Chapter 2

1 Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divideth Jordan, 9 and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven. 12Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah’s mantle, is acknowledged his successor. 16 The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, could not find him. 19 Elisha with salt healeth the unwholesome waters. 23 Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha.

1. Take up Elijah. The Lord had given to Elijah a revelation of the fact that he would be taken to heaven, but unknown to him, this fact had also been revealed to Elisha and to the sons of the prophets (see PK 225, 226). The ascension of Elijah took place after Jehoram had begun his reign in Judah (2 Chron. 21:5, 12).

Elijah went with Elisha. Literally, “Elijah and Elisha went.” It was Elisha who was accompanying Elijah. From the time of his call it seems that Elisha was in constant attendance on Elijah, for he “went after Elijah, and ministered unto him” (1 Kings 19:21). The younger prophet was accustomed to perform such daily ministrations for his master as pouring water on his hands (2 Kings 3:11) and doing all such offices of kindly personal ministry as a son might perform for an aged father.

Gilgal. Probably not the Gilgal in the Jordan valley near Jericho, where Israel encamped after crossing the Jordan and where Joshua set up the 12 stones (Joshua 4:19, 20). Commentators have pointed out two difficulties in this designation: (1) the order in which the centers for the three schools are mentioned, Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho (2 Kings 2:1–4; cf. PK 225); (2) the expression “went down” being used to describe the journey from Gilgal to Bethel (2 Kings 2:2). The Hebrew word yarad, from which the expression is translated, means to descend and is not the word that would normally be used to describe a journey from Gilgal in the Jordan valley, about 700 ft. (213 m.) below sea level, to Bethel about 3,000 ft. (914.4 m.) above sea level. There was a Gilgal near the oaks of Moreh, near Shechem (see on Gen. 12:6; Deut. 11:30). This has been identified as the village of Jiljilia, in southern Samaria, 7 1/4 mi. (11.8 km.) north by west from Bethel, and has been suggested as this Gilgal. Actually Jiljilia is on practically the same level as Bethel on the same central ridge of Palestine; but since it is on a high hill and Bethel is not, anyone would probably think of going “down” when he set out for Bethel.

2. Tarry here. Elijah knew that he had come to the end of his earthly career. To Elisha each invitation to tarry and allow his master to go on alone was a test of his purpose and his fidelity. Would he now turn back from the work to which he had been called as Elijah’s successor and go back to the plow, or would he be true to his call as a prophet and continue the work of reformation so nobly and effectively begun by Elijah?

Hath sent me. Before Elijah’s ascension he was to visit once more the schools of the prophets, to warn and strengthen those who were to carry responsibilities in the cause of the Lord. It is not known whether this northern Gilgal or the one near Jericho was the center of false worship denounced by two prophets (Hosea 4:15; 9:15; 12:11; Amos 4:4; 5:5). If the former, then two of these important centers of spiritual training were at places where shrines had been or were to be established to the false worship that had become so strongly entrenched in the land. These two schools were at Gilgal and Bethel (see on v. 1), and a third school was at Jericho. The young men trained at these schools were to carry out in every part of the land the work of instructing the people in the ways of God and combating the influences of idolatry, which had been given such strong support by Ahab and Jezebel. As a result of these earnest and united efforts, powerful influences for good were set in action and the cause of idolatry received a decided check. Israel, which because of its evil seemed ripe for destruction, was saved for a time from the dangers that threatened to bring the nation to ruin.

As the Lord liveth. These earnest words were thrice spoken, at Gilgal, at Bethel (v. 4) and at Jericho (v. 6). They reveal the fixed purpose of Elisha not to forsake his trust, but to continue to the very end with his master Elijah in the work to which he had been called. The young man had been called by God to follow the older prophet, and to receive from him a training that was to prepare him for the heavy responsibilities he would soon have to carry alone. As long as the opportunity for service remained, Elisha refused to forsake his master.

