8 And Elijah H452 took H3947 his mantle, H155 and wrapped it together, H1563 and smote H5221 the waters, H4325 and they were divided H2673 hither and thither, so that they two H8147 went over H5674 on dry H2724 ground.
So he departed H3212 thence, and found H4672 Elisha H477 the son H1121 of Shaphat, H8202 who was plowing H2790 with twelve H8147 H6240 yoke H6776 of oxen before H6440 him, and he with the twelfth: H8147 H6240 and Elijah H452 passed H5674 by him, and cast H7993 his mantle H155 upon him.
And Moses H4872 stretched out H5186 his hand H3027 over the sea; H3220 and the LORD H3068 caused the sea H3220 to go H3212 back by a strong H5794 east H6921 wind H7307 all that night, H3915 and made H7760 the sea H3220 dry H2724 land, and the waters H4325 were divided. H1234 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went H935 into the midst H8432 of the sea H3220 upon the dry H3004 ground: and the waters H4325 were a wall H2346 unto them on their right hand, H3225 and on their left. H8040
And he took H3947 the mantle H155 of Elijah H452 that fell H5307 from him, and smote H5221 the waters, H4325 and said, H559 Where is the LORD H3068 God H430 of Elijah? H452 and when he also had smitten H5221 the waters, H4325 they parted H2673 hither and thither: and Elisha H477 went over. H5674
And it was so, when Elijah H452 heard H8085 it, that he wrapped H3874 his face H6440 in his mantle, H155 and went out, H3318 and stood H5975 in the entering in H6607 of the cave. H4631 And, behold, there came a voice H6963 unto him, and said, H559 What doest thou here, Elijah? H452
And it came to pass, when the people H5971 removed H5265 from their tents, H168 to pass over H5674 Jordan, H3383 and the priests H3548 bearing H5375 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 before H6440 the people; H5971 And as they that bare H5375 the ark H727 were come H935 unto Jordan, H3383 and the feet H7272 of the priests H3548 that bare H5375 the ark H727 were dipped H2881 in the brim H7097 of the water, H4325 (for Jordan H3383 overfloweth H4390 all his banks H1415 all the time H3117 of harvest,) H7105 That the waters H4325 which came down H3381 from above H4605 stood H5975 and rose up H6965 upon an H259 heap H5067 very H3966 far H7368 from the city H5892 Adam, H121 that is beside H6654 Zaretan: H6891 and those that came down H3381 toward the sea H3220 of the plain, H6160 even the salt H4417 sea, H3220 failed, H8552 and were cut off: H3772 and the people H5971 passed over H5674 right against Jericho. H3405 And the priests H3548 that bare H5375 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 stood H5975 firm H3559 on dry ground H2724 in the midst H8432 of Jordan, H3383 and all the Israelites H3478 passed over H5674 on dry ground, H2724 until all the people H1471 were passed H5674 clean H8552 over H5674 Jordan. H3383
What ailed thee, O thou sea, H3220 that thou fleddest? H5127 thou Jordan, H3383 that thou wast driven H5437 back? H268 Ye mountains, H2022 that ye skipped H7540 like rams; H352 and ye little hills, H1389 like lambs? H1121 H6629 Tremble, H2342 thou earth, H776 at the presence H6440 of the Lord, H113 at the presence H6440 of the God H433 of Jacob; H3290
And the LORD H3068 shall utterly destroy H2763 the tongue H3956 of the Egyptian H4714 sea; H3220 and with his mighty H5868 wind H7307 shall he shake H5130 his hand H3027 over the river, H5104 and shall smite H5221 it in the seven H7651 streams, H5158 and make men go over H1869 dryshod. H5275
By faith G4102 they passed through G1224 the Red G2063 sea G2281 as G5613 by G1223 dry G3584 land: which G3739 the Egyptians G124 assaying G3984 to do G2983 were drowned. G2666
And G2532 the sixth G1623 angel G32 poured out G1632 his G846 vial G5357 upon G1909 the great G3173 river G4215 Euphrates; G2166 and G2532 the water G5204 thereof G846 was dried up, G3583 that G2443 the way G3598 of the kings G935 of G575 the east G395 G2246 might be prepared. G2090
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Kings 2
Commentary on 2 Kings 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
2Ki 2:1-10. Elijah Divines Jordan.
1-7. when the Lord would take up Elijah—A revelation of this event had been made to the prophet; but, unknown to him, it had also been revealed to his disciples, and to Elisha in particular, who kept constantly beside him.
