Bible Commentaries

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from ^a Gilgal.

(a) Which was the place where the children of Israel were circumcised after they came over Jordan and had been forty years in the wilderness, (Joshua 5:9).

And the ^b 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 ^c thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I ^d know [it]; hold ye your peace.

(b) So called, because they are begotten anew as it were by the heavenly doctrine.

(c) That is, from being your head any more: for to be as the head, is to be the master, as to be at the feet, is to be a scholar.

(d) For the Lord had revealed it to him.

And the sons of the prophets that [were] at ^e 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.

(e) Not only at Bethel, but at Jericho and other places were there prophets, who had scholars, whom they instructed and brought up in the true fear of God.

And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it] together, and smote the ^f waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

(f) That is, of Jordan.

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, ^g let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

(g) Let your spirit have double force in me, because of these dangerous times: or let me have twice as much as the rest of the prophets: or if your spirit were to be divided into three parts, let me have two.

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 ^h heaven.

(h) Thus God has left a testimony in all ages (both before the law, in the law and in the gospel).

And when the sons of the prophets which [were] to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The ⁱ spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

(i) The Spirit of prophecy was given to him as it was to Elijah.

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, ^l Ye shall not send.

(l) Because the fact was extraordinary, they doubted where he had gone, but Elisha was assured that he was taken up to God.

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast ^m 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].

(m) Thus God gave him power, even contrary to nature, to make the water profitable for man's use, which before was hurtful.

And he turned back, and looked on them, and ⁿ 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.

(n) Perceiving their malicious heart against the Lord and his word, he asks God to avenge the injury done to him.