2 Kings 2:20

2Ki 2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought [it] to him.

Ver. 20. And he said, Bring me, &c.] Jericho is now become a receptacle of prophets; it is reason that any place should fare the better for the presence of such.

A new cruse,] Whereby it might appear that the miracle was not wrought by virtue of anything that had been in it before.

And put salt therein.] Salt was more likely to make the waters brackish, than to sweeten them. Salsum in amarum was a strange way to heal. God oft worketh by contraries, that his power may the more appear.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 2:20. And he said, Bring me a new cruise — He says new, partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by the natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruise before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation by it. And put salt therein — A most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren, Hereby therefore he intended to show, that the change desired was to be effected, not by any natural means, but solely by the divine power, which could work either without means or against them. Thus Christ anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, when he was going to restore him to sight, that he might show that no natural cause was concerned in his cure; clay, according to its natural effect, being more likely to injure his eyes than benefit them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:20-22 Elisha used a new bowl (Deut 21:3) filled with salt (Lev 2:13; Ezek 43:24) to symbolize calling upon God to purify the people and the environment. Elisha made it clear that the Lord, not he or the salt, had purified this water.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

ELISHA HEALS THE WATERS. (Kg2 2:19-25)

Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein--The noxious qualities of the water could not be corrected by the infusion of salt--for, supposing the salt was possessed of such a property, a whole spring could not be purified by a dishful for a day, much less in all future time. The pouring in of the salt was a symbolic act with which Elisha accompanied the word of the Lord, by which the spring was healed [KEIL].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(20) A new cruse.—Vessel; either dish, bowl, or cup (çĕlôhîth); only here. (Comp. çĕlâhôth, 2Ch_35:16 : and the Targum, (çĕlûhîthâ.) A new one, because the holy purpose demanded an instrument uncontaminated by use. (Comp. Num_19:2; 2Sa_6:3.)

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

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein] The purity and freshness of the vessel were to typify the purification wrought upon the spring. Salt too is significant of preservation and purity. We are not however to think of this as the means whereby the healing was wrought, but only as an outward sign to point to the work which was supernaturally performed. The old word ‘cruse’ = a cup, is akin to the more modern ‘cruet’ and ‘crucible’, and occurs before in the A.V. (1Ki_14:3).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters,.... The fountain from whence they flowed, the head of them:

and cast the salt in there; which was an unlikely means of making bad water good, since that makes it brackish, and not so drinkable, and what makes ground barren; but this method, contrary to nature, was taken, that the miracle might appear the greater; or, as the Jews express it, be a miracle within a miracle:

and said, thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; he did not pretend to heal them in his own name, and by his own power, but in the name and by the power of the Lord, to whom he would have it ascribed:

there shall not be from thence any more death, or barren land; or miscarrying; no more noxious and mortal diseases should be got by drinking them, nor any abortions occasioned by them in women, cattle, and fruit trees, as had been.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The “new cruse” and the “salt” are evidently chosen from a regard to symbolizm. The foul stream represents sin, and to cleanse it emblems of purity must he taken. Hence, the clean “new” dish previously unused, and thus untainted; and the salt, a common Scriptural symbol of incorruption (see Lev 2:13; Eze 43:24; Mat 5:13, etc.).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Put salt. He removes ever suspicion of imposture: if the waters were already saline, the remedy would seem contrary to his design, but it would display the miracle in a stronger light; and if they were only fetid and muddy, (Calmet) though (Haydock) salt might rectify a small quantity, (Palladius tit. 9. Vales, &c.) it could never correct the bad qualities of such a fountain for a length of time, by the mere force of nature. (Haydock) --- Josephus (Jewish Wars iv. 8.) represents Eliseus acting like a magician, being desirous to please the pagan readers with various embellishments. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

A new cruse; partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by any natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruse before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation by it.

Put salt therein; a most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren. Hereby therefore he would show that this was effected solely by the Divine power, which could work either without means, or against them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. A new cruse — Never used in any common or unholy service.

Put salt therein — Elisha, in working this miracle, would seem to make use of means just as did Jesus when he put spittle on the blind man’s eyes.

Joh_9:6; Mar_8:23. “The injurious property and effect was not taken from the water by the salt, poured in; for even if the salt actually possessed this power, a whole spring could not be corrected by a single dish of salt, even for one day, much less for a longer time, or forever. The pouring in of the salt was a symbolic act with which Elisha accompanied the word of the Lord, by which alone the spring was healed. Salt, on account of its power of preserving from putrescence and decay, is the symbol of incorruptibility, and of life removing death. The new dish was also a symbol of purity and inviolateness.” — Keil.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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. (Lev_2:13) The same symbolism is still employed under the gospel (see Mat_5:13; Mar_9:49; Luk_14:34) And they brought it to him.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A new cruse - That there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous operation. Put salt - A most improper remedy; for salt naturally makes waters brackish, and lands barren. Hereby therefore he would shew, that this was effected solely by the Divine power, which could work either without means, or against them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.