3. Sons of the prophets. Only a few years before, Elijah had believed he was the only one left in Israel who remained true to God, but he had been given the divine assurance that the Lord had no less than 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Many of these faithful children of God had united with the schools of the prophets, that they might prepare for a part in the same service of reform to which Elijah and Elisha had been called. These schools had fallen into decay during the apostasy of Israel, but had been reestablished by Elijah (PK 224). Throughout the nation Elijah now found evidences of faith and courage in the Lord, and his heart was cheered at the strong work he saw being carried on in the schools.

Knowest thou? The fact that Elijah was to be translated that day had been revealed not only to the prophet himself but also to Elisha and the sons of the prophets (see on v. 1). When a revelation is given to one individual by God, it is no indication that that same revelation has not also been given to someone else.

From thy head. It was generally recognized that Elijah held the leading position in the Lord’s work of reform then being carried on in Israel. The disciples in the schools of the prophets recognized this fact, and so did Elisha. God carries on His work on earth through leaders who are chosen by Him. The true people of God recognize these leaders as men of divine appointment and follow their leadership, without envy or criticism.

Hold ye your peace. Heb. hecheshu. This word imitates the sound and thus strikingly conveys the meaning, like our English word, “hush!”

4. To Jericho. If this Gilgal was in southern Samaria (see on v. 1), Elijah and Elisha had journeyed toward the east and south, to Bethel, and now they continued their journey southeast to Jericho, which was 12 1/2 mi. (20 km.) beyond Bethel.

5. Sons of the prophets. Centers of the Lord’s work are situated at strategic places. The establishment of a school of the prophets at Jericho was not an accident. Jericho was on an important roadway over which many travelers moved from the regions across the Jordan. At the oasis of Jericho they could stop for rest and refreshment. Here they might come in touch with the disciples at the school of the prophets and receive from them the messages of hope and trust in the Lord which God intended should be carried to all men everywhere.

7. Fifty men. This gives some indication of the size of a school of the prophets. The language of the verse implies that these were not all but only a portion of those in attendance at the Jericho school.

Stood to view. These sons of the prophets knew that Elijah would be taken from them to heaven and that this would be their last view of their beloved leader. So they stood at a vantage point, probably on the abrupt heights behind the town, whence they would have a view of the whole course of the river and of the bank beyond for many miles.

By Jordan. Under the observation of the “fifty men” who had taken their stand at the place selected, Elijah and Elisha reached the Jordan. This was about 5 mi. at the nearest bend, from Jericho.

8. Took his mantle. Elijah’s mantle had become the badge of his prophetic office. Rolling up the mantle, he smote the waters of the Jordan as Moses had smitten the river Nile with his rod (Ex. 7:20). The result was a miraculous parting of the Jordan, making a path by which God’s servants passed over on dry land. It is an obvious comparison with the dividing of the waters of the Red Sea at the time of the Exodus (Ex. 14:21), and with the stopping of the Jordan at the time of Joshua (Joshua 3:13–17). The same God who by His power had brought Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, was with them still, ready to reveal Himself and His might and His ever-loving care of His people at the hour of need.

9. Ask. As Elijah was about to take leave of his faithful servant and disciple, he gave Elisha the privilege of asking for whatever was in his heart. Elisha might have asked for temporal or material favor—riches, fame, wisdom, worldly honor and glory, a place among the great leaders of earth, or a life of ease and pleasure as contrasted with Elijah’s life of hardship and privation. But he asked for none of these. What he wanted most was to carry on the same work that Elijah had carried on, and in the same spirit and power. To do that he would need the same grace and the same help of the Spirit of God.

Double portion. The request of Elisha reminds us of Solomon’s petition. He asks for no worldly advantage, position, or gain, but for the spiritual power necessary to discharge aright the solemn responsibilities to which he had been called. By asking for a “double portion” of the spirit of Elijah, Elisha was not asking for double the power of Elijah. He was not asking for more than had been given to the older prophet, nor was he asking for a higher position or more ability than had been given to Elijah. The Hebrew phrase employed is the same as that in Deut. 21:17, denoting the proportion of a father’s property that was to be given to the eldest son. So the request of Elisha was only that he might be treated as the eldest son of the departing prophet, and that he might receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit as compared with that which would be given to any others of the sons of the prophets. What he was asking for was an acknowledgment of a spiritual birthright, that he might be regarded as the first-born spiritual son of the elder prophet, and that he might thus be enabled to continue the work begun by Elijah.

