Bible Commentaries
2 Kings 2

Introduction

Second Kings Chapter 2

2 Kings 2:1 “And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.”

Elijah was in this world, but he had never been of this world. His life had been full of dramatic happenings. More than once, Elijah had called down fire from heaven. He was the prophet, who had miraculous happenings, more than the others. He will go to heaven as he had lived on the earth, in a miraculous happening. It is stating in the verse above, the ascension of Elijah in a whirlwind, as if it had already happened. Elijah, like Enoch, is still alive. They did not go the way of the grave. Elisha had abandoned home and family to follow Elijah. It seems, they had now gone to Gilgal.

2 Kings 2:2 "And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said [unto him, As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el."

Elisha had stayed with Elijah for years. He was not about to leave him, now. Elijah knows that his life on earth is coming to an end. He, possibly, does not want Elisha to see his last hours. He could want to be alone. It is, probably, evident to Elisha, too, and he wants to be there and witness the home-going of Elijah.

2 Kings 2:3 "And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Beth-el 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."

It seemed, that many of the prophets and their sons knew, it would be that very day that Elijah would go home to be with the LORD. Elisha tells them, he knows it, too.

2 Kings 2:4 "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."

This is the second time that Elijah had tried to get away from Elisha. Elisha will not be left, though. If Elijah goes to Jericho, so will Elisha.

2 Kings 2:5 "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."

It appears, that even at Jericho the prophets and their sons know, Elijah is about to leave this earth. This is the very reason Elisha will not let Elijah out of his sight.

2 Kings 2:6 "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."

This is the third time that Elijah had tried to get away from Elisha, but Elisha will follow Elijah wherever he goes, because he wants to witness his home-going.

2 Kings 2:7 "And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan."

These sons of the prophets wanted to view from afar Elijah going up to heaven in the whirlwind. The older prophets were not that curious, thinking that the LORD might not approve of them looking on, even from a distance. By the Jordan River, just Elijah and Elisha stand together.

2 Kings 2:8 "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."

This man of miracles had done it, again. He had struck the water of the river with his folded up garment, and it parted for Elijah and Elisha to walk over.

2 Kings 2:9 "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."

Elisha had seen so many of the miracles done through Elijah, that his only wish was for the Spirit within Elijah would be twice as strong within him. We see that Elijah loved Elisha, and had asked what he wished.

2 Kings 2:10 "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]."

This is a very hard thing, because the miracles of Elijah had been so fantastic, themselves. Elijah places this directly in the LORD’s hands. It is the LORD’s decision, whether to grant this wish, or not. Elisha will know the answer, when Elijah is carried up. If he sees the ascension of Elijah, God had granted his wish.

2 Kings 2:11 "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."

They had to be separated, so Elijah would go up, and not both of them. God divided them with His fire. Psalms 104:4 "Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:" The chariot of fire and the horses of fire accompanied Elijah up, but he went up in the whirlwind.

2 Kings 2:12 "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."

Elisha saw it, so he, indeed, received the double portion of a son. Elisha is calling Elijah father, here. He received the favorite son portion. He was so humbled by it all, that he rent his clothes. This tearing of the clothes in this manner was showing complete horror at the magnitude of God. It was, also, a way of mourning for the loss of Elijah. This close encounter with God would put horror in anyone’s heart.

2 Kings 2:13 "He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;"

The mantle of Elijah had come to Elisha. He went back to the River Jordan that had parted for them to come over.

2 Kings 2:14 "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."

He did exactly as he had seen Elijah do, and had the very same results. The Jordan opened, and he walked over on dry land.

2 Kings 2:15 "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."

Prophets have an insight from God, that not everyone has. They were suddenly aware of what had happened, as they saw Elisha. He was, probably, greatly changed in appearance.

2 Kings 2:16 "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."

The fifty sons of the prophets are not sure that Elijah had ascended into heaven. They know something had happened, but they are not aware of what. It was too far for them to see Elijah, as he ascended. It was several miles, in fact. They thought, perhaps, the whirlwind had taken him up, and dropped him, to cause him to die. They wanted to go and seek his body for burial. Elisha, tells them they need not go. He is in heaven.

2 Kings 2:17 "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."

They did not believe Elisha, and kept asking him over and over until he finally let them go to look. He knew Elijah was not there, but he could not convince them. They did not understand a person going to heaven without benefit of the grave. They looked three days, but of course, they did not find him.

