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Verse 19
Theosis · English Bible
4 Kingdoms (2 Kings)

4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 2

Old TestamentTheosis · English Bible

1And it came to pass, when the Lord was going to take Eliu with a whirlwind as it were into heaven, that Eliu and Elisaie went out of Galgala. 2And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray thee; for God has sent me to Bæthel. And Elisaie said, As the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee; so they came to Bæthel. 3And the sons of the prophets who were in Bæthel came to Elisaie, and said to him, Dost thou know, that the Lord this day is going to take thy lord away from thy head? And he said, Yea, I know it; be silent. 4And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray thee; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. And they came to Jericho. 5And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho drew near to Elisaie, and said to him, Dost thou know that the Lord is about to take away thy master to-day from thy head? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold your peace. 6And Eliu said to him, Stay here, I pray thee, for the Lord has sent me to Jordan. And Elisaie said, As the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee: and they both went on. 7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went also, and they stood opposite afar off: and both stood on the bank of Jordan. 8And Eliu took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the water: and the water was divided on this side and on that side, and they both went over on dry ground. 9And it came to pass while they were crossing over, that Eliu said to Elisaie, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken up from thee. And Elisaie said, Let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit upon me. 10And Eliu said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: if thou shalt see me when I am taken up from thee, then shall it be so to thee; and if not, it shall not be so. 11And it came to pass as they were going, they went on talking; and, behold, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and it separated between them both; and Eliu was taken up in a whirlwind as it were into heaven. 12And Elisaie saw, and cried, Father, father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof! And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his garments, and rent them into two pieces. 13And Elisaie took up the mantle of Eliu, which fell from off him upon Elisaie; and Elisaie returned, and stood upon the brink of Jordan; 14and he took the mantle of Eliu, which fell from off him, and smote the water, and said, Where is the Lord God of Eliu? and he smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither; and Elisaie went over. 15And the sons of the prophets who were in Jericho on the opposite side saw him, and said, The spirit of Eliu has rested upon Elisaie. And they came to meet him, and did obeisance to him to the ground. 16And they said to him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty men of strength: let them go now, and seek thy lord: peradventure the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up, and cast him into Jordan, or on one of the mountains, or on one of the hills. And Elisaie said, Ye shall not send. 17And they pressed him until he was ashamed; and he said, Send. And they sent fifty men, and sought three days, and found him not. 18And they returned to him, for he dwelt in Jericho: and Elisaie said, Did I not say to you, Go not? 19And the men of the city said to Elisaie, Behold, the situation of the city is good, as our lord sees; but the waters are bad, and the ground barren. 20And Elisaie said, Bring me a new pitcher, and put salt in it. And they took one, and brought it to him. 21And 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. 22And the waters were healed until this day, according to the word of Elisaie which he spoke. 23And he went up thence to Bæthel: and as he was going up by the way there came up also little children from the city, and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, baldhead, go up. 24And he turned after them, and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And, behold, there came out two bears out of the wood, and they tore forty and two children of them. 25And he went thence to mount Carmel, and returned thence to Samaria.

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4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 2:19

Amphilochius of Iconium

Amphilochius of Iconium4th century

The spring near Jericho was once a source of desolation, a promoter of barrenness, as it contained unhealthy water. Its broad waters moved quietly like oil, yet gazing upon the surface did not satisfy those who were parched, for drinking from it was perilous due to its harmful properties. The alluring appearance of the spring drew in passersby, but apprehension about its dangers dampened their desire. Consequently, the water offered no relief, leaving those who lived nearby feeling overwhelmed, thirsting not from a lack of water but from the understanding that the spring bore no good. Unable to quench their intense thirst, they lamented to the spring, “O spring, why do you flow without benefit? It would have been better for you to be hidden from sight or to flow through remote mountains and sandy wastes where fewer would witness your harm.” But what caused the water to be undrinkable? Because it brought death to those who partook of it; a man who drank from this spring would be unable to sire children, and a woman would lose her capacity for motherhood. The land, too, if it absorbed this water, would cease to yield fruit as before, the palm trees that once provided refreshing shade would shed their leaves, and everything would regress into a wasteland if it unwillingly encountered this water.

Such a spring encircled Jericho until the prophet Elisha came, took salt, and cast it into the waters, restoring their vitality. For thus says the Lord, “I will heal these waters.” He who speaks and acts with authority proclaimed, “There shall not be any barren among you” (Deuteronomy 7:14). He spoke, and the waters transformed; mothers conceived, the earth yielded its fruit, grapes flourished, and olives bore their harvest. Those living around the spring, who had previously been alienated and resentful, were restored to joy and became good neighbors. But what essential truth does the mystery of this spring convey to us? The spring, which once yielded a futile and unproductive flow, now embodies the promise of the Church. Before Christ came, it was in such disarray that a husband drinking from its waters would destroy his vitality, entangled in fanciful illusions that ensnared his rational soul; the woman, too, failed to become a mother of virtues, not nurturing the seedlings of humility nor producing the nourishing milk of piety. Yet, in this dire condition, the Lord arrived and brought order, making the waters drinkable by casting in the apostles like salt. To understand that the apostles are the salt, consider Christ’s own words, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). The transformation from barrenness to fertility upon receiving the apostolic salt is echoed by the prophet: “Rejoice, O barren one, you who do not bear; break forth and cry out, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate are more than those of the married woman” (Isaiah 54:1).