10. A hard thing. Not hard for the Lord, but hard for Elijah to grant. It was not for a prophet to name his successor. Only God can choose those who will carry out the prophetic office. Elijah well knew that it was not within his province to nominate the one who was to carry on with the work to which he himself had been called by the Lord. For this reason it was impossible for him, apart from divine inspiration, to say whether or not the request would be granted.

When I am taken. The words, “when I am,” are not in the Hebrew and would be best omitted. The meaning is, “if you see me being taken.” If Elisha would be a witness of Elijah’s translation, then he would know that the Lord had seen fit to grant his request.

11. As they still went on. Literally, “they were walking a walking.” That is, they were walking on and on, talking as they went. Whither, we are not told, perhaps toward some height of the mountains in the neighborhood of which Moses was raised from the dead and taken to heaven (see on v. 6).

A chariot of fire. The “chariots of God” were evidently the angels (see Ps. 68:17). The angels are God’s messengers, “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:14). Heavenly messengers and divine agencies are represented in different forms to human sight and in prophetic vision. Zechariah saw horses of various colors (Zech. 1:8), declared to be messengers “whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth” (Zech. 1:10). He saw horses and chariots (Zech. 6:1–3), interpreted to be the “spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth” (Zech. 6:5). Ezekiel saw “living creatures” described as having the appearance of “burning coals of fire” with their movements compared to flashes of lightning (Eze. 1:13, 14).

Horses and chariots are often used in the Bible as symbols of the might, majesty, and glory with which the Lord annihilates His opponents and protects and saves His own. Habakkuk represents God’s power thus: “Thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation” (Hab. 3:8). In giving a description of the coming of the Lord Isaiah speaks of His coming “with his chariots like a whirlwind” (Isa. 66:15). When the servant of Elisha was stricken with terror because of the great host of the Syrians with their horses and chariots (15>2 Kings 6:14, 15), Elisha prayed that his eyes might be opened, whereupon the young man saw the mountain “full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

Elijah was a type of the living saints in the last days who will be translated without seeing death. At the transfiguration, where Peter, John, and James were given a preview of the second coming of Christ in His power and glory (Luke 9:28–32; see DA 421, 422), Elijah appeared as a representative of the saints who will be translated when Jesus comes, and Moses as a representative of the righteous who die and will be raised from their graves to accompany their Saviour to heaven.

By a whirlwind. The terrible power of a storm gives some representation to the mind of man of the awful majesty and power of God. “The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind” (Job 38:1), giving him a picture of the unsearchable wisdom and power of God (see also Isa. 66:15; Nahum 1:3). Elijah had performed a great work and received a glorious reward. In loneliness and discouragement, under pain and affliction, in the desert or on the mountain heights, Elijah had carried on his difficult task of bearing witness for God at a time when king and people had turned their backs upon Jehovah. But God did not permit His servant to die at the hands of those who sought his life, nor did He permit him to pass from his labors in discouragement or reproach. As Elijah had honored God, so the Lord now honored him, not permitting him to go into the grave, but taking him directly into the glory and peace of heaven.

12. Elisha saw it. Thus was fulfilled the sign given by Elijah (v. 10). Elisha now knew that he was to have the double portion of Elijah’s spirit for which he had asked, and that there was an important work ahead for him.

My father. Elisha regarded the older prophet as a spiritual father. As son and heir, the younger prophet was now to enter upon the responsibilities of the elder. The work Elijah had so nobly begun was henceforth to be carried on by Elisha.

The chariot of Israel. The words were inspired by the awesome manner in which Elijah was taken into heaven, but they express the prophet’s realization of the fact that Israel’s true defense lay not in earthly might, not in armies, horsemen, and chariots, but in the might and power of God. One angel sent by God to guard His children is more than a match for the mightiest armies of earth.