2 Kings 2:18 "And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?"

Elisha waited at Jericho, until they finished their three days of hunting for the body of Elijah. He reminds them, he had said it would be futile to look.

2 Kings 2:19 "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] nought, and the ground barren."

In this verse, the miracles for others to witness of Elisha began. They liked their city, but the water was bad.

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

Salt, generally, would make bad water worse. Salt water is not what they needed, but fresh. The new cruse was used, so that no uncleanness had ever been in the cruse.

2 Kings 2:21 "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]."

Elisha cast the water into the spring of waters and they became fresh and clear. They took on a new name, Ain-es-sultan. This spring, now, had become a beautiful fountain of sweet water. Notice, Elisha tells them, that the LORD healed the waters.

2 Kings 2:22 "So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake."

The waters obeyed the Word of the Lord spoken by the prophet Elisha.

2 Kings 2:23 "And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: 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."

Many of the prophets were at Beth-el. He, possibly, could have been going to relate to them what had happened to him. We will find, in this, that it is a dangerous thing to speak ill of a true prophet. These children laughed at the prophet, because he was bald.

2 Kings 2:24 "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."

The boys were, probably, following Elisha and jeering at him. This is a terrible time for anyone to come against him. It would be important for all to show great respect for the one the LORD had chosen to follow in Elijah’s footsteps. This cursing them was in the name of the LORD, which meant they had tried to defame his position with the LORD. They were suddenly punished 182 by being torn of she bears. This is not something for Christians to do. This was under the law, and Christians live under grace. It is, however, a very dangerous thing to say bad things about God’s anointed.

2 Kings 2:25 "And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria."

Elisha was, probably, telling the other prophets what had happened to Elijah. Carmel was a spot, where Elijah had been well-known. This is where he called down fire from God to lap up the offering by fire. Elisha went on to Samaria, because much of his ministry would be near there.

2 Kings 2 Questions

1. How did Elijah go to heaven?

2. Why was Elisha following Elijah?

3. How had Elijah lived on the earth?

4. Who, besides Elijah, went to heaven without going the way of the grave?

5. What did Elijah try to get Elisha to do?

6. Why would Elisha not do what Elijah asked him to do this time?

7. Why did Elijah not want Elisha to follow him?

8. What did the sons of the prophets at Beth-el ask Elisha?

9. How did Elisha answer them?

10. Where did Elijah go after Beth-el?

11. What did the sons of the prophets at Jericho say to Elisha?

12. Where was the third place that Elijah went?

13. Who followed Elijah and Elisha from a distance?

14. Why had the older prophets not followed them?

15. What miracle did the LORD do, at the Jordan River, for Elijah?

16. Who went over Jordan with Elijah?

17. What did Elijah ask Elisha?

18. What did Elisha want?

19. How did Elijah answer Elisha’s request?

20. Who will decide, whether Elisha’s request will be answered, or not?

21. How were Elijah and Elisha separated?

22. How did Elijah go up into heaven?

23. Quote Psalms 104:4.

24. When Elisha saw Elijah go up accompanied by the chariots of fire and the horses of fire, what did he do?

25. What did Elisha pick up and carry back with him?

26. What did Elisha do at the River Jordan?

27. What was the first thing the fifty asked Elisha to let them do?

28. How long did they look?

29. Where did Elisha wait for the fifty?

30. How does Elisha make the water sweet?

31. Who laughed at Elisha for being bald?

32. What happened to them?

33. Why did he go back to Carmel?

Verses 1-3

2Ki 2:1-3

Introduction

THE TRANSLATION OF ELIJAH AND HIS SUCCESSION BY ELISHA

This chapter and through 2 Kings 10 compose what is often referred to as the Elisha Cycle. It does not occur in its proper chronological sequence, as most scholars affirm, based upon the fact that 2 Chronicles 21:12 mentions "a writing" of Elijah which came to Jehoram the king of Judah in the fifth year of his reign. It is significant that the Hebrew word for "letter" does not appear in that passage. "Such a writing might very well have been written by Elijah and handed to Elisha to be delivered to Joram at the proper time." Furthermore, "the fifth year of Jehoram" might very well have referred to the fifth year of his co-regency with his father. Conclusions based upon 2 Chronicles 21:12 that Elijah was still on earth at that time must, at best, be considered very precarious. If he was still living then and wrote a personal letter to Jehoram, then of course, the narrative of his ascension in this chapter is out of chronological sequence. Later in Kings, we learn that Elisha anointed Jehu in the place of Elijah who had originally been instructed to do so, but who apparently assigned the task to Elisha. It is quite in keeping with what happened in that event that Elijah wrote a certain "writing" for Elisha to deliver to Jehoram at a later time.

