation and redemption.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The Hebrew verb רָפָא (râphâ') signifies a comprehensive and complete restoration, not merely a temporary fix or improvement. As provided by Strong's H7495, it means "to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure; cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, [idiom] thoroughly, make whole." In a theological context, it often refers to divine intervention that brings about physical, spiritual, or even national restoration. Its use here emphasizes the thoroughness and permanence of the miracle performed by God through Elisha, ensuring the waters were made entirely wholesome and life-giving.
While the full idiom is "ad hayyom hazzeh," the core word for "day" is יֹום (yôwm), Strong's H3117. This word signifies "a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term)." The phrase "unto this day" (עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, 'ad hayyom hazzeh) is a common biblical idiom used to emphasize the lasting nature, historical certainty, and continued evidential impact of an event. It functions as an authorial affirmation that the miracle's effects were still observable at the time the book of Kings was written, providing a powerful testimony to the enduring power and faithfulness of God's word spoken through His prophet. It underscores the permanence of the divine intervention.
The Hebrew noun דָּבָר (dâbâr), Strong's H1697, derived from the root dâbar (to speak), is a rich term meaning "a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause." It encompasses not just spoken words but also decrees, commands, affairs, and events. Its use here highlights the authoritative and effective nature of Elisha's prophetic utterance. The miracle occurred precisely "according to the dâbâr of Elisha," emphasizing that his words were not mere human pronouncements but carried the weight and power of God's own declaration, leading to a tangible and lasting reality.
Verse Breakdown
"So the waters were healed"
This clause directly states the miraculous outcome, emphasizing its immediate and profound effect. The opening "So" (וַיֵּרָפְאוּ, vayyeraf'u) indicates the direct consequence of Elisha's action and, more importantly, God's divine intervention. The waters, previously a source of death and barrenness, were fundamentally changed to become wholesome and life-giving, demonstrating God's power to reverse natural deficiencies and bring about supernatural restoration.
"unto this day"
This phrase highlights the enduring nature of the healing. It was not a transient phenomenon or a temporary improvement but a permanent transformation, a continuous blessing for the city of Jericho. This serves as a powerful testament to the reliability and lasting efficacy of God's word and His miracles, affirming their historical reality and ongoing impact for the original audience, who could still witness the living waters.
"according to the saying of Elisha which he spake"
This final clause explicitly links the miraculous outcome to Elisha's prophetic declaration in 2 Kings 2:21. It underscores the authority of Elisha's word, not as his own, but as a direct utterance from the Lord. The fulfillment of his prophecy validates his divine commission and demonstrates that God stands behind the words of His chosen servants, confirming Elisha's legitimacy as Elijah's successor and a true prophet of Yahweh. The repetition of "saying" (dâbâr) and "spake" (dâbar) emphasizes the direct correlation between the spoken word and its powerful, tangible result.
Literary Devices
The narrative of the healing of Jericho's waters employs several potent literary devices that amplify its theological and historical significance. The central device is Miracle, a supernatural event that defies natural laws, serving as a direct manifestation of divine power and validating the prophet's authority. Here, the transformation of unwholesome water into life-giving water is a clear, undeniable act of God. Symbolism is also prominent; water, universally essential for life, symbolizes both physical and spiritual vitality. The healing of the water, therefore, symbolizes God's ability to bring life, health, and fruitfulness to barren or cursed situations, reversing the effects of decay and death. The city of Jericho itself carries significant Historical Allusion and Irony, as it was famously cursed by Joshua (Joshua 6:26) yet now experiences a profound blessing through another prophet, Elisha. This reversal underscores God's sovereignty over curses and His redemptive purposes. Finally, the phrase "unto this day" functions as an Authorial Affirmation, lending historical credibility and emphasizing the permanence of the divine work, inviting the reader to acknowledge the enduring impact and verifiable reality of God's intervention.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The healing of Jericho's waters in 2 Kings 2:22 profoundly illustrates God's character as a God of healing, restoration, and life. It affirms that God is not only capable of intervening in the natural order but does so with lasting effect, turning sources of death into founts of life. This miracle, Elisha's first, establishes a pattern for his ministry, which consistently reflects God's compassion and power to bring wholeness to His people and their land. It teaches us that God's solutions are permanent, and His word, spoken through His chosen vessels, carries divine authority and power to transform even the most desperate situations. This act of healing also foreshadows God's ultimate desire to heal and restore all of creation, culminating in the new heavens and new earth where there will be no more curse, and the "river of the water of life" flows freely.