Gilgal—This Gilgal (Jiljil) was near Ebal and Gerizim; a school of the prophets was established there. At Beth-el there was also a school of the prophets, which Elijah had founded, notwithstanding that place was the headquarters of the calf-worship; and at Jericho there was another [2Ki 2:4]. In travelling to these places, which he had done through the impulse of the Spirit (2Ki 2:2, 4-6), Elijah wished to pay a farewell visit to these several institutions, which lay on his way to the place of ascension and, at the same time, from a feeling of humility and modesty, to be in solitude, where there would be no eye-witnesses of his glorification. All his efforts, however, to prevail on his attendant to remain behind, were fruitless. Elisha knew that the time was at hand, and at every place the sons of the prophets spoke to him of the approaching removal of his master. Their last stage was at the Jordan. They were followed at a distance by fifty scholars of the prophets, from Jericho, who were desirous, in honor of the great occasion, to witness the miraculous translation of the prophet. The revelation of this striking event to so many was a necessary part of the dispensation; for it was designed to be under the law, like that of Enoch in the patriarchal age, a visible proof of another state, and a type of the resurrection of Christ.
3. take away thy master from they head—an allusion to the custom of scholars sitting at the feet of their master, the latter being over their heads (Ac 22:3).
8. Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters—Like the rod of Moses, it had the divinely operating power of the Spirit.
9. Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee—trusting either that it would be in his power to bequeath it, or that God, at his entreaty, would grant it.
let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me—This request was not, as is commonly supposed, for the power of working miracles exceeding the magnitude and number of his master's, nor does it mean a higher endowment of the prophetic spirit; for Elisha was neither superior to, nor perhaps equally great with, his predecessor. But the phrase, "a double portion," was applied to the first-born [De 21:17], and therefore Elisha's request was, simply, to be heir to the prophetic office and gifts of his master.
10. Thou hast asked a hard thing—an extraordinary blessing which I cannot, and God only, can give. Nevertheless he, doubtless by the secret directions of the Spirit, proposed to Elisha a sign, the observation of which would keep him in the attitude of an anxious waiter, as well as suppliant for the favor.
2Ki 2:11-18. He Is Taken Up to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire.
11. behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire—some bright effulgence, which, in the eyes of the spectators, resembled those objects.
went up by a whirlwind—a tempest or storm wind accompanied with vivid flashes of fire, figuratively used for the divine judgments (Isa 29:6).
12. Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father—that is, spiritual father, as the pupils of the prophets are called their sons.
the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof—that is, that as earthly kingdoms are dependent for their defense and glory upon warlike preparations, there a single prophet had done more for the preservation and prosperity of Israel than all her chariots and horsemen.
took hold of his own clothes and rent them—in token of his grief for his loss.
13. He took up also the mantle of Elijah—The transference of this prophetic cloak was, to himself, a pledge of his being appointed successor, and it was an outward token to others of the spirit of Elijah resting upon him.
14-18. smote the waters—The waving of the mantle on the river, and the miraculous division of the waters consequent upon it, was an evidence that the Lord God of Elijah was with him, and as this miracle was witnessed by the scholars of the prophets from Jericho, they forthwith recognized the pre-eminence of Elisha, as now the prophet of Israel.
16-18. fifty strong men, let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master—Though the young prophets from Jericho had seen Elijah's miraculous passage of the Jordan, they had not witnessed the ascension. They imagined that he might have been cast by the whirlwind on some mountain or valley; or, if he had actually been admitted into heaven, they expected that his body would still be remaining somewhere on earth. In compliance with their importunity, he gave them permission, but told them what the result would be.
2Ki 2:19-25. Elisha Heals the Waters.
20. Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein—The noxious qualities of the water could not be corrected by the infusion of salt—for, supposing the salt was possessed of such a property, a whole spring could not be purified by a dishful for a day, much less in all future time. The pouring in of the salt was a symbolic act with which Elisha accompanied the word of the Lord, by which the spring was healed [Keil].
23, 24. there came forth little children out of the city—that is, the idolatrous, or infidel young men of the place, who affecting to disbelieve the report of his master's translation, sarcastically urged him to follow in the glorious career.
bald head—an epithet of contempt in the East, applied to a person even with a bushy head of hair. The appalling judgment that befell them was God's interference to uphold his newly invested prophet.