1.
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
heaven = heavens, and elsewhere.
Elisha = my God [is] salvation. See his call (1 Kings 19:16 ) ten years before.
from Gilgal. The reverse route taken by Israel on entering the Land.
2.
And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
thy soul = thyself. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 . down. Therefore Gilgal in 2 Kings 2:1 cannot be the well-known Gilgal near Jericho, but another between Tibneh and Shiloh. See 2 Kings 4:38 . Gilgal = circle; and there may have been several such.
3.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
from thy head = from over thee: "head, "put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), App-6 , for himself".
4.
And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6.
And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
7.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
men. Hebrew. 'ish . App-14 .
8.
And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
9.
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
double portion. See note on 2 Kings 2:15 .
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the gifts and operations of the Spirit of God.
10.
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
nevertheless. The verse needs no italics.
see = clearly see.
11.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
a whirlwind. Not a fiery chariot, according to a certain hymn. Compare 2 Kings 2:1 .
12.
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13.
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ) in 2 Kings 2:12 .
My father. Figure of speech Epizeuxis. App-6 . The repetition = my revered, or beloved father.
14.
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
the LORD God = Jehovah Elohim; or. Where is Jehovah the God of Elijah? After this the Hebrew text has ' aph hu = " even he". The Vulgate reads this as the end of the question. But the Massorites, by the accent ( athnach), throw it on to the next sentence, "and when even he smote the waters", &c.
they parted. The first of sixteen miracles. See note on 2 Kings 2:15 .
over. The 19th Seder ends here. See note on p. 366.
15.
And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
doth rest = hath rested. Compare 1 Peter 4:14 . Rest in "double portion" according to 2 Kings 2:9 . Seen in the fact that Elijah wrought eight miracles and Elisha sixteen, and all were parables in action.
Elijah's eight Miracles (1 and 2 Kings).
1. Shutting heaven (1 Kings 17:1 ).
2. Oil multiplied (1 Kings 17:14 ).
3. Widow's son raised (1 Kings 17:22-23 ).
4. Fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38 ).
5. Rain (1 Kings 18:45 ).
6. Fire on 50 (2 Kings 1:10 ).
7. Fire on 50 (2 Kings 1:12 ).
8. Jordan (2 Kings 2:8 ).
Elisha's sixteen Miracles (2 Kings).
1. Jordan divided (2 Kings 2:14 ).
2. Waters healed (2 Kings 2:21 ).
3. Bears from wood (2 Kings 2:24 ).
4. Water for kings (2 Kings 3:20 ).
5. Oil for widow (2 Kings 4:1-6 ).
6. Gift of son (2 Kings 4:16-17 ).
7. Raising from dead (2 Kings 4:36 ).
8. Healing ofpottage (2 Kings 4:41 ).
9. Bread multiplied (2 Kings 4:43 ).
10. Naaman healed (2 Kings 5:10 ).
11. Gehazi smitten (2 Kings 5:27 ).
12. Iron to swim (2 Kings 6:6 ).
13. Sight to blind (2 Kings 6:17 ).
14. Smiting blindness(2 Kings 6:18 )
15. Restoring sight (2 Kings 6:20 ).
16. One after death (2 Kings 13:21 ).
16.
And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
17.
And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
18.
And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
19.
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.
20.
And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
cruse. Occurs only here.
21.
And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
cast the salt. Elisha's second miracle.
22.
So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
23.
And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
Beth-el. One of the seats of Israel's calf-worship (1 Kings 12:26-30 ).
little children = young men. Hebrew. na'ar. Used of Isaac (twenty-eight years old); Joseph (thirty-nine); Rehoboam (forty).
Go up, &c. An open insult, avenged by Elisha ' s God in a way suited for that dispensation, though not for this. "Go up" may have referred to Elijah's translation; and thus, a blasphemous insult outraging Jehovah's own act.
bald head. Baldness premature. Elisha lived fifty years longer (2 Kings 13:14 ).
go up, &c. Figure of speech Epizeuxis. App-6 .
24.
And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
bears. See 1 Samuel 17:34-36 .
children = progeny. Not the same word as 2 Kings 2:23 .
25.
And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.