2 Kings 2:21 (YLT)

Passage

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.'

Nearby Context

2 Kings 2:19 And the men of the city say unto Elisha, `Lo, we pray thee, the site of the city <FI>is<Fi> good, as my lord seeth, and the waters <FI>are<Fi> bad, and the earth sterile.'

2 Kings 2:20 And he saith, `Bring to me a new dish, and place there salt;' and they bring <FI>it<Fi> unto him,

2 Kings 2:21 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.'

2 Kings 2:22 And the waters are healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha, that he spake.

2 Kings 2:23 And he goeth up thence to Beth-El, and he is going up in the way, and little youths have come out from the city, and scoff at him, and say to him, `Go up, bald-head! go up, bald-head!'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "goeth", "source", "waters", "casteth", "salt", "saith", "thus", and "said". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "goeth" and "source", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And he saith Bring to me a..." into verse 22's "And the waters are healed unto this...", so "goeth" and "source" belong inside that flow. In 2 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "goeth" and "source" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.