Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Kings 2

Introduction

1  Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan;
9  and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven.
12  Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor.
16  The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him.
19  Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters.
23  Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha.
Verse 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.
take up
Genesis 5:24, 1 Kings 19:4, Luke 9:51, Acts 1:9, Hebrews 11:5, Revelation 11:12
by a whirlwind
1 Kings 18:12, 19:11, Job 38:1
Elisha
1 Kings 19:16-21
Gilgal
Joshua 4:19, 5:9
Verse 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.
Tarry here
Ruth 1:15,16, 2 Samuel 15:19,20, John 6:67,68
As the Lord
4,6, 4:30, 1 Samuel 1:26, 17:55, 25:26, Jeremiah 4:2
I will not
Ruth 1:16-18, 2 Samuel 15:21, 1 John 2:19
Beth-el
Genesis 28:19, 1 Kings 12:29,33, 13:1,2
Verse 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.
And the sons
5,7,15, 4:1,38, 9:1, 1 Samuel 10:10-12, 19:20, 1 Kings 18:4, 20:35, Isaiah 8:18
thy master
Deuteronomy 33:3, Acts 22:3
Verse 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.
Jericho
Joshua 6:26, 1 Kings 16:34, Luke 19:1
As the Lord
2, 4:30, Acts 2:42, 11:23
Verse 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.
the sons
i.e., as the Targumist renders, talmeedey neveeya, "disciples of the prophets." thy master. See on ver.
3, Joshua 1:1,2, Luke 24:51, John 17:5-7, Acts 1:2,11, 26:25
Yea, I know it
Genesis 48:19, Ecclesiastes 3:7, Isaiah 41:1, Habakkuk 2:20
Verse 7

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
fifty men
17, 1 Kings 18:4,13
to view afar off
Heb. in sight, or over against.
Verse 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.
his mantle
[Ten meloten autou] his sheep skin, says the Septuagint; the skins of sheep being formerly worn by prophets as the simple insignia of their office: see Note on ch. 1:8.
1 Kings 19:13,19
were
14, Exodus 14:21,22, Joshua 3:14-17, Psalms 114:5-7, Isaiah 11:15, Hebrews 11:29, Revelation 16:12
Verse 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.
Ask what
13:14-19, Numbers 27:16-23, Deuteronomy 34:9, 1 Chronicles 29:18,19, Psalms 72:1,20, Luke 24:45-51, John 17:9-13, Acts 1:8, 8:17, 20:25-36
Elisha said
Numbers 11:17,25, 1 Kings 3:9, 2 Chronicles 1:9,10, John 14:12-14, 16:7, 1 Corinthians 12:31
a double portion
This probably refers to the law respecting the first-born, who had a double portion of the property of his father. As Elisha may have considered himself as the first-born of Elijah, so he requested a double portion of his spiritual influence.
Numbers 27:20, Deuteronomy 21:17, Zechariah 9:12, 12:8, 1 Timothy 5:17
Verse 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.
Thou hast
Mark 11:22-24, John 16:24
asked a hard thing
Heb. done hard in asking. if thou see.
12, Acts 1:9,10
Verse 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.
6:17, Psalms 68:17, 104:3,4, Ezekiel 1:4-28, 10:9-22, Habakkuk 3:8, Zechariah 3:8, Zechariah 6:1-8, Hebrews 1:14
by a whirlwind
into heaven
Mark 16:19
Verse 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.
saw it
My father
13:14, Job 22:30, Proverbs 11:11, Ecclesiastes 7:19, 9:16-18, Isaiah 37:4,15,21, Acts 27:24
he saw him
Proverbs 30:4, Mark 16:19, Luke 2:15, 24:51, John 3:13, Acts 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:2,4, Ephesians 4:8, Revelation 11:12
rent them
Job 1:20,21, Isaiah 57:1,2, Acts 8:2
Verse 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
8, 1 Kings 19:19
bank
Heb. lip.
1 Kings 9:26
Verse 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.
smote
8-10, Joshua 1:1-9, Mark 16:20, John 14:12, Acts 2:33, 3:12,13
Where is
Judges 6:13, 1 Kings 18:36-39, Psalms 42:2,10, 115:2, Joel 2:17
Verse 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.
to view
The spirit
Numbers 11:25-29, 27:20, Joshua 3:7, Isaiah 11:2, 59:21, John 15:26,27, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Peter 4:14
bowed
19, 4:1-4,37, 6:1-7, Joshua 4:14
Verse 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.
strong men
Heb. sons of strength. the Spirit.
1 Kings 18:12, Ezekiel 3:14, 8:3, 11:24, 40:2, Acts 8:39, 2 Corinthians 12:2,3
some mountain
Heb. one of the mountains.
Verse 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 urged
2 Samuel 18:22,23, Luke 11:8, Romans 10:2
found him not
Hebrews 11:5
Verse 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.
my Lord seeth
Numbers 12:11, 1 Kings 18:7,13, 1 Timothy 5:17
the water
Exodus 7:19, 15:23, Joshua 6:17,26, 1 Kings 16:34
barren
Heb. causing to miscarry.
Exodus 23:26, Deuteronomy 28:2-4,11,15-18, Hosea 9:14
Verse 20

And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.
salt therein
Judges 9:45, Ezekiel 47:11, Zephaniah 2:9
Verse 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
4:41, 6:6, Exodus 15:25,26, Leviticus 2:13, Matthew 5:11, Mark 9:50, John 9:6
I have healed
Ezekiel 47:8-11, 1 Corinthians 1:18-28, Revelation 22:2,3
there shall
Psalms 107:33-38, Revelation 21:4
Verse 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
1 Kings 12:28-32, Hosea 4:15, 10:5,15, Amos 3:14, 4:4, 5:5, 7:13
little children
The words nëârim ketannim not only signify little children but young men; for katon signifies not only little, but young, in opposition to old; and näâr signifies not only a child, but a young man grown to years of maturity: thus Isaac is called näâr when twenty-eight years old, Joseph when thirty-nine, and Rehoboam when forty. These idolatrous young men, having heard of the ascension of Elijah, without believing it, blasphemously bade Elisha to follow him. The venerable prophet, from a Divine impulse, pronounced a curse "in the name of the Lord," which was immediately followed by the most terrible judgment; thus evincing the Source from which it flowed.
Job 19:18, 30:1,8-31, Proverbs 20:11, 22:6,15, Ecclesiastes 11:10, Isaiah 1:4, 3:5, Jeremiah 7:18
mocked
Genesis 21:9, 2 Chronicles 36:16, Job 30:1,8,9, Psalms 35:15, Isaiah 57:3,4, Galatians 4:29, Hebrews 11:36
Go up
11, Matthew 27:29-31,40-43
Verse 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.
cursed them
1:10-12, Genesis 9:25, Deuteronomy 28:15-26, Judges 9:20,57, Jeremiah 28:16, 29:21-23, Lamentations 3:65, Amos 7:17, Mark 11:14,21, Acts 5:5,9, 8:20, 13:9-11, 2 Corinthians 10:6
she bears
2 Samuel 17:8, Proverbs 17:12, 28:15, Hosea 13:8
children of them
Exodus 20:5, 1 Kings 13:24, 19:17, 20:36
Verse 25

And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
mount Carmel
4:25, 1 Kings 18:19,42

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