1 And it cometh to pass, at Jehovah's taking up Elijah in a whirlwind to the heavens, that Elijah goeth, and Elisha, from Gilgal,
And Enoch walketh habitually with God, and he is not, for God hath taken him.
By faith Enoch was translated -- not to see death, and was not found, because God did translate him; for before his translation he had been testified to -- that he had pleased God well,
and Jehovah saith unto Joshua, `To-day I have rolled the reproach of Egypt from off you;' and `one' calleth the name of that place Gilgal unto this day.
And He saith, `Go out, and thou hast stood in the mount before Jehovah.' And lo, Jehovah is passing by, and a wind -- great and strong -- is rending mountains, and shivering rocks before Jehovah: -- not in the wind `is' Jehovah; and after the wind a shaking: -- not in the shaking `is' Jehovah;
and Jehu son of Nimshi thou dost anoint for king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholah, thou dost anoint for prophet in thy stead. `And it hath been, him who is escaped from the sword of Hazael, put to death doth Jehu, and him who is escaped from the sword of Jehu put to death doth Elisha; and I have left in Israel seven thousand, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that hath not kissed him.' And he goeth thence, and findeth Elisha son of Shaphat, and he is plowing; twelve yoke `are' before him, and he `is' with the twelfth; and Elijah passeth over unto him, and casteth his robe upon him, and he forsaketh the oxen, and runneth after Elijah, and saith, `Let me give a kiss, I pray thee, to my father and to my mother, and I go after thee.' And he saith to him, `Go, turn back, for what have I done to thee?' And he turneth back from after him, and taketh the yoke of oxen, and sacrificeth it, and with instruments of the oxen he hath boiled their flesh, and giveth to the people, and they eat, and he riseth, and goeth after Elijah, and serveth him.
and it hath been, I go from thee, and the Spirit of Jehovah doth lift thee up, whither I know not, and I have come to declare to Ahab, and he doth not find thee, and he hath slain me; and thy servant is fearing Jehovah from my youth.
and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, `Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I `am' not better than my fathers.'
And Elisha hath turned back to Gilgal, and the famine `is' in the land, and the sons of the prophets are sitting before him, and he saith to his young man, `Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets.'
And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: --
And these things having said -- they beholding -- he was taken up, and a cloud did receive him up from their sight;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Kings 2
Commentary on 2 Kings 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
In this chapter we have,
This revolution in prophecy makes a greater figure than the revolution of a kingdom.
2Ki 2:1-8
Elijah's times, and the events concerning him, are as little dated as those of any great man in scripture; we are not told of his age, nor in what year of Ahab's reign he first appeared, nor in what year of Joram's he disappeared, and therefore cannot conjecture how long he flourished; it is supposed about twenty years in all. Here we are told,
2Ki 2:9-12
Here,
2Ki 2:13-18
We have here an account of what followed immediately after the translation of Elijah.
2Ki 2:19-25
Elisha had, in this respect, a double portion of Elijah's spirit, that he wrought more miracles than Elijah. Some reckon them in number just double. Two are recorded in these verses-a miracle of mercy to Jericho and a miracle of judgment to Bethel, Ps. 101:1.