2 Kings 2:20
New International Version
“Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

New Living Translation
Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl with salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

English Standard Version
He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

Berean Standard Bible
“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,

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

New King James Version
And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

New American Standard Bible
And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

NASB 1995
He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

NASB 1977
And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

Amplified Bible
He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

Christian Standard Bible
He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” After they had brought him one,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” After they had brought him one,

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

Contemporary English Version
He replied, "Put some salt in a new bowl and bring it to me." They brought him the bowl of salt,

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Elisha said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." They brought it to him.

Good News Translation
"Put some salt in a new bowl and bring it to me," he ordered. They brought it to him,

International Standard Version
Elisha ordered them, "Bring me a new bowl and put some salt in it." So they brought him what he had requested.

Majority Standard Bible
“Bring me a new bowl,” he replied, “and put some salt in it.” So they brought it to him,

NET Bible
Elisha said, "Get me a new jar and put some salt in it." So they got it.

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." They brought it to him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

World English Bible
He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Bring a new dish to me, and place salt there”; and they bring [it] to him,

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'Bring to me a new dish, and place there salt;' and they bring it unto him,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Take to me a new dish, and put salt there. And they will take to him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into it. And when they had brought it,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so he said, “Bring a new vessel to me, and place salt in it.” And when they had brought it,

New American Bible
Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt into it.” When they had brought it to him,

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said, Bring me a new cruse and put salt in it. And they brought it to him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said: “Bring to me one new pitcher and put salt in it.” And they brought it to him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein.' And they brought it to him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Elisaie said, Bring me a new pitcher, and put salt in it. And they took one, and brought it to him.

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, 21and Elisha went out to the spring, cast the salt into it, and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’ ”…

Cross References
Exodus 15:25
And Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log. And when he cast it into the waters, they were sweetened. There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them,

2 Kings 4:41
Then Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He threw it into the pot and said, “Pour it out for the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

2 Kings 6:6
“Where did it fall?” asked the man of God. And when he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float.

Exodus 7:19-21
And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.” / Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. / The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

Joshua 6:6
So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.”

1 Kings 18:41-45
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” / So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees. / “Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” ...

John 2:7-9
Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. / “Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, / and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Numbers 5:17
Then he is to take some holy water in a clay jar and put some of the dust from the tabernacle floor into the water.

Leviticus 2:13
And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.

Ezekiel 47:8-9
And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Dead Sea, the water there becomes fresh. / Wherever the river flows, there will be swarms of living creatures and a great number of fish, because it flows there and makes the waters fresh; so wherever the river flows, everything will flourish.

Revelation 22:1-2
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb / down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Genesis 21:19
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.


Treasury of Scripture

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

salt therein

Judges 9:45
And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

Ezekiel 47:11
But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

Zephaniah 2:9
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

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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














Bring me a new bowl
In this phrase, the prophet Elisha requests a new bowl. The Hebrew word for "bowl" here is "tselochith," which refers to a small dish or vessel. The request for a "new" bowl is significant, symbolizing purity and a fresh start. In the context of ancient Israel, vessels were often used in religious rituals, and a new vessel would be free from any previous contamination or defilement. This act of using a new bowl underscores the theme of renewal and divine intervention, as Elisha is about to perform a miracle to purify the water of Jericho. Theologically, this can be seen as a representation of how God makes all things new, a theme echoed throughout Scripture.

and put some salt in it
Salt in the ancient Near East was a valuable commodity, often used for preservation and purification. The Hebrew word for "salt" is "melach," which carries connotations of covenant and loyalty, as salt was used in covenant-making rituals. In Leviticus 2:13, salt is commanded to be used in all grain offerings, symbolizing the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people. By asking for salt, Elisha is not only preparing to purify the water but also invoking the idea of God's covenantal faithfulness. Salt's purifying properties are emblematic of the transformative power of God, who cleanses and preserves His creation.

So they brought it to him
The obedience of the people in bringing the new bowl with salt to Elisha is noteworthy. This act of compliance reflects their faith in Elisha's prophetic authority and, by extension, their trust in God's power to heal and restore. Historically, prophets in Israel were seen as God's mouthpieces, and their instructions were to be followed with reverence. The people's willingness to follow Elisha's seemingly simple request demonstrates their hope and expectation for divine intervention. This moment serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience to God's instructions, even when they may not immediately make sense to us. It is through such acts of faith that God often chooses to work His miracles.

(20) A new cruse.--Vessel; either dish, bowl, or cup (c?l?hith); only here. (Comp. c?l?hoth, 2Chronicles 35:16 : and the Targum, (c?l-hith?.) A new one, because the holy purpose demanded an instrument uncontaminated by use. (Comp. Numbers 19:2; 2Samuel 6:3.)

Salt.--As an antiseptic, an appropriate sacramental medium of the Divine influence which was to expel the corruption of the spring.

Verse 20. - And he said, Bring me a new cruse. Impurity must be cleansed by means that are wholly clean and pure. The prophet called for an absolutely new cruse, one that had been put to no use at all, and therefore could not have been defiled. And put salt therein. Salt, which physically would be most unapt to heal an unwholesome stream already holding too much salt in solution, is selected doubtless as emblematic of purity, being that by which corruption is ordinarily prevented or stayed. Under the Law every offering was to be purified by salt (Leviticus 2:13). The same symbolism is still employed under the gospel (see Matthew 5:13; Mark 9:49; Luke 14:34). And they brought it to him.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Bring
קְחוּ־ (qə·ḥū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

me
לִי֙ (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

a new
חֲדָשָׁ֔ה (ḥă·ḏā·šāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2319: New

bowl,”
צְלֹחִ֣ית (ṣə·lō·ḥîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6746: Something prolonged, tall, a vial, salt-cellar

he replied,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“and put
וְשִׂ֥ימוּ (wə·śî·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

some salt
מֶ֑לַח (me·laḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4417: Powder, salt

in it.”
שָׁ֖ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

So they brought [it]
וַיִּקְח֖וּ (way·yiq·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

to him,
אֵלָֽיו׃ (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT History: 2 Kings 2:20 He said Bring me a new jar (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 2:19
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