No more. Elisha had seen his master taken into heaven, but once he was gone, Elisha was to see him no more. Not until the resurrection, when all the righteous dead are raised from their graves, will Elisha be permitted to see Elijah again. So it will be with the disciples who saw Jesus ascend into heaven, and “a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). At His second coming they will once more be permitted to see Him (Acts 1:11). Even though we may be parted from our loved ones for a time and in this present world see them no more, the hour is coming when we will see them again—the happy hour when we shall never part again.

Rent them. The rending of clothes was usually a token of grief and dismay (Num. 14:6; 2 Sam. 13:19; 2 Chron. 34:27; Ezra 9:3; Job 1:20; 2:12). In this instance, however, Elisha’s rending of his garment was probably not so much an indication of his grief as of the fact that henceforth he would need his old garment no more—he would wear the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13).

13. Mantle of Elijah. The mantle was the insigne of Elijah’s prophetic office. When Elijah first designated Elisha as his successor, he threw his mantle upon him (1 Kings 19:19). Now the mantle was left to Elisha as a bequest from the elder prophet, and as an indication that he must now undertake the responsibilities of leadership which thus far had been carried by Elijah. Returning to the people with this badge of authority, he would be recognized as Elijah’s successor.

Bank of Jordan. The Jordan was both a barrier and an opportunity. To an ordinary individual it was a barrier. To a servant of God it proved an opportunity for the display of the power of God. Elisha stood at the Jordan, but he did not hesitate long.

14. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? The question does not seem to have been one of doubt or of imperfect faith. Elisha, by smiting the waters with the mantle of Elijah, had shown himself to be a man of faith and of action. As God’s power had rested upon his predecessor, so now Elisha trusted that it would rest upon him. What God had done for Elijah, Elisha now expected God to do for him. The question was probably in the nature of a prayer and a call upon God to reveal Himself rather than in the nature of a query as to what God would or would not do.

Elisha went over. In faith Elisha had called upon God, and the Lord had honored his faith. God has performed many miracles of grace for those servants of His who have moved forward in faith and in response to the divine call. Difficulties are not barriers but opportunities to men of faith and courage.

15. Saw him. Elisha was being watched. The eyes of the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho were upon him. If he had failed, they would have witnessed his failure. But having succeeded, they were witnesses of his success. The faith of Elisha inspired faith, and his victory led to many victories throughout the length and breadth of the land.

The spirit of Elijah. The miracle of Elijah had been repeated by Elisha and was accepted as proof that what God had done through the older prophet He would do through his successor. When a leader who has carried heavy spiritual responsibilities must rest from his labors, God gives help and strength to another who is chosen as his successor. God’s work is greater than any man. It does not cease when one person terminates his labors, but goes on from victory to victory as successive hands take up the tasks of their predecessors. The same Spirit that had guided and strengthened Elijah was to give wisdom and strength to his successor. Many mighty deeds were to be performed by the young man who had the faith and the courage to follow the footsteps of his master.

Elisha’s Journeys After the Ascension of Elijah

16. Let them go. The sons of the prophets had seen Elijah departing with Elisha and they had witnessed Elisha’s return alone, clad in Elijah’s mantle. Before that they had had a revelation from the Lord that Elijah would be taken from them. God had probably not revealed to them the exact manner in which Elijah would be taken, and perhaps they had not been permitted to witness all the details of the ascension, at least as clearly as Elisha had. But Elisha probably told them what had occurred, and that should have been sufficient. Perhaps they did not understand, and thought that the body of Elijah might have been deposited upon some desolate mountain height or in some lonely valley in the regions across the Jordan.

17. They urged him. The sons of the prophets insisted upon having their way. They kept up their insistence to such lengths that Elisha finally grew weary of refusing their petitions. There are times when persistence is a virtue, but there are also times when it is weakness and folly. It is never wise or right to persist in wrong. When Elisha revealed the facts the young men should have accepted them and been content.

He said, Send. When one is insistent upon having his way, there are times when even a prophet of the Lord, or God Himself, will no longer say No. Not willingly, but reluctantly and against his better judgment, Elisha finally gave his consent. By their own investigation, which Elisha knew would be futile, the sons of the prophets would have the opportunity of learning for themselves the facts in the matter. Far better it would have been to accept those facts as Elisha revealed them.

