2 Kings 2:21

21 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.'"

2 Kings 2:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 2:21

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.

2 Kings 2:21 In-Context

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."

20 Elisha said, "Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it." So they brought it to him.

21 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.'"

22 So the water has been healed to this day just as Elisha had said.

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. On the way some boys came out of the city and made fun of him. They said to him, "Go up too, you baldhead! Go up too, you baldhead!"