The strong presence of the supernatural in the events recorded in this chapter has resulted in the declaration by a certain class of critics that these narratives are "pure imagination," but such views are merely the opinions of servants of Satan who are actually unable to find anything supernatural in the entire Bible, not even the creation itself. The Christian faith is anchored in the supernatural; and apart from the supernatural aspect of it, it is totally worthless.

2 Kings 2:1-3

ELIJAH AND ELISHA JOURNEY FROM GILGAL TO BETHEL

"And it came to pass when Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for Jehovah hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Elisha said, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that Jehovah will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace."

"Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:1). We hold these words to be the inspired affirmation of the sacred author of Kings that Elijah never died, but that he was translated into heaven by the direct action of God, in like manner to that which was done to Enoch. Therefore, the assertion that, "The text does not say that Elijah never died," is incorrect.

"Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal" (2 Kings 2:1). This was a Gilgal in the country of Ephraim, not far from Bethel, "about fifteen miles north of Lydda, the modern Jiljilyeh." "This place is mentioned in Amos 4:4 and in Hosea 4:15, along with Bethel, as a seat of false worship."

"Tarry here, I pray thee" (2 Kings 2:2). We do not know why Elijah evidently wished to face the event of leaving the earth without any witnesses.

"The sons of the prophets ... at Bethel" (2 Kings 2:3). The word `sons’ here has the meaning of, "Followers and students attending the schools of the prophets." There are no less than nine different meanings in the Biblical usages of the word `son.’ "We know of such `sons of the prophets’ in both Bethel and Jericho, there being at least fifty of them."

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:1. Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5 gives account of Enoch’s being taken from the earth without death; the Lord will do the same thing with Elijah. There is no statement in the Bible that shows why God did this to these men, when the edict had gone forth that all men must die. (Hebrews 9:27.) It is an accepted idea, however, that an exception to a rule will emphasize and establish the rule. Elijah and Elisha had been close to each other, and the latter had been already designated as the prophet to take the place of the former. (1 Kings 19:16.) Considered mechanically, a whirlwind would be the ideal kind of storm by which to draw a man upward. It would affect a comparatively small area, and leave the persons and things nearby undisturbed. That will explain how Elisha could be near enough to see and talk with Elijah at the time.

2 Kings 2:2. Elijah knew that he was soon to leave the earth. Just why he appeared eager to get away from Elisha, we are not told. He mentioned more than one point to which the Lord was sending him; one after the other. His suggestions for Elisha to tarry at one of the given places intimated that the distance they would have to travel was great, and it was not necessary for him to make that journey just because Elijah had to. The Biblical statement at the close of this verse is one that is common in the Scriptures. It is as if he said, "As surely as the Lord and I are living, that sure it is that," etc. There was no principle against their traveling together, hence they did so for the present.

2 Kings 2:3. Sons of the prophets means the men who were pupils under the older ones, being trained in the work of prophets. They had some communication directly with the Lord, and had received some information regarding the present program for Elijah. Their term My master was in respect for the seniority of Elijah over Elisha in the line of national prophets. (1 Kings 19:16.) Elisha also had information that Elijah was to leave him. That was an unpleasant thought and he did not want to be reminded of it, hence his demand for these student prophets to hold their peace about it.

Verses 4-6

2Ki 2:4-6

2 Kings 2:4-6

ELISHA REFUSED TO BE SEPARATED FROM ELIJAH

"And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, Behold, as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came near to him, and said unto him, Knowest thou that Jehovah will take away thy master from thy head today? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry here, I pray thee, for Jehovah hath sent me to the Jordan. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on."

From this paragraph, it is clear that God had made separate revelations both to Elisha and to the sons of the prophets concerning the marvelous event of the translation of Elijah; and they all knew that it was expected to occur that very day. Elisha was determined to be present with Elijah when it happened, and that accounts for the repeated conversations of these verses.

"Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho" (2 Kings 2:4). "Jericho had recently been rebuilt by Hiel (1 Kings 16:34) in defiance of Joshua’s curse ... This is the first mention of a prophetic community there."

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:4. Elijah named another distant point, and suggested that Elisha not go any farther. He received the same kind of answer he did before, so they traveled on.

2 Kings 2:5. The sons of the prophets at Jericho had received the same information about Elijah that had been given to the ones at Bethel. In answer to their reminder for Elisha, they received the same order that the others had.

2 Kings 2:6. For the third time, Elijah suggested that Elisha halt in his journey, and received the same kind of an answer. One difference in the last instance was, the place to which Elijah was to go (Jordan) was more indefinite as to exact location.

Verses 7-11

2Ki 2:7-11

2 Kings 2:7-11

THE PROPHETS CROSSED THE JORDAN RIVER;

ELIJAH WAS TRANSPORTED UPWARD

"And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan. 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. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee before I am taken from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 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. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof."

"And Elijah took his mantle ... and smote the waters" (2 Kings 2:8). There is a great deal of symbolism in the events revealed here. The Jordan River, in all ages, has been a symbol of death, and it was fitting indeed that Elijah should pass over the Jordan just prior to his translation. Elisha also crossed over, but he returned. Elijah never returned. The Septuagint (LXX) refers to "his mantle" here as "his sheepskin." This type of hairy clothing was worn by prophets of those ages. Great authority and respect were granted to wearers of the prophetic mantle, and Adam Clarke noted that, even in modern times, the royal robes of kings and rulers, "Were adorned with the skins of the animal called the ermine."

"Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me" (2 Kings 2:9). This did not mean that Elisha had dreams of eclipsing Elijah in the miracles, etc. which he would perform. The very words of this request are taken from Deuteronomy 21:17, where they refer to the double portion of a man’s inheritance which was always bequeathed to his heir, or to the firstborn. "Elisha was asking to be recognized as the `heir’ of Elijah in relation to the other prophets of that day."

"Thou hast asked a hard thing" (2 Kings 10). This was hard, because it was a gift that Elijah could not confer. Only God could do such a thing, but the Lord revealed to Elijah that it would indeed be granted, provided that Elisha was present and viewed the translation itself.

"My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof." This does not appear to be Elisha’s description of the chariots and horsemen of fire, but an evaluation by Elisha of the importance of Elijah in the spiritual history of Israel. "The Chaldee translates these words thus, `My master, my master! Thy intercession was of more use to Israel than horses and chariots.’ This is probably the sense of the passage." Significantly, these same words were uttered upon the occasion of the death of Elisha (2 Kings 13:14).

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:7. The procedure of the great prophets was arousing the interest of the student prophets. Fifty of them followed at seeing distance as they arrived at the Jordan.

2 Kings 2:8. Moses and Aaron used a rod in connection with their miracles. (Exodus 7:17.) Jesus used clay in healing the blind man. (John 9:6-7.) Elijah used the mantle in forcing a passage across the Jordan. There was an important point in such performances. Had something been used that might have a physical or logical relation to the result desired and obtained, it might have been claimed that such was the cause. But since these things could have nothing to do with the actual problem the conclusion is clear, that the result was obtained through divine power.

2 Kings 2:9. Elisha has persistently refused to separate from Elijah, and he was no longer asked to do so. Let us note that Elijah did not tell Elisha he could have anything he wanted. This kind of distinction was made in the case of Solomon at Gibeon. (1 Kings 3:5.) Mathematically speaking, it would be impossible for one to receive more than all of another’s spirit. We are sure that Elisha received that since he was to take the place of Elijah. (1 Kings 19:16.) The thought, then, is figurative. It was a desire to receive abundantly of the same spirit that had been possessed by Elijah. The request was an exalted one, and not one that looked for personal gain.

2 Kings 2:10. A thing could be hard or difficult or unusual, yet not wrong or impossible. That which Elisha asked for was very rare, but was right, and was promised to him on condition. Previously, Elijah had designated certain places he expected to be and asked to be left alone. Now the attitude has been changed and Elisha was placed on his guard, to be always on the alert lest his master slip away from him. There is no explanation given for the change in Elijah’s attitude.

