Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 2
People have lived in Jericho since ancient times. It was the first city that Israel’s people won in Canaan. They destroyed it completely, to hand it over to God. Joshua declared God’s judgment against the person who would rebuild it (Joshua 6:26). So, Israel’s people did not live there for several centuries.
During the rule of Ahab, the father of the present king, Hiel built a new city there (1 Kings 16:34). However, life was difficult for the first inhabitants. Their problem was the bad water from the spring near the city. Crops would not grow well and the water caused illness and death. In particular, the death of unborn children was very frequent.
Most people in Israel served false gods at this time. However, among the new inhabitants of Jericho were fifty men with their families, who served the true God. Perhaps they persuaded the leaders of the city to ask a prophet of the true God for help.
For a short time after Elijah rose to heaven, Elisha stayed in Jericho. That gave the leaders of the city an opportunity to ask Elisha to pray for them. The fifty men who served the true God now believed Elisha to be a prophet, in other words, a holy man. They had seen how, in the power of God’s Spirit, Elisha had caused the waters in the river to separate (2:14). The leaders of Jericho were sure, therefore, that he could help their city.
Next part: God cures the waters at Jericho (2 Kings 2:20-22)
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