2 Kings 2 19

2 Kings 2:19 kjv

And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.

2 Kings 2:19 nkjv

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren."

2 Kings 2:19 niv

The people of the city said to Elisha, "Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive."

2 Kings 2:19 esv

Now the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful."

2 Kings 2:19 nlt

One day the leaders of the town of Jericho visited Elisha. "We have a problem, my lord," they told him. "This town is located in pleasant surroundings, as you can see. But the water is bad, and the land is unproductive."

2 Kings 2 verses

2 Kings 2 19 Meaning

The men of the city of Jericho appealed to the prophet Elisha, pointing out a problem with their city's water source: it was bad and causing barrenness in the land, specifically preventing successful births or yield, suggesting infertility or death among living things. This verse initiates their plea for divine intervention through Elisha to remedy a dire situation affecting the city's vitality and population.

2 Kings 2 19 Context

This verse is positioned directly after Elisha has received a double portion of Elijah's spirit and witnessed Elijah's ascension to heaven (2 Kin 2:1-18). His first public acts validate his prophetic authority. He has already supernaturally divided the Jordan River, demonstrating a clear transfer of power from Elijah. The scene shifts to Jericho, a city that was under a powerful curse laid by Joshua centuries earlier (Josh 6:26), which dictated that whoever rebuilt its foundations would lose their firstborn son, and whoever set up its gates would lose their youngest son. Hiel of Bethel fulfilled this curse in the time of Ahab (1 Kin 16:34). Now, the people of Jericho present a more pressing and persistent environmental problem, effectively testing Elisha's anointing as a prophet who brings life and healing, rather than just judgment or power. The cultural context views water as essential for life and fertility, and any blight on it signals divine displeasure or a deep-seated problem, potentially challenging reliance on local fertility deities.

2 Kings 2 19 Word analysis

• וַיֵּצְא֣וּ (Vayyetz'u): "And went out." A waw consecutive imperfect, showing sequential action. The implication is they specifically sought out Elisha, recognizing his new prophetic authority, perhaps having heard of the Jordan miracle. This emphasizes their initiative and faith.
• אַנְשֵׁ֣י (`anshe`): "men of." Construct state, meaning "men belonging to." This signifies not just random individuals but representatives or leading figures from the community. It suggests a communal distress and appeal.
• הָעִ֗יר (ha`ir): "the city." Refers specifically to Jericho. This city had a historical context of curse and a prophetic connection. Its designation here highlights that the problem was urban, affecting the entire populace.
• אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע֮ (`el-’elisha`): "to Elisha." The direct object, indicating he was the one they appealed to. His prophetic office is implicitly acknowledged.
• הִנֵּה־נָ֞א (hineh-na'): "Behold now." An emphatic particle, drawing immediate attention to the grave situation. It's a plea for urgency.
• מוֹשַׁ֤ב (moshav): "dwelling/situation/habitation." Refers to the location, the dwelling place. Here, it signifies "the site" or "situation of the city." It is presented as pleasant.
• הָעִיר֙ (ha`ir): "the city." Again, Jericho itself.
• טוֹב֙ (tov): "good, pleasant." Describes the geographical setting of Jericho as favorable or attractive. It acknowledges the natural benefits of the location, making the problem of the water even more jarring.
• כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר (ka'asher): "as" or "just as." Comparative, indicating the existing condition.
• אֲדֹנִ֣י (`adoni): "my lord." A respectful address for a prophet or superior, similar to how servants addressed Elijah. It shows deference to Elisha's authority.
• רֹאֶה֙ (ro'eh): "you see" or "perceives." Direct appeal to Elisha's personal observation and awareness. They expect him to discern the truth of their situation.
• וְהַמַּ֙יִם֙ (v'hamayim): "but the water." Waw connective with definite article, specifying the central issue. Water is vital, and its corruption is disastrous.
• רָעִ֔ים (ra`im): "bad, evil, harmful." The word can signify moral evil or practical badness, referring to the detrimental quality of the water, making it unusable or dangerous. This badness affects life itself.
• וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ (v'ha'aretz): "and the land." Refers to the ground, the fertile soil around Jericho, reliant on this water.
• מְשַׂכֶּֽלֶת׃ (m`sakkelet): "barren, miscarrying, causing miscarriage/death." A Hiphil participle, causative. The land itself is not inherently barren but causes barrenness or loss of offspring. This points to the land being infertile for crops and livestock, and perhaps affecting human fertility, leading to abortions or deaths, indicating a profound and life-negating curse. It captures both agricultural and biological unfruitfulness.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "The men of the city came out to Elisha": Highlights the desperation and recognition of Elisha's divine power. They don't try self-help but turn to the prophet, indicative of Israel's covenant understanding that Yahweh (through His prophet) controls the land and its blessings/curses.
• "Behold, the situation of this city is good, as my lord sees": This acknowledges the favorable physical location of Jericho while drawing a sharp contrast to the underlying problem. It frames the appeal: everything looks fine, but it is deeply broken. This polite address aims to impress the urgency and apparent contradiction of their plight.
• "but the water is bad, causing the land to be barren/miscarry": This identifies the core problem (bad water) and its devastating consequence (barrenness). This bad water implies both toxicity to drink and inability to sustain growth. The Hebrew term meshakkeleth is very strong, indicating the death or expulsion of progeny before full development, applied broadly to human, animal, and plant life, stressing absolute sterility or loss of fruitfulness and life. This would resonate with cultural fears around food security and continuation of lineage, and possibly relate to the Joshuaic curse on the city. It establishes the immediate need for divine healing.

