2 Kings 2:19
New International Version
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.”

New Living Translation
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.”

English Standard Version
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.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.”

New American Standard Bible
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the site of the city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

NASB 1995
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

NASB 1977
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold now, the habitat of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

Amplified Bible
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Look, this city is in a pleasant place, as my lord [Elisha] sees; but the water is bad and the land is barren.”

Christian Standard Bible
The men of the city said to Elisha, “My lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Even though our lord can see that the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.”

American Standard Version
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the men of the city said to Elisha: “Behold, the dwelling of the city is good, as our Lord sees, and the waters are poor, and the land barren!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And 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.

Contemporary English Version
One day the people of Jericho said, "Elisha, you can see that our city is in a good spot. But the water from our spring is so bad that it even keeps our crops from growing."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the men of the city said to Eliseus: Behold the situation of this city is very good, as thou, my lord, seest: but the waters are very bad, and the ground barren.

English Revised Version
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the land miscarrieth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people of the city [of Jericho] told Elisha, "This city's location is as good as you will ever find. But the water is bad, and the land cannot grow crops."

Good News Translation
Some men from Jericho went to Elisha and said, "As you know, sir, this is a fine city, but the water is bad and causes miscarriages."

International Standard Version
The men who lived in the city addressed Elisha. "Look now," they said, "our city's location is good, as you have been observing, but the water springs here are bad and the land isn't sustaining crops."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the men of the city said unto Elisha: 'Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth; but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth.

Literal Standard Version
And the men of the city say to Elisha, “Now behold, the site of the city [is] good, as my lord sees, and the waters [are] bad, and the earth sterile.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.”

New American Bible
The inhabitants of the city complained to Elisha, “The site of the city is fine indeed, as my lord can see, but the water is bad and the land sterile.”

NET Bible
The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, the city has a good location, as our master can see. But the water is bad and the land doesn't produce crops."

New Revised Standard Version
Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.”

New Heart English Bible
The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land miscarries."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is bad, and the ground barren.

World English Bible
The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”

Young's Literal Translation
And the men of the city say unto Elisha, 'Lo, we pray thee, the site of the city is good, as my lord seeth, and the waters are bad, and the earth sterile.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elisha Heals the Waters of Jericho
19Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please note, our lord, that the city’s location is good, as you can see. But the water is bad and the land is unfruitful.” 20“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,…

Cross References
2 Kings 2:18
When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, "Didn't I tell you not to go?"

2 Kings 2:20
"Bring me a new bowl," he replied, "and put some salt in it." So they brought it to him,


Treasury of Scripture

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

my Lord seeth

Numbers 12:11
And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

1 Kings 18:7,13
And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah? …

1 Timothy 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

the water

Exodus 7:19
And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

Exodus 15:23
And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Joshua 6:17,26
And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent…

barren [heb] causing to miscarry

Exodus 23:26
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

Deuteronomy 28:2-4,11,15-18
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God…

Hosea 9:14
Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Jump to Previous
Bad Barren Birth Cattle Causing City Dead Elisha Eli'sha Good Ground Naught Pleasant Position Situated Situation Unfruitful Water Young
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Bad Barren Birth Cattle Causing City Dead Elisha Eli'sha Good Ground Naught Pleasant Position Situated Situation Unfruitful Water Young
2 Kings 2
1. Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan
9. and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven
12. Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor
16. The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him.
19. Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters
23. Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha














(19-25) Elisha, as prophet, heals the waters of Jericho, and curses the scorners of Beth-el.

(19) The men of the city.--Not "the sons of the prophets," but the citizens make this trial of the prophet's miraculous powers.

The situation of this (Heb., the) city is pleasant (Heb., good).--Jericho, "the city of palms" (Deuteronomy 34:3), had a fine position, "rising like an oasis from a broad plain of sand."

The water is naught.--Heb., bad. "Naught" i.e., "naughty."

And the ground barren.--2Kings 2:21 ("from thence") shows that the waters, not the soil, were the cause of the evil complained of. "The ground," or rather, the land is here put for its inhabitants, including the lower animals; and what is said is either "the country bears dead births," or, "the country has many miscarriages" (pi'el may be either factitive or intensive). (Comp. Exodus 23:26; Malachi 3:11.) The use of different waters is said to have good and bad effects upon the functions of conception and parturition (not "a popular superstition," as Reuss suggests). "The ground is barren," or unfruitful, is therefore an incorrect translation. . . .

Verses 19-25. - The historian passes to the record of some of Elisha's minor miracles, belonging to the time whereof he is writing, and helping to explain the position of dignity and respect which he is found to occupy in the next chapter (vers. 11-14). The miracles showed his twofold power, both to confer benefits and to punish. Verse 19. - And the men of the city - i.e. the inhabitants of Jericho; probably the civic authorities, having heard of the recent miracle - said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth. According to the unanimous voice of travelers, the situation of Jericho (now Eriha) is charming. Lying on a broad plain which is traversed by an abundant river, at the point where one of the main wadys debouched from the Judaean upland upon the low country, shaded by groves of palm trees (Deuteronomy 34:3) and fig-mulberries (Luke 19:4), the air scented with aromatic shrubs, opobalsam, myroba-lanum, and the like, facing the Orient sun, and commanding a wide prospect both across and also up and down the Ghor, with the mountains of Moab in the distance, Jericho was, no doubt, even before the miracle of Elisha, a "pleasant" place. But - there was one drawback - the water is naught, and the ground barren. Bitter and brackish springs, of which there are many in the Jordan valley, gushed forth from the foot of the mountains, and formed rivulets, which ran across the plain towards the Jordan, not diffusing health and fertility, but rather disease and barrenness. Untimely births, abortions, and the like prevailed among the cattle which were fed in the neighborhood, perhaps even among the inhabitants of the locality, and were attributed to the bitter springs, which made the land "miscarrying" (ἀτεκνουμένη, LXX.). It was the prayer of the men of Jericho that Elisha would remove this inconvenience.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the men
אַנְשֵׁ֤י (’an·šê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of the city
הָעִיר֙ (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

said
וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Elisha,
אֱלִישָׁ֔ע (’ĕ·lî·šā‘)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 477: Elisha -- 'God is salvation', a well-known Israelite prophet

“Please
נָ֞א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

note,
הִנֵּה־ (hin·nêh-)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

our lord,
אֲדֹנִ֖י (’ă·ḏō·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

that the city’s
הָעִיר֙ (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

location
מוֹשַׁ֤ב (mō·wō·šaḇ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4186: A seat, assembly, dwelling place, dwelling, dwellers

is good,
ט֔וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

but the water
וְהַמַּ֥יִם (wə·ham·ma·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

[is] bad
רָעִ֖ים (rā·‘îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

and the land
וְהָאָ֥רֶץ (wə·hā·’ā·reṣ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

is unfruitful.”
מְשַׁכָּֽלֶת׃ (mə·šak·kā·leṯ)
Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 7921: To miscarry, suffer abortion, to bereave


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OT History: 2 Kings 2:19 The men of the city said (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 2:18
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