Found him not. They sought three days, only to discover how wrong they were and how right was the word of Elisha. There are easy ways to knowledge and wisdom, and there are ways that are hard. Often youth learns its lessons only the hard way. It is never the part of wisdom or prudence to refuse the testimony of facts or to go contrary to the counsel of a prophet of God.

18. Did I not say? It must have been a shamefaced group of young men who returned to Elisha with news of the failure of their quest. As far as the record goes, Elisha did not reproach them, but only reminded them of his unheeded advice.

19. Of the city. That is, of Jericho. After the ascension of Elijah, Elisha sojourned for a period at Jericho, where in a fruitful and pleasant oasis one of the schools of the prophets had been established.

Pleasant. Compared with the desolate region round about, the situation of Jericho indeed was pleasant. Here was the Wilderness of Judah, a dry, barren waste, with the sun beating down upon the bare, brown earth. At the time of the entrance into Canaan life-giving springs had preserved a verdant place in a portion of this desolate valley. There were groves of palm trees and figs, aromatic shrubs, and fields of grain. Jericho had been a delightful abode.

The water is naught. The waters of Jericho, once so wholesome and refreshing, had become tainted and corrupt, and as a result the once pleasant valley was becoming unfruitful. It looked as if the curse on Jericho’s rebuilder (Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 16:34) had cursed the land also.

20. Put salt therein. Elisha called for a new vessel that had never before been used, and for salt, by means of which the water was to be made pure and wholesome. Salt was called for probably because it was commonly used as a means of preservation, to prevent rottenness and decay. There was no virtue in the salt itself as a means of restoring the impure spring; it was only a symbol of the purifying, restoring power that proceeds from God, who was to restore the waters to their former life-giving powers.

21. In there. Acting in the name of the Lord, Elisha cast the salt into the spring. By this symbolic action the prophet represented before the people the work that the Lord was to do in the cleansing of the spring. Salt, in order to be effective, must be mingled and closely united with that which it is to preserve. Hence the salt was cast into the spring that it might penetrate and infuse every part that had become defiled. This illustrates that the believer, who is likened to salt (Matt. 5:13), must come into personal contact with those he desires to reach with the gospel.

I have healed. No doubt was to be left in the minds of the people as to how the waters were healed. This was no magic of man, but the miraculous power of God.

22. Unto this day. The restoration then effected was permanent. A spring called ФAin esРSultaµn, also known as Elisha’s Fountain, still supplies abundant water to the area. Through all the years since Elisha’s miracle the spring of Jericho has continued to flow, pouring forth its healing and life-sustaining flood, and making that portion of the valley an oasis of delight and beauty. As the Lord in His compassion was willing to heal the spring of Jericho, so He is also willing to heal the hearts and lives of men of their spiritual maladies. As the spring was restored, so could Israel have been restored if the nation had accepted of the ministrations of God’s chosen servant. As the waters of Jericho have continued to flow, sending forth life and blessing to the regions about, so from Israel there might have flowed a stream of spiritual life and healing, bringing the peace and blessings of Heaven to all the peoples of earth.

The poison of sin is still at work in the hearts of men. Springs of hate and bitterness are flowing out to the world, when there might be love and gladness. The healing powers of the gospel of Christ are needed everywhere, that they might infuse with new life and power the hearts and lives of men. Into the human soul must come the life of Heaven, that the course of corruption may be stayed. Christ came into the world to sweeten the lives of men and to send forth a life-giving stream of purity, grace, and spiritual power. The heart that is transformed by the love of God becomes a stream of life and gladness, peace and beauty, to the world. Wherever that stream may flow the world becomes a better and a happier place in which to live, an oasis of delight in the midst of a desert of despair and woe. Christ today is the light and life of men, and His blessings flow out to all the peoples of earth from the hearts of those who themselves have been transformed by the touch of His love and grace. God’s church is to be to the world a cleansing fountain, revitalizing hearts and restoring hope and righteousness and joy in regions that have lost touch with Heaven.