2 Kings 2:11. Parted them means the fiery chariot separated the two prophets. Went up into heaven. The Old Testament uses the same original word for "heaven," whether the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd heaven is meant. The connection in each case must be relied on to determine which is meant. It was the first heaven, or domain of the atmosphere that received Elijah as far as Elisha could see. From other considerations, however, we understand that he was taken to the 3rd heaven, the abode of God. (Matthew 17:3 .) There is another important thought about this. Elijah had to leave the earth in order to get to heaven where God is. That disproves a doctrine among men that all the heaven there is to be is on the earth. The word translated fire is defined in the lexicon as having both a literal and figurative meaning. The case at hand means the chariot and horses were of a flaming or fiery appearance.

Verses 12-14

2Ki 2:12-14

2 Kings 2:12-14

THE MANTLE OF ELIJAH FELL UPON ELISHA

"And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over."

"He took hold of his own clothes and rent them" (2 Kings 2:12 b). This, of course, was an evidence of the grief of Elisha in the loss of the companionship of Elijah.

"He took up the mantle of Elijah" (2 Kings 2:13). "This means that the responsibilities and authority were transferred from one to the other."

"The Vulgate version renders this place in such a manner as to indicate that Elisha struck the Jordan twice, one in vain, and a second time successfully; but none of the other versions accept this."

Elisha’s smiting the waters of Jordan with Elijah’s mantle enabled him to return on dry ground, just as he and Elijah had crossed over eastward. Elijah’s thus dividing the waters of Jordan was interpreted by Martin, "As his `undoing’ the victorious crossing of Israel under Joshua some four centuries earlier." There is surely a strong possibility of this being a true understanding of what happened; because Israel’s apostasy and their wholesale degeneration into the same wicked perversions of the prior Canaanites who had inhabited the land before them most positively did indicate a reversal of God’s purpose in dealing with the Northern kingdom.

"Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah" (2 Kings 2:14) ? "This question suggests that Elisha was not sure of the result at this time." However, Elisha never again doubted that the power and spirit of Elijah indeed rested upon him.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:12. The word for father is so rendered in most places, but by "chief" in a few other places. It was evidently used in that sense by Elisha. As chief person among the children of Israel, he would mean to Elisha as much as all the other chariots and their drivers. With such a loss to him and his people, he expressed his grief by a well known custom of rending his garment.

2 Kings 2:13. A popular saying supposed to be based on this circumstance is, that the mantle of Elijah fell on Elisha, when people are moralizing on the subject of one person’s committing his work to another. A careful reading will show that to be erroneous. The mantle had fallen to the ground, and Elisha picked it up voluntarily.

2 Kings 2:14. Where is the Lord God of Elijah was said in the sense of calling upon that God. As Elisha made that call he also used the same mantle and for the same purpose as did Elijah in 2 Kings 2:8. See the comments at that verse. After invoking, successfully, the mantle, Elisha recrossed the Jordan back into Canaan proper.

Verses 15-18

2Ki 2:15-18

2 Kings 2:15-18

THE SONS OF THE PROPHETS VAINLY SEARCHED FOR ELIJAH’S BODY

"And when the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho over against him 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. And they said unto him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest the spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send. 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. And they came back to him while he tarried at Jericho; and he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?"

Keil pointed out that there were two purposes in the miracle of Elisha’s smiting the Jordan with Elijah’s mantle: (1) It confirmed in the mind of Elisha that God had granted his prayer for a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, and (2) it established Elisha as the legitimate successor to Elijah and the Divinely-appointed leader of the prophets. He then added that, "The two following miracles recorded in this chapter were also intended to accredit Elisha in the eyes of the people as a man endowed with the Spirit and power of God, as Elijah had been."

"Till he was ashamed" (2 Kings 2:17). "The New English Bible renders this `had not the heart to refuse.’" "Elijah’s work was done; it was a fierce work of judgment that became symbolic (Malachi 4:5-6), even idealized (John 1:21) and seen again at the end of the Jewish era in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-10). After the work of Moses and Elijah, God had nothing whatever fundamentally new to say to his rebellious people, - UNTIL the coming of that Holy ONE whom Moses and Elijah would meet upon the mount of transfiguration"!

