2 Kings 2:21

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, 'This is what the LORD says: I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֵּצֵא֙ אֶל־מוֹצָ֣א הַמַּ֔יִם וַיַּשְׁלֶךְ־שָׁ֖ם מֶ֑לַח וַיֹּ֜אמֶר כֹּֽה־אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה רִפִּ֙אתִי֙ לַמַּ֣יִם הָאֵ֔לֶּה לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֥ה מִשָּׁ֛ם ע֖וֹד מָ֥וֶת וּמְשַׁכָּֽלֶת׃

Transliteration

And wayyēṣē' to-môṣā' the-mayim, and wayyašlēk-there melaḥ; and wayyō'mer, thus-'āmar YHWH, rippî'tî to-the-mayim the-these; not-yihyeh from-there still māwet and-məšakkālet.

Grammar Details

• *wayyēṣē'*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *yāṣā'* - and he went out
• *môṣā'*: masculine singular construct of *môṣā'* - spring/source of
• *mayim*: masculine plural noun - waters
• *wayyašlēk*: waw-consecutive + hiphil imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *šālak* - and he threw
• *melaḥ*: masculine singular noun - salt
• *wayyō'mer*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *'āmar* - and he said
• *'āmar*: qal perfect 3rd masculine singular of *'āmar* - he has said
• *rippî'tî*: piel perfect 1st person singular of *rāpā'* - I have healed
• *yihyeh*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *hāyâ* - it will be
• *māwet*: masculine singular noun - death
• *məšakkālet*: piel participle feminine singular of *šākōl* - causing bereavement/miscarrying

Word Meanings

• *môṣā'* the-*mayim*: spring of the waters/source of the water
• *kōh*-*'āmar* *YHWH*: thus says YHWH/thus has YHWH said
• *rippî'tî*: I have healed/I have restored
• *lō'*-*yihyeh* from-there still *māwet* and-*məšakkālet*: there shall no longer be death and miscarriage from there

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus says the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from here any more death or barren land.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he went forth{H3318} unto the spring{H4161} of the waters,{H4325} and cast{H7993} salt{H4417} therein, and said,{H559} Thus saith{H559} Jehovah,{H3068} I have healed{H7495} these waters;{H4325} there shall not be from thence any more death{H4194} or miscarrying.{H7921}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he went forth{H3318}{(H8799)} unto the spring{H4161} of the waters{H4325}, and cast{H7993}{(H8686)} the salt{H4417} in there, and said{H559}{(H8799)}, Thus saith{H559}{(H8804)} the LORD{H3068}, I have healed{H7495}{(H8765)} these waters{H4325}; there shall not be from thence any more death{H4194} or barren{H7921}{(H8764)} land.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then wete he forth vnto the well of water, and cast the salt therin, & sayde: Thus sayeth the LORDE: I haue healed this water: from hence forth shal there no deed ner vnfrutefulnes come of it.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And he went vnto the spring of the waters, and cast there the salt, and said, Thus saith the Lorde, I haue healed this water: death shall no more come thereof, neither barennesse to the ground.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he went vnto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in thyther, and saide, thus saith the Lord: I haue healed these waters, there shall not come hencefoorth either death or barennesse.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren [land].

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus says Yahweh, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he goeth out unto the source of the waters, and casteth there salt, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there is not thence any more death and sterility.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying. [

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Then he went out to the spring from which the water came, and put salt in it, and said, The Lord says, Now I have made this water sweet; no longer will it be death-giving or unfertile.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or miscarrying.'"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  He went out to the spring and threw the salt in. Then he said,“This is what the LORD has said,‘I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or fail to produce crops.”

Referenced Verses

• 2 Kgs 4:41 : 41 Elisha said, 'Get some flour.' He threw it into the pot and said, 'Serve it to the people to eat.' And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
• 2 Kgs 6:6 : 6 The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick, threw it there, and the iron floated.
• Exod 15:25-26 : 25 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them. 26 He said, 'If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'
• Lev 2:13 : 13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
• Ps 107:33-38 : 33 He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into parched ground, 34 and a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell there. 35 He turns the desert into pools of water, and a dry land into flowing springs. 36 There He settles the hungry, and they establish a city to live in. 37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards, which yielded a fruitful harvest. 38 He blessed them, and they multiplied greatly, and He did not let their livestock decrease.
• Ezek 47:8-9 : 8 He said to me, 'This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it flows into the sea, the water there becomes fresh.' 9 Every living creature that swarms wherever the river goes will live. There will be many fish because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows, everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along its shores; from En Gedi to En Eglaim, there will be places to spread nets. The fish will be of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very numerous. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.
• Matt 5:11 : 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
• Mark 9:50 : 50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another.
• John 9:6 : 6 After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and spread it on the man's eyes.
• 1 Cor 1:18-28 : 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the intelligent I will frustrate.' 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in God’s wisdom the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
• Rev 21:4 : 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
• Rev 22:2-3 : 2 In the middle of the city’s street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.