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Verse 20
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) 2:20

Amphilochius of Iconium

Amphilochius of Iconium4th century

The spring in Jericho was once a source of desolation and infertility, its waters tainted and unworthy. Though it flowed abundantly and smoothly like oil, gazing upon its surface did little to quench thirst; indeed, its waters were harmful and unsafe for drinking. The allure of its beauty drew many to it, yet fear of its detrimental nature deterred their longing. Consequently, those residing nearby often experienced deep thirst, not due to scarcity of water, but because they recognized the futility of the spring's offering. Unable to satisfy their overpowering thirst, they lamented to the spring: "O spring, why do you flow without purpose? It would have been better had you remained hidden or flowed through remote mountains and deserts where few would witness the evil you harbor." But why were the waters so deadly? They led to the demise of those who ingested them; a man who drank from this spring would remain childless, and a woman would lose the capability of motherhood. The very soil that absorbed this tainted water ceased to yield its usual fruits, and the palm trees, once providing shade, shed their foliage, turning the land into a barren wasteland upon encountering these poisonous waters. Such was the condition of the spring surrounding Jericho until the prophet Elisha arrived, taking salt and casting it into the waters, thus restoring them. For the Lord declared, "I will heal these waters." He, who always fulfills His promises, proclaimed that among them, there would be no barren or unfruitful (Deuteronomy 7:14). He spoke, and the waters transformed; mothers' wombs became fruitful, the earth produced abundantly, vines flourished, and olives yielded their bounty. Those who lived nearby once estranged from the spring now became reconciled, rejoicing over it and fostering goodwill among neighbors.

But what crucial message does this mystery of the spring convey to us? Once a source of barren and lifeless water, it now symbolizes the grace of the Church. Before the coming of Christ, the waters were so corrupt that even a man who drank from them would hinder his very humanity, becoming lost in delusions that clouded his rational soul; meanwhile, a woman would not bear the fruits of virtue, nor nurture the seeds of humility nor exude the nourishing essence of piety. In such desolation, the Lord arrived and restored order, making the waters drinkable by introducing the apostles, akin to salt, into them. As affirmed by Christ Himself, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). The transformation from barrenness to fruitfulness, brought about by embracing the apostolic salt, is echoed by the prophet: "Rejoice, you barren, you who do not give birth; cry aloud, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate are more than those of the married woman" (Isaiah 54:1).