1-8 Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan 9-11 and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven 12-15 Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor 16-18 The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him. 19-22 Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters 23-25 Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha

take up Ge 5:24 1Ki 19:4 Lu 9:51 Ac 1:9 Heb 11:5 Re 11:12

by a whirlwind 1Ki 18:12 19:11 Job 38:1

Elisha 1Ki 19:16-21

Gilgal Jos 4:19 5:9

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 Ru 1:15,16 2Sa 15:19,20 Joh 6:67,68

As the Lord 2Ki 2:4,6 4:30 1Sa 1:26 17:55 25:26 Jer 4:2

I will not Ru 1:16-18 2Sa 15:21 1Jo 2:19

Beth-el Ge 28:19 1Ki 12:29,33 13:1,2

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 2Ki 2:5,7,15 4:1,38 9:1 1Sa 10:10-12 19:20 1Ki 18:4 20:35 Isa 8:18

thy master De 33:3 Ac 22:3

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 Jos 6:26 1Ki 16:34 Lu 19:1

As the Lord 2Ki 2:2 4:30 Ac 2:42 11:23

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, talmeedy neyeeya, `disciples of the prophets.'

thy master 2Ki 2:3 Jos 1:1,2 Lu 24:51 Joh 17:5-7 Ac 1:2,11 26:25

Yea, I know it Ge 48:19 Ec 3:7 Isa 41:1 Hab 2:20

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.

fifty men 2Ki 2:17 1Ki 18:4,13

to view afar off [heb] in sight, or over against

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 `his sheep skin' says the Septuagint; the skins of sheep being formerly worn by prophets as the simple insignia of their office 1Ki 19:13,19

were 2Ki 2:14 Ex 14:21,22 Jos 3:14-17 Ps 114:5-7 Isa 11:15 Heb 11:29 Re 16:12

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 2Ki 13:14-19 Nu 27:16-23 De 34:9 1Ch 29:18,19 Ps 72:1,20 Lu 24:45-51 Joh 17:9-13 Ac 1:8 8:17 20:25-36

Elisha said Nu 11:17,25 1Ki 3:9 2Ch 1:9,10 Joh 14:12-14 16:7 1Co 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. Nu 27:20 De 21:17 Zec 9:12 12:8 1Ti 5:17

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 Mr 11:22-24 Joh 16:24

asked a hard thing [heb] done hard in asking
if thou see 2Ki 2:12 Ac 1:9,10

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.

2Ki 6:17 Ps 68:17 104:3,4 Eze 1:4 10:9 Hab 3:8 Zec 3:8 6:1-8 Heb 1:14

by a whirlwind 2Ki 2:1

into heaven Mr 16:19

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 2Ki 2:10

My father 2Ki 13:14 Job 22:30 Pr 11:11 Ec 7:19 9:16-18 Isa 37:4,15,21 Ac 27:24

he saw him Pr 30:4 Mr 16:19 Lu 2:15 24:51 Joh 3:13 Ac 1:9 2Co 5:2,4 Eph 4:8 Re 11:12

rent them Job 1:20,21 Isa 57:1,2 Ac 8:2

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 2Ki 2:8 1Ki 19:19

bank [heb] lip 1Ki 9:26

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 2Ki 2:8-10 Jos 1:1-9 Mr 16:20 Joh 14:12 Ac 2:33 3:12,13

Where is Jud 6:13 1Ki 18:36-39 Ps 42:2,10 115:2 Joe 2:17

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 2Ki 2:7

The spirit Nu 11:25-29 27:20 Jos 3:7 Isa 11:2 59:21 Joh 15:26,27 Ac 1:8 2Co 12:9 1Pe 4:14

bowed 2Ki 2:19 4:1-4,37 6:1-7 Jos 4:14

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 1Ki 18:12 Eze 3:14 8:3 11:24 40:2 Ac 8:39 2Co 12:2,3

some mountain [heb] one of the mountains

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 2Sa 18:22,23 Lu 11:8 Ro 10:2

found him not Heb 11:5

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.

my Lord seeth Nu 12:11 1Ki 18:7,13 1Ti 5:17

the water Ex 7:19 15:23 Jos 6:17,26 1Ki 16:34

barren [heb] causing to miscarry Ex 23:26 De 28:2-4,11,15-18 Ho 9:14

20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.

salt therein Jud 9:45 Eze 47:11 Zep 2:9

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 2Ki 4:41 6:6 Ex 15:25,26 Le 2:13 Mt 5:11 Mr 9:50 Joh 9:6

I have healed Eze 47:8-11 1Co 1:18-28 Re 22:2,3

there shall Ps 107:33-38 Re 21:4

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 1Ki 12:28-32 Ho 4:15 10:5,15 Am 3:14 4:4 5:5 7:13

little children The words () not only signify {little children} but {young men}; for {katon} signifies not only {little}, but {young,} in opposition to {old;} and () signifies not only a {child}, but a {young man} grown to years of maturity: thus Isaac is called () 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 Pr 20:11 22:6,15 Ec 11:10 Isa 1:4 3:5 Jer 7:18

mocked Ge 21:9 2Ch 36:16 Job 30:1,8,9 Ps 35:15 Isa 57:3,4 Ga 4:29 Heb 11:36

Go up 2Ki 2:11 Mt 27:29-31,40-43

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 2Ki 1:10-12 Ge 9:25 De 28:15-26 Jud 9:20,57 Jer 28:16 29:21-23 La 3:65 Am 7:17 Mr 11:14,21 Ac 5:5,9 8:20 13:9-11 2Co 10:6

she bears 2Sa 17:8 Pr 17:12 28:15 Ho 13:8

children of them Ex 20:5 1Ki 13:24 19:17 20:36

25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

mount Carmel 2Ki 4:25 1Ki 18:19,42