4 Kings 2:20
And he said: Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into it. And when they had brought it,
Open 4 Kings 2:20 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- At ille ait : Afferte mihi vas novum, et mittite in illud sal. Quod cum attulissent,
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ εἶπεν Ἐλεισαῖν Λάβετέ μοι ὑδρίσκην καινὴν καὶ θέτε ἐκεῖ ἅλα· καὶ ἔλαβον πρὸς αὐτόν.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיֹּ֗אמֶר קְחוּ לִי֙ צְלֹחִ֣ית חֲדָשָׁ֔ה וְשִׂ֥ימוּ שָׁ֖ם מֶ֑לַח וַיִּקְח֖וּ אֵלָֽיו
Haydock's commentary
Put salt. He removes every 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)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Methodius Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna On the Day that They Met in the Temple
IX. Let then, says he, what I have thus far said in brief, suffice for the present as my offering of thanks to God. But what shall I say to thee, O mother-virgin and virgin-mother? For the praise even of her who is not man’s work exceeds the power of man. Wherefore the dimness of my poverty I will make bright with the splendour of the gifts of the spirits that around thee shine, and offering to thee of thine own, from the immortal meadows I will pluck a garland for thy sacred and divinely crowned head. With thine ancestral hymns will I greet thee, O daughter of David, and mother of the Lord and God of David. For it were both base and inauspicious to adorn thee, who in thine own glory excellest with that which belongeth unto another. …
St Ephrem the Syrian Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, Hymn I
The wise man, if so be he that watches, one of two things chooseth him; either takes sweet, moderate, sleep, or a holy vigil keeps. That night is fair, wherein He Who is Fair rose to come and make us fair. Let not aught that may disturb it enter into our watch! Fair be kept the ear’s approach, chaste the seeing of the eye! hallowed the musing of the heart! the speaking of the mouth be cleared. Mary hid in us to-day leaven that came from Abraham. Let us then so pity beggars as did Abraham the needy. To-day the rennet fell on us from the gentle David’s house. Let a man show mercy to his persecutors, as did Jesse’s son to Saul. The prophets’ sweet salt is to-day sprinkled among the Gentiles. Let us gain a new savour by that whereby the ancient people lost their savour. Let us speak the speech of wisdom; speak we not of things outside it, lest we ourselves be outside it!