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Verse 21
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) 2:21

Amphilochius of Iconium

Amphilochius of Iconium4th century

The spring of Jericho was once a source of desolation, nourishing nothing but barrenness due to its harmful waters. Though it flowed abundantly and smoothly like oil, its appearance did nothing to satisfy the thirst of those who beheld it. It was dangerous for the thirsty to partake, as its waters were toxic. The allure of its beauty tempted many, but a deep-seated fear of the resultant harm stifled their desire. Consequently, the water flowed in vain, and those living nearby often found themselves despondent, not for the want of water but because they recognized its lack of nourishment. Unable to quench their intense thirst, they lamented to the spring, "O spring, why do you flow without purpose? It would be better if you were hidden or meandered through distant mountains and desolate sands, where none could witness your malevolence." But what made its waters undrinkable? They proved fatal to those who consumed them; a man could drink and remain childless, while a woman drinking from it lost her ability to bear children. The land as well, when tainted by this water, ceased to yield its usual bounty, and palm trees that once provided pleasant shade shed their leaves. This cursed spring surrounded Jericho until the prophet Elisha arrived, taking salt and casting it into the waters, thus restoring their vitality. The Lord proclaimed, "I will heal these waters." His declaration, ever active, affirmed that there would be no barren among them nor any unfruitful (Deuteronomy 7:14). At His command, the waters were transformed; mothers bore children, the earth produced fruit, vines flourished, and olives bore plentiful yield. Those who had once harbored resentment towards the spring were now reconciled; their hearts, which had once felt hostility, were filled with joy, leading them to embrace it as good neighbors.

What can we learn from this mysterious spring? Once, it flowed with a stream that bore no fruit, but now, it embodies the message of the Church. Before Christ’s intervention, the waters were so corrupted that a husband drinking from them could imperil his very humanity, losing sight of his rational soul amid false images. The woman too failed to cultivate virtues or bear the fruits of humility, nor could she share the pure milk of piety. Yet, the Lord came and restored order to this disgrace, rendering it drinkable by introducing His apostles, likened to salt. As Christ Himself declared, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). The promise that the barren and childless would bear fruit upon receiving this apostolic salt is echoed by the prophet: "Rejoice, you barren, you who do not give birth; cry out and shout, you who have not been in labor, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman" (Isaiah 54:1).