2 Kings 2 · Verse 19

2 Kings 2:19

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, King James Version

2 Kings 2:19 in other translations

BSBThen 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.”
WEBThe 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.”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd 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.'
DARBYAnd the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold now, the situation of the city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.
BBENow the men of the town said to Elisha, You see that the position of this town is good; but the water is bad, causing the young of the cattle to come to birth dead.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 2 Kings 2:19 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 The water is naught, and the ground barren - The barrenness of the ground was the effect of the badness of the water.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 2:19-25
Observe the miracle of healing the waters. Prophets should make every place to which they come better for them, endeavouring to sweeten bitter spirits, and to make barren souls fruitful, by the word of God, which is like the salt cast into the water by Elisha. It was an apt emblem of the effect produced by the grace of God on the sinful heart of man. Whole families, towns, and cities, sometimes have a new appearance through the preaching of the gospel; wickedness and evil have been changed into fruitfulness in the works of righteousness, which are, through Christ, to the praise and glory of God. Here is a curse on the youths of Bethel, enough to destroy them; it was not a curse causeless, for it was Elisha's character, as God's prophet, that they abused. They bade him "go up," reflecting on the taking up of Elijah into heaven. The prophet acted by Divine impulse. If the Holy Spirit had not directed Elisha's solemn curse, the providence of God would not have followed it with judgment. The Lord must be glorified as a righteous God who hates sin, and will reckon for it. Let young persons be afraid of speaking wicked words, for God notices what they say. Let them not mock at any for defects in mind or body; especially it is at their peril, if they scoff at any for well doing. Let parents that would have comfort in their children, train them up well, and do their utmost betimes to drive out the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts. And what will be the anguish of those parents, at the day of judgment, who witness the everlasting condemnation of their offspring, occasioned by their own bad example, carelessness, or wicked teaching!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Kings 2:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמְר֜וּvai.Yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אַנְשֵׁ֤י'an.Shei[the] people ofH582
הָעִיר֙ha.'Irthe cityH5892
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֱלִישָׁ֔ע'e.li.Sha'ElishaH477
הִנֵּה\־hi.neh-here!H2009
נָ֞אna'pleaseH4994
מוֹשַׁ֤בmo.Shav[the] location ofH4186
הָעִיר֙ha.'Irthe cityH5892
ט֔וֹבTov[is] goodH2896
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka.'a.Sherjust asH834
אֲדֹנִ֖י'a.do.Nilord myH113
רֹאֶ֑הro.'Eh[is] seeingH7200
וְהַמַּ֥יִםve.ha.Ma.yimand the watersH4325
רָעִ֖יםra.'Im[are] badH7451
וְהָאָ֥רֶץve.ha.'A.retzand the landH776
מְשַׁכָּֽלֶת\׃me.sha.Ka.let[is] causing abortionsH7921

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 2:19

  • 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

    And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

  • Deuteronomy 28:11

    And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

  • Deuteronomy 28:15-18

    But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

  • 1 Kings 16:34

    In his days did Hiel the Beth–elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Hosea 9:14

    Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

  • Joshua 6:26

    And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

  • 1 Kings 18:7

    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?

  • Joshua 6:17

    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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
my Lord seeth.
Nu 12:11; 1Ki 18:7,13; 1Ti 5:17
the water.
Ex 7:19; 15:23; Jos 6:17,26; 1Ki 16:34
barren. Heb. causing to miscarry.
Ex 23:26; De 28:2-4,11,15-18; Ho 9:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 2:18

    And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

  • 2 Kings 2:19

    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 2:20

    And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

Read all of 2 Kings 2

2 Kings 2:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y los hombres de la ciudad dijeron á Eliseo: He aquí el asiento de esta ciudad es bueno, como mi señor ve; mas las aguas son malas, y la tierra enferma.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et les hommes de la ville dirent à Élisée: Tu vois que l’emplacement de la ville est bon, comme mon seigneur le voit; mais les eaux sont mauvaises, et la terre est stérile.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Männer der Stadt sprachen zu Elisa: Siehe doch, die Lage der Stadt ist gut, wie mein Herr sieht, aber das Wasser ist schlecht, und das Land ist unfruchtbar.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixerunt quoque viri civitatis ad Eliseum: Ecce habitatio civitatis hujus optima est, sicut tu ipse, domine, perspicis: sed aquæ pessimæ sunt, et terra sterilis.