2 Kings 2:19-22

B. THE HEALING OF THE NOXIOUS WATER 2:19-22

TRANSLATION

(19) And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray you, the dwelling of the city is good as my master sees; but the waters are vile and the land miscarries. (20) And he said, Take for me a new vase, and put salt therein. And they took it unto him. (21) And he went out unto the spring of water, and cast there the salt, and he said, Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters; no more shall death and miscarrying be from that source. (22) And the waters were healed unto this day according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

COMMENTS

Having heard of the recent miracle performed by Elisha, the civic authorities of Jericho came to the prophet to seek his aid in removing the one unfortunate drawback to their otherwise pleasant community. A bitter and poisonous spring of water gushed forth near Jericho which sent its waters in rivlets across the plain to the Jordan. Nothing could grow near this water; cattle drinking this water would abort (2 Kings 2:19).[515]

[515] Gray (OTL, p. 477) takes note of a recent hydrological survey in Israel in which it was discovered that certain springs there are affected by radio-activity which laboratory tests have demonstrated to cause sterility.

The prophet called for a new vase filled with salt (2 Kings 2:20). By this action the prophet intended to symbolically teach that impurity can only be cleansed by what is wholly pure and clean. This is the reason he called for a new vase, one that had never before been used and hence could not have been defiled. The salt must also have been emblematic of purity, for no other substance would be more inappropriate for purifying water which already contained too much salt. As he poured his vase of salt into the spring, Elisha uttered an oracle in the name of the Lord to the effect that never again would that spring produce death and miscarrying among people and stock (2 Kings 2:21). The waters of that spring were instantly and permanently made whole (2 Kings 2:22). The so-called Spring of the Sultan near the ancient ruins of Jericho may be the very spring referred to in this passage.