2 Kings 2 19 Bonus section

• Significance of Jericho: Jericho, the "City of Palms," was strategically important and known for its pleasant springs. Its continued problems after being rebuilt underscore that human efforts alone could not undo a divine curse. Only divine intervention, through a prophet of Yahweh, could truly bring lasting blessing and restoration. The curse was not merely an architectural decree but also affected the city's fundamental well-being.
• Hiel's Fulfillment of the Curse (1 Kin 16:34): While Hiel rebuilt Jericho in Ahab's time and lost his sons, the land's persistent barrenness described in 2 Kings 2:19 indicates a lingering impact of Joshua's original curse beyond just the builder's fate. It implies the ground itself retained a detrimental quality, preventing full thriving.
• Elisha as a Type of Christ: Elisha's act of bringing life and healing to a cursed and barren place foreshadows Jesus' ministry of spiritual and physical restoration. Just as Elisha transforms deadly waters into life-giving ones, Christ offers living water and makes all things new (John 4:14, Rev 21:5).
• Symbolism of "Bad" Water: In ancient thought, the quality of water was intimately linked with life and death, blessing and curse. "Bad" water implies not just taste but inherent toxicity or a divine judgment that renders it infertile or poisonous to living things. It speaks to a land under a profound spiritual ailment.

2 Kings 2 19 Commentary

2 Kings 2:19 is a foundational verse establishing Elisha's prophetic ministry after Elijah's departure. The men of Jericho appeal to Elisha not as a mere advisor, but as a "lord" (adon), recognizing his prophetic office and spiritual authority. Their polite but desperate plea highlights a paradox: while Jericho is geographically pleasant ("good"), its essential life-source, water, is "bad," resulting in barrenness, which likely meant stillbirths, miscarriages, failed crops, and dying livestock. This environmental blight echoes the ancient curse on Jericho itself from Joshua's time, perhaps still lingering or finding new expression in the land's inability to sustain life despite the city's apparent rebuilding. The urgency of the plea serves as a clear challenge for Elisha to demonstrate that the God he serves is indeed the source of life and blessing, reversing curses and bringing forth fruitfulness. His ability to heal the land's lifeblood would confirm his prophetic succession and the living power of Yahweh to bless and restore what is broken. It sets the stage for Elisha's miracle of healing the waters with salt, an act that defies natural expectation but points to God's supernatural power to transform what is inherently harmful into something life-giving.