1Elijah, having tried in vain to persuade Elisha to leave him, with his mantle divideth Jordan, and they both pass over on dry ground. 9Elijah conditionally alloweth Elisha's request of a double portion of his spirit, and is taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot. 12Elisha seeth it, and taking up Elijah's mantle divideth again the waters of Jordan, and is acknowledged for Elijah's successor. 16The young prophets with difficulty obtain leave to seek for Elijah, and return without finding him. 19Elisha with salt healeth the unwholesome waters of Jericho. 23Bears destroy the children that mocked him.
1AND it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from 1Gilgal.
1 See of this place, Deut. 11:30; Joshua 4:19; 5:9.
2And Elijah said unto Elisha, 2Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to 3Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, 4As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, 5I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.
2 He gives this in charge to try Elisha, or out of an holy humility to hide and conceal the manner of his taking up, this being not revealed to him that Elisha was to be present there.
3 See of this city, Gen. 12 on verse 8.
4 That is, as it is true, that the Lord liveth, and that thou livest, so true it is also that I will not part from thee. This is here properly not an oath in respect of the second part of the clause, but an affirmation of what he says by comparing it with something else, which is beyond doubt. So in the sequel and 1 Sam. 1:26; 25:26; 2 Kings 4:30, etc.
5 Hebr. if I shall leave thee! Also verses 4, 6.
3And the 6sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, 7Knowest thou that the LORD will take away 8thy master from 9thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6 See 1 Kings 20 on verse 35.
7 They and Elisha knew this without any doubt by God’s revelation, and by the spirit of prophecy.
8 Namely, Elijah, whose disciple and servant Elisha was.
9 Hebr. from upon, or over thine head: that is, from thee. Also verse 5. They speak thus, looking at the manner of the seating arrangement in the schools, where the master or teacher, sitting on an high or exalted place, did have the heads of his disciples at his feet, so that the parting from them, went, as it were, away from their heads. Compare Deut. 33:3; 2 Kings 4:38; Acts 22:3.
4And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to 10Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
10 A city located in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from the Jordan. It is surnamed the city of palm trees, Deut. 34:3, see the annotation.
5And the sons of the prophets 11that 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.
11 Hence it appears that the prophets had their colleges in many cities, wherein young prophets and teachers were trained up for the converting of backsliding Israel.
6And 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.
7And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and 12stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
12 Namely, to see and observe what would befall the prophet Elijah.
8And 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 13a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
13 Hebr. the mouth of two in, or of thy spirit upon, or unto me. That is, the part of two; which is two parts. The word mouth is taken for the part of any thing, Deut. 21:17; Zech. 13:8. The meaning is, as if he had said: Seeing thou, my father, leavest many children, that is, young prophets behind, who will all stand in need of a part of thy gifts, therefore my request is, that I may have two parts, that is, that my part may be double to theirs, I being as thy first-born, and most important disciple, who must succeed in thy stead. Others take the double portion in respect and in comparison of Elijah, so that Elisha would have desired to have once again as much of the prophetical gifts, as Elijah had. Elisha’s request may be also simply thus understood, that he desired the two kinds of prophetical gifts, wherein Elijah was very eminent above other prophets, which were, I. the foretelling of things to come, II. the working of great miracles. Or else he understands that part or portion of prophecy which Elijah had, which was twofold, that is, exceeding great, in respect of many other prophets.
10And he said, Thou hast asked a 14hard thing: nevertheless, 15if thou 16see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
14 Hebr. Thou hast made the matter hard by asking. Hard is taken in this place for what men cannot, but only God can give, yea, and does give it very seldom.
15 This is propounded to him as a sign of that which God would do touching his request, that in the meanwhile, he would desire with fervent prayers for the fulfilling of the sign, and having received it, might be strengthened anew and confirmed in the call of his prophetical office.
16 Hebr. shalt see from being taken away from thee.
11And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a 17chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
17 Guided and governed by the holy angels. Compare 2 Kings 6:17.
12¶And Elisha saw it, and he cried, 18Mya father, my father, the 19chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, 20and rent them in two 21pieces.
18 So he calls his master out of love and reverence: as also conversely the disciples and scholars are called sons of their masters. See 1 Kings 20:35, and the annotation thereon.
a 2 Kings 13:14.
19 That is, the power and strength of Israel, which in war existed most in chariots and horsemen. The meaning is: that there was more strength for the land’s defense in Elijah’s doctrine, prayers and works, than in the power of war. Compare 2 Kings 13:14.
20 Namely, as a sign of sorrow and grief for the loss of his master. See Gen. 37 on verse 29.
21 Hebr. rents.
13He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the 22LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
22 Namely, Who in a similar action had earlier manifested by Elijah His power in dividing the waters. See verse 8.
15And 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 23bowed themselves to the ground before him.
23 Giving him civil honor and respect, having come as a prophet in Elijah’s stead, and abundantly furnished with his prophetical gifts. See Gen. 18 on verse 2.
16¶And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with 24thy servants fifty 25strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath 26taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, 27Ye shall not send.
24 That is, with us, who are ready to serve thee.
25 Or, valiant. Hebr. men, sons of valour, strength. Understand such as were suitable to undertake this journey and this work.
26 They thought that he was not taken away from them forever, but only for certain days. Compare the annotation at 1 Kings 18 on verse 12.
27 For he knew certainly, that he was taken up to God into heaven both in body and soul.
17And when they urged him till he was 28ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
28 This may suitably be understood of Elisha, for being so long entreated before he would yield: although it may also be understood of the sons of the prophets, because they had to pray so long and so much.
18And 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,b and the ground 29barren.
b worthless, bad
29 That is, the land brings not the fruits of the earth to maturity and ripeness, yea, it is also hurtful to the lives of men and beasts, and likewise to the fruit of their body, whereby the land is bare and left desolate of inhabitants, to which the Hebrew word points, signifying, bereaving of children, men, and whatever is dear unto man.
20And he said, 30Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
30 Hebr. take me, that is, take it and bring it to me. See Gen. 12 on verse 15.
21And 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 31death or 32barren land.
31 On men and beasts.
32 Namely, not only on men and beasts, but also on the land, and the fruits of the earth. See on verse 19.
22So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.
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 33mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou 34bald head; go up, thou bald head.
33 They mocked him thus, not only out of contempt of his person, because he was bald, but also of his office, as he was a prophet of the Lord, and consequently a continual reprover of idolatry, which these boys had imbibed from their infancy, and was so abominably practiced in Bethel, that the prophets called this city Beth-aven, that is, the house of vanity and wickedness, Hosea 4:15; Amos 5:5.
34 Hebr. bald; that is, who is bald.
24And he turned back, and looked on them, and 35cursed them 36in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
35 Not out of hatred of their persons, but of their idolatry, which they had so exceedingly loved, that ever since they had any knowledge or understanding, they were taught and accustomed to hate the true God and His faithful ministers with a deadly hatred.
36 That is, by command, and inspiration of the Lord; or with calling upon His name. To do any thing in the name of the Lord, is to do such: I. by command, charge and motion, or compulsion of God, Deut. 18:19; 2 Chron. 33:18; John 5:43; II. with confidence on God’s help, and with calling on His Name, Psalm 44:5; 63:4; III. for the sake of God or because of Him, Mat. 18:5; IV. to the glory of God, Col. 3:17.
25And he went from thence to mount 37Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
37 See 1 Kings 18 on verse 19.