Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, on 2Kgs 6:6

“And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam.”

“cut down a stick, and cast it in thither--Although this means was used, it had no natural adaptation to make the iron swim. Besides, the Jordan is at Jericho so deep and rapid that there were one thousand chances to one against the stick falling into the hole of the axe-head. All attempts to account for the recovery of the lost implement on such a theory must be rejected. the iron did swim--only by the miraculous exertion of Elisha's power.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.