23. Unto Beth-el. Elisha was going back over the way he had taken with Elijah only a short time before. Now the older prophet was gone, but the work he had so nobly begun was still being carried on. The schools of the prophets founded by Samuel and re-established by Elijah after having fallen into a state of decay, continued to function in the training of young men for the work of the Lord. Both Elijah and Elisha saw the importance of these schools in a strong forward movement of the work of God. Without men who were properly trained, the work of reform would be constantly handicapped and little progress could be expected. So Elisha made it his first work to strengthen and encourage these schools, that they might play an effective part in the great work of seeking to establish God’s kingdom of righteousness in the hearts of the children of earth.

Mocked him. Elisha was a prophet of peace with a message of peace. His work was to bring life and gladness to the people of Israel. As he was entering upon this important mission, a number of youth came out of the city of Bethel to make sport of him and to deride his work as a messenger of God.

Go up, thou bald head. The ascension of Elijah had been a most solemn event. God had taken His faithful servant to Himself without permitting him to taste of death. The youth at Bethel had heard of Elijah’s translation, and they made this sacred occasion the subject of taunts and jeers. Elijah was gone, and now they set upon Elisha, derisively calling upon him also to make his ascent and depart from their midst. The young men were inspired by Satan, who was seeking to do what he could to counteract the effect of the solemn event that had occurred and that could not but leave a deep impression upon the people of the land. As Elisha was entering upon his work, Satan was seeking to defeat the plans and purposes of God. If the mockery of these young men had been permitted to pass unnoticed, the work that God intended to do through Elisha would have been greatly retarded, and a victory would have been won for the cause of evil. The occasion called for quick and decisive action.

24. Cursed them. Elisha was by nature a man of kindness. But there are limits even to kindness in the work of the Lord. The honor of God’s name must be upheld, and His solemn deeds must not be made the subject of jest and mockery by the impious rabble. A prophet of God must be held in respect and his authority must be maintained. Firmness, decision, and resolute action are marks of leadership in those whom God calls to carry responsibilities for Him. This was no time for weakness or indecision. Turning upon the crowd of rude, dissolute youth, Elisha, under the inspiration of Heaven, pronounced upon them the curse of God.

Tare forty and two. The judgment that followed came from God. The severity of the punishment was in keeping with the seriousness of the issues at stake. A signal example was greatly needed to check the growth of irreligion and to show the people how awful a thing it is to make sport of the works of God or to hold in contempt the appointed ministers of Heaven. Holy men of God should be treated with reverence and respect, for they are called to work and to speak in the name of the Lord. They are here as representatives of God, and in showing dishonor to them, men show dishonor to God. The Lord holds men accountable for the treatment they accord His chosen ministers. The terrible judgment that befell the taunting youth of Bethel shows how awful it is to scorn holiness or to show disrespect for a messenger of God.

25. To mount Carmel. In beginning his work, Elisha seems to have first made a general survey of the land, seeking out those strategic places in which Elijah had labored and where further work might be done. Mt. Carmel held sacred memories. It was there that the notable victory had been won in Elijah’s prophetic career. His voice had often been raised in fearless reproof, condemning the wickedness of king and people and calling upon them to turn from evil and walk in the ways of the Lord. That work had not been without effect. Elisha doubtless thought of those stirring days as he visited the scene of this former victory, and he was inspired anew to put all his heart and spirit into the ministry of reconciliation appointed to him. Later in his work Elisha seems to have taken up his residence at Mt. Carmel (ch. 4:23–25).

To Samaria. Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom, and to this important center Elisha now made his way. He was later to bear witness for Heaven before the leaders of the land. The light that had been given him was for king as well as people, and he boldly entered upon his responsibilities in the most important centers of the nation.

Ellen G. White comments

1–12Ed 151

1–25PK 225–237

2     Ed 59; PK 225, 226

6–9PK 226

6–15Ed 59

9     GW 116

9–11PK 227

10, 11  PK 342

11   Ed 151; EW 162; SR 206

12–15PK 228

19–21PK 230

21   PK 233

22   PK 231

23, 24  EW 248; PK 236; 5T 44