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:15. Jericho is near the Jordan, and that was the place from which the sons of the prophets had stood to view afar off. (2 Kings 2:7). By this we learn of the place where the two great prophets had crossed the river Jordan. When these sons of the prophets saw the miracle that Elisha did with the mantle, they concluded it was done through the same spirit that Elijah had possessed. With due respect for the successor of the great prophet Elijah, these young prophets bowed before Elisha.

2 Kings 2:16. The sons of the prophets had twice told Elisha (2 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 2:5) that his master was to be taken from his head that day. That meant merely that he would be deprived of his master’s personal association, but no evidence is apparent that they knew it was to be permanent; neither did they know that he was to leave the earth. All of this explains why they were so concerned about his bodily safety. They offered their services for a search of Elijah. But Elisha had a better knowledge of the affair, and objected to their proposal.

2 Kings 2:17. Elisha knew he was correct in his judgment, and therefore had nothing to be ashamed of as the word is commonly used. The original is defined by Strong, "to pale, i. e. by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed, or delayed." It has been translated in the A. V. by delay, be long and others. The thought is that the men insisted so long that Elisha concluded he would not delay longer, but would let them learn a lesson by their own disappointment. Upon his consent the eager group went in search for Elijah; three days of fruitless search followed.

2 Kings 2:18. Elisha was so sure the men would return that he tarried at Jericho for them. Upon their coming back, he chastised them mildly by reminding them of his advice.

Verses 19-22

2Ki 2:19-22

2 Kings 2:19-22

ELISHA "HEALED" THE WATERS OF JERICHO

"And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spake."

"The water is bad" (2 Kings 2:19). The spring which produced those waters was identified in later times with, "The spring of Ain es-Sultan, just above the present day city of Jericho."

"The land miscarrieth" (2 Kings 2:19). This is a little misleading, because it might appear to mean that the land was unfruitful; "But the Hebrew verb here for `casting of fruit’ (which is the Hebrew) is used only of human infertility and the destruction of babes."

Stigers informs us that even today all of the springs that supply the city of Jericho with water are brackish, "But the principal spring is sweet and pure."

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:19. Situation means the site of the city, that the "view" was agreeable. Naught is from RAH and defined, "bad or (as noun) evil (naturally or morally)"--Strong. Barren is from SHAKOL and Strong defines it, "A primitive root; properly to miscarry, i. e. suffer abortion." This condition was practically admitted by Elisha, so that we need not doubt the statement by the citizens. Something must have come up to cause the condition, for Jericho was a popular city and no such complaint had been made of it. Some kind of germ had crept into the source of drinking water, causing abortion with expectants who needed to use it. The citizens would know of Elisha’s miraculous power, for he had just performed the feat of forcing a passage across the Jordan nearby. They told him of the defect in their city, with the hope that he would do something about it.

2 Kings 2:20-22. Spring of waters means the source of their drinking water, thus showing that it was the water that was infected and not the ground. This observation is important in meeting the critic who would say that salt would kill the ground instead of causing it to yield fruit.

Verses 23-25

2Ki 2:23-25

2 Kings 2:23-25

GOD’S JUDGMENT UPON A GANG OF WICKED YOUTHS

"And he went up from thence unto Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city, and mocked him, and said; Go up, thou baldhead; go up, thou baldhead. And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria."

"There came forth young lads out of the city" (2 Kings 2:23). The RSV renders this place `small boys’; however, this is an erroneous rendition. To begin with, small boys do not roam the forest in gangs of forty or more. What we have here is the ancient equivalent of those terrible motorcycle gangs that terrorized the country during the 1960’s. The New International Version renders the key words as "some youths," which is far better than the common versions. The gang that mocked Elisha might have been teenagers, a vicious group of the same character as those whose murderous and undisciplined behavior is presently being reported in the daily newspapers. The notion that any innocence whatever pertained to such a group is ridiculous.

Adam Clarke discussed this passage at length, pointing out that, "The Hebrew words here may also be translated `young men,’ and they are so rendered frequently in the Bible. The word means not only a child, a servant, but even a soldier. Isaac was so-called at age 28; at age 39 Joseph was described by the same word; and Ahab’s bodyguard (the militia) received the same designation in 1 Kings 20:14."

