2Ki 2:1 And it happened, when Jehovah was to cause Elijah to go up to Heaven in a tempest, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.
2Ki 2:2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Please stay here, for Jehovah has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said, As Jehovah lives, and your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they went down to Bethel.
2Ki 2:3 And the sons of the prophets in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, Do you know that today Jehovah will take your lord from your head? And he said, Yes, I know. Keep silent.
2Ki 2:4 And Elijah said to him, Elisha, please stay here, for Jehovah has sent me to Jericho. And he said, As Jehovah lives, and your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they came into Jericho.
2Ki 2:5 And the sons of the prophets in Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, Do you know that today Jehovah will take away your lord from your head? And he said, Yes, I know. Keep silent.
2Ki 2:6 And Elijah said to him, Please stay here, for Jehovah has sent me to the Jordan. And he said, As Jehovah lives, and your soul lives, I will not leave you. And they went on, both of them.
2Ki 2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went on and stood afar off, across from them. And they both stood by the Jordan.
2Ki 2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters. And they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.
2Ki 2:9 And it happened, when they were crossing, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, Then let there now be a double portion of your spirit on me.
2Ki 2:10 And he said, You have asked a hard thing. If you shall see me taken from you, it shall be so to you. And if not, it shall not be.
2Ki 2:11 And it happened, as they were going on and speaking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire came. And they separated between them both, and Elijah went up in a tempest to Heaven.
2Ki 2:12 And Elisha was watching, and he was crying, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen! And he did not see him again. And he took hold on his garments and tore them into two pieces.
2Ki 2:13 And he lifted up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and turned back and stood on the lip of the Jordan.
2Ki 2:14 And he took Elijah's mantle that had fallen from him, and struck the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah the God of Elijah, even He? And he struck the waters; and they were split in two here and there, and Elisha crossed over.
2Ki 2:15 And when they saw him, the sons of the prophets across in Jericho, then they said, The spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed to the earth to him.
2Ki 2:16 And they said to him, Behold, now, there are with your servants fifty men, mighty sons. Please let them go, and they shall seek your lord, lest the Spirit of Jehovah has taken him up and has cast him on one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. And he said, You shall not send.
2Ki 2:17 And they pressed on him until he was ashamed. And he said, Send. And they sent fifty men, and they sought three days and did not find him.
2Ki 2:18 And they returned to him, and he was staying in Jericho. And he said to them, Did I not say to you, Do not go?
2Ki 2:19 And the men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, now, the site of the city is good, as my lord sees, but the waters are bad; and the ground causes barrenness.
2Ki 2:20 And he said, Bring a new dish to me, and put salt there. And they took it to him.
2Ki 2:21 And he went out to the source of the waters and threw salt there, and said, So says Jehovah, I have given healing to these waters; there shall not be death and sterility there any more.
2Ki 2:22 And the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha that he spoke.
2Ki 2:23 And he went up from there to Bethel. And he was going up in the highway. And little boys came out from the city and mocked him, and said to him, Go up, bald head! Go up, bald head!
2Ki 2:24 And he turned behind him and saw them, and declared them vile in the name of Jehovah. And two bears came out of the forest and tore forty two boys of them.
2Ki 2:25 And he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Verses 1-8 Summary: Elijah is to be taken by God. Elijah seems to be trying to get rid of Elisha, or he is testing him. He tells Elisha, "God has told me to go to X so stay here. Elisha refuses to leave his side. In every place they are sent the prophets tell Elisha that "today God is taking Elijah." He answers "I know, be silent." The last place they come to Elijah breaks out his mantle and parts the Jordan.
5. What can we learn from the persistence of Elisha? Elisha was dedicated to God and to Elijah. In his response concerning the taking of Elijah "I know" we may have some insight to his motives. In his dedication, knowing your prophet brother is going to be taken by God and you stay behind to NOT witness it would be failure. He was going to be there as sure as "God lives."
Note the places mentioned:
Gilgal: Defined as "wheel and rolling" - Historically important see Joshua 4/5. Israel made camp there after crossing the Jordan (eastern border of Jericho). They erected the twelve stones as a remembrance of this new beginning and to give God glory (they crossed by God's miracle). God also declared that the Egyptian reproach had been "rolled back" at Gilgal.
Bethel: H1008 בֵּית־אֵל, bêyth-'êl, bayth-ale' From H1004 and H410; house of God. Another significant historical city.
Jericho: (fragrant) Israel's first conquest after crossing the Jordan. The conquering was by the hand of God.
Jordan: The last physical obstacle to overcome before entering the promised land. (Near Gilgal).
The text reads like the trip took one day. Each time the prophets spoke with Elisha, they mentioned that Elijah would be taken "today." Most maps put the trip at 30+ miles all together. If it did happen in one day, that was a lot of walking.
Crossing the Jordan on dry land by the hand of God should not go unnoticed for it's parallel to the entry into the land. This was a crossing for one man's journey. It was to be a new beginning for Elijah, and Elisha.
Verses 9-17 Summary: While crossing the Jordan, Elijah asks Elisha what he should do for him before he is taken. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Elijah's not sure it will happen but tells Elisha it will happen if Elisha witnesses Elijah's departure. He does see Elijah taken up in a whirlwind. Elisha tears his clothes. Elijah's mantle falls to him. Elisha takes the mantle, strikes the Jordan and crosses. The prophets see that Elisha ahs the sprit of Elijah. They suggest sending out a search party for Elijah's body in case God cast it off somewhere. Elisha says no but they persist and go, and find nothing.
Note: It's interesting to see the prophet's take on God thinking He would abandon Elijah. Elisha is having none of it to begin with, but eventually they "shame" him into agreeing. It's a little humorous to read his response when they come back empty. Basically "I told you so."
Verses 18-25 Summary: Elisha purifies bitter waters. Some boys taunt/mock Elisha. He "cursed them in the name of the LORD" and a bear tears up forty of them.
21- "So says Jehovah"
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