Reflection and Application
The enduring miracle of Jericho's waters offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It reminds us that no situation is beyond God's power to heal and restore, whether it be personal brokenness, relational strife, or societal decay. Just as Elisha brought life to a barren spring, God can bring profound transformation to areas of "barrenness" or "bitterness" in our lives, turning curses into blessings. This passage encourages us to bring our "unwholesome waters"—our deepest wounds, our most persistent struggles, our seemingly hopeless circumstances—before the Lord, trusting in His ability to provide lasting solutions. Furthermore, it highlights that God often works through simple means and through His chosen servants. Our willingness to obey, even in seemingly small acts of faith, can be a channel for God's mighty power. We are called to be agents of healing and restoration in our own spheres of influence, speaking words of life and acting in faith, knowing that when God intervenes, His solutions are often permanent and effective, bringing wholeness "unto this day."
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was Jericho's water "bad" and the ground "barren"?
The text in 2 Kings 2:19 states the water was "bad" (מַיִם רָעִים, mayim ra'im) and the land "barren" (וְהָאָרֶץ מְשַׁכֶּלֶת, v'ha'aretz meshakkelet). This likely refers to a natural condition where the water contained minerals or other impurities that made it unpalatable or even unhealthy for consumption, and detrimental to agricultural productivity, causing crops to fail or livestock to miscarry. While some traditions link this to Joshua's curse on Jericho (Joshua 6:26), the curse specifically targeted the rebuilding of the city with the loss of sons, not the water source itself. Elisha's miracle addresses a practical, life-threatening problem, demonstrating God's compassion and power to sustain His people even in places with a troubled history.
Why did Elisha use salt to heal the waters?
Elisha's use of salt in a "new cruse" (2 Kings 2:20) was not for any inherent chemical property of the salt to purify the water. In fact, salt typically makes water undrinkable. The significance lies in the symbolic nature of the act. Salt, while often associated with preservation and covenant, could also symbolize judgment or barrenness in other biblical contexts (e.g., Deuteronomy 29:23). By using salt—something that would normally worsen the problem—in a new cruse (symbolizing purity or a new beginning), Elisha demonstrated that the healing power came solely from God, not from the natural properties of the salt or Elisha's own abilities. It was a visible, tangible act of obedience to God's instruction, serving as a sign that God alone was performing the miracle.
What is the significance of "unto this day"?
The phrase "unto this day" (עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, 'ad hayyom hazzeh) is a common literary device in the Old Testament. It serves as an authorial confirmation of the lasting impact and historical veracity of the event described. It means that at the time the book of Kings was written (centuries after Elisha), the healing of Jericho's waters was still evident and effective. This phrase emphasizes the permanence of God's miracle and the enduring truth of His word spoken through Elisha. It assures the readers that God's interventions are not temporary fixes but bring about complete and lasting transformation, providing a tangible, ongoing testimony to His power and faithfulness.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The healing of Jericho's waters by Elisha, a prophet of God, serves as a powerful foreshadowing of the ultimate healing and life-giving work of Jesus Christ. Elisha, acting as God's instrument, brought physical restoration to a source of death and barrenness, transforming it into a fount of life for the city. This points directly to Jesus, who is the true and ultimate source of living water, capable of healing not just physical springs but the spiritual barrenness and death within the human heart. Just as Elisha's miracle brought lasting relief, Jesus offers eternal life and complete spiritual restoration. He declared, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:37-38). The woman at the well experienced this when Jesus offered her "water that will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection are the ultimate acts of healing, reversing the curse of sin and death, and bringing about a new creation where "the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1) will eternally nourish all who believe. Jesus is the fulfillment of all prophetic signs of healing and restoration, offering a permanent, "unto this day" salvation that transforms barren lives into fruitful ones, bringing true peace and rest to the weary soul (Matthew 11:28-30).