Hammond also agreed that such a rendition here as "little boys," "small boys," or "little children," "Is an unfortunate translation, raising quite a wrong idea of the tender age of the persons spoken of."

Therefore, we reject as totally irresponsible the snide comment that, "This story will not stand examination from any moral point of view." Such opinions come from an utterly false view of God. The current fad of understanding God as a kind of fuddy-duddy Old Man who would not hurt anybody is derived from gross ignorance. The Great Deluge and the destruction of the inhabitants of Canaan upon the entry of Israel are dramatic demonstrations of God’s utter abhorrence of sin and the cosmic necessity of its punishment even to the extent of destroying many who are relatively innocent.

However, in the case of this episode, the attribution of innocence to these youthful mockers of Elisha is a gratuitous insult to the true teachings of the Bible.

It should be particularly noted that Elisha did not destroy that gang of insulters. Their fatal punishment came not from Elisha but from God. It is distressing indeed that some scholars imagine their alleged morality to be superior to that of God Himself. Honeycutt wrote that, "Few interpreters would defend the morality of such a narrative." One wonders how a Christian writer can thus pass judgment upon an act of God! The original temptation was founded upon the false premise that, "Ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil." Satan still deceives people with the same temptation.

"Go up, thou baldhead" (2 Kings 2:23). The gang of young adults who spoke these words were not irresponsible babes, but young men. "They were morally responsible. Both Solomon and Jeremiah were identified by the same terminology (1 Kings 3:7; Jeremiah 1:6-7). This insult echoed the words of the sons of the prophets (2 Kings 2:3-5); baldness was the mark of a leper." What these young ruffians meant was that, in their view Elisha was an outcast. They also meant, "Ascend, that we may be rid of thee and that we may continue unreproved by thee in our wicked ways."

"He ... cursed them in the name of the Lord" (2 Kings 2:24). This Elisha did in obedience to Deuteronomy 27:14-26, which passage "required God’s ministers to curse the disobedient." So, where is any blame upon Elisha? He did not summon the she-bears; God did that. As to the operation of natural laws in the execution of such Divine judgment, Adam Clarke mentioned an ancient opinion to the effect that these wicked young men had been engaged in hunting and killing bear-cubs, and that when they interrupted their hunt to make fun of Elisha, the bears, robbed of their whelps, had time to track them down and destroy them. Both the size of this gang and the question of what they were doing in the forest in such numbers are strong denials of any thought that these wicked despisers of God and his prophet were anything other than an extremely wicked youth gang. Their destruction was a righteous and moral act of God’s judgment upon the wicked.

E.M. Zerr:

2 Kings 2:23. Bald head. The second word is not in the original. The first is from QUERACH and Strong defines it, "bald (on the back of the head)." It is the word for "bald" in Leviticus 13:40, where it is seen to contrast with "forehead bald" in Leviticus 13:41. Children is from NAAR and Strong defines it, "A boy from the age of infancy to adolescence." Go is from ALAH and defined, "A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) actively (mount)." --Strong. The wording of the common text is correct. In derision with reference to the ascension of Elijah, the master of Elisha, these boys made fun of the prophet. For some reason the back of his head was bald, which could be seen by the boys as they followed him. As an impertinent remark, which they probably thought was smart, they taunted Elisha with the suggestion that, as he was a baldheaded old man, he was ready to leave this world, and should follow the other old man who had just gone up from the earth.

2 Kings 2:24. Cursed. Unfortunately, this word has acquired an exaggerated meaning in the popular mind. It is thought of as being some profane and harsh language, expressed against someone with the idea of inflicting a specially dire penalty. It is from QUALAL, and Strong defines it, "a primitive root; to be (causatively make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)." The passage means that Elisha pronounced them as very insignificant and unworthy; also very rash and inconsiderate in what they said, and deserving of some punishment. As far as the text shows, however, Elisha left it for the Lord to decide on what it should be. He caused 42 of them to be destroyed by wild beasts. This was a severe punishment, but disrespect for their elders was also a serious offense, and children need to know how wrong it is; a severe punishment was the necessary penalty for that lesson.

2 Kings 2:25. After all these experiences, Elisha went on his way. Passing on to Mount Carmel, he went on to Samaria where he spent much of his time. It is in this place where we will see some of his most noted exploits. The city was the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and thus a fitting headquarters for this national prophet.