2 Kings 2: Elijah taken up by a whirlwind, and Elisha's first wonders
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What happens?
When Yahweh is about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind, Elijah goes from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho and to the Jordan, and three times Elisha swears he will not leave him. Elijah strikes the Jordan with his mantle and the two cross on dry ground; Elisha asks for a double portion of his spirit, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separate them, and Elijah goes up by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha takes up Elijah's mantle, strikes the water and crosses back, and the sons of the prophets say that Elijah's spirit rests on him; they search three days for Elijah and do not find him. The city's bad water is healed when Elisha throws salt into the spring, and on the road to Bethel, when boys (or: young men) mock him, he curses them in Yahweh's name and two female bears maul forty-two of them.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. Elijah and Elisha speak together in verses 2, 4, 6, 9 and 10; Elisha's oaths by Yahweh in verses 2, 4 and 6 are his own words. The sons of the prophets speak to Elisha in verses 3, 5 and 16, and he answers them in verses 3, 5 and 16 to 18; in verse 15 they say that the spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha. Elisha cries out in verse 12, and asks where Yahweh is in verse 14. The men of the city speak in verse 19, and Elisha answers in verse 20. In verse 21 Elisha says "Yahweh says" and gives Yahweh's message; Elisha speaks those words, so they are not in gold. The boys (or: young men) mock Elisha in verse 23. Verses 1, 22 and 24, that Yahweh was about to take Elijah up, that the water was healed according to Elisha's word, and that Elisha cursed them in Yahweh's name, are the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
In plain English: When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind (or: a storm) into heaven (or: into the sky), Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
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2Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
In plain English: Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel." Elisha said, "As Yahweh lives, and as you live (literally: as your soul lives), I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
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3The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
In plain English: The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that Yahweh will take your master away from over you (literally: from over your head) today?" He said, "Yes, I know it. Be quiet (this Bible: hold your peace)."
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4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
In plain English: Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho." He said, "As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.
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5The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
In plain English: The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that Yahweh will take your master away from over you today?" He answered, "Yes, I know it. Be quiet."
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6Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
In plain English: Elijah said to him, "Please stay here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan." He said, "As Yahweh lives, and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on.
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7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
In plain English: Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, and the two of them stood by the Jordan.
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8Elijah 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.
In plain English: Elijah took his mantle (or: cloak), rolled it up, and struck the water. The water divided to one side and the other, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
Good to know: "Mantle" is adderet, the mantle Elijah put (literally: threw) on Elisha when he called him (). "Dry ground" is charavah, the word used when Israel crossed the Jordan "on dry ground" in . Elisha strikes the water with the same mantle in verse 14.
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9When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
In plain English: When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I should do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let a double portion (literally: a mouth of two; see the note) of your spirit be on me."
The Hebrew words: "A double portion" is word for word "a mouth of two". The dictionary gives peh, "mouth", also as "portion". The same words are in the law of the firstborn in : a father must give his firstborn son "a double portion of all that he has". "Spirit" is ruach, explained in the note on .
What changes: Read as "twice as much", Elisha asks for two times the spirit that was on Elijah. Read as the share of a firstborn son, as in Deuteronomy 21:17, he asks for the share the firstborn receives from his father. Elijah answers only that it is "a hard thing" (verse 10).
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10He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
In plain English: He said, "You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you. But if not, it will not be so."
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11As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
In plain English: As they were walking on and talking, suddenly (this Bible: behold) a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind (or: a storm) into heaven (or: into the sky).
The Hebrew words: "Whirlwind" is se'arah, which the dictionary gives as "a hurricane". This Bible says "storm" or a longer form in 15 of the 22 verses that use it, and "whirlwind" or a longer form in 9. "Heaven" is shamayim, which the dictionary gives as "the sky (as aloft ...)". It is the same word as "the sky" from which fire came down in .
Good to know: The text says the chariot of fire and horses of fire came between the two men, and that Elijah went up "by a whirlwind". It does not say that he rode in the chariot. In verse 16 the sons of the prophets think Yahweh's Spirit may have put him down on a mountain or in a valley, and verse 17 says they searched three days and did not find him. says, "I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes", and in Moses and Elijah appear, talking with Jesus.
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12Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
In plain English: Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen (or: horses)!" (See the note.) He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
The Hebrew words: "My father" is also what Naaman's servants call their master () and what the king of Israel calls Elisha (). "Chariots" is rekev, which the dictionary gives as "a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry". "Horsemen" is parash, which can mean horses or the men who drive them (see the note on ).
What changes: Read as words about what he sees, Elisha cries out at the chariot of fire and horses of fire of verse 11. Read as words about Elijah, Elisha calls his master himself "the chariots of Israel and its horsemen", as if Elijah had been like an army for Israel. When Elisha is dying, King Joash weeps over him and says the same words ().
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13He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
In plain English: He also picked up Elijah's mantle that had fallen from him, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
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14He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
In plain English: He took Elijah's mantle that had fallen from him, struck the water, and said, "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?" When he too had struck the water (or, with "he too" read as part of the question: "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah, even he?"), it divided to one side and the other, and Elisha crossed over.
The Hebrew words: After Elisha's question come two short words, af hu, "also he" (or: even he). They can go with what comes after them: "when he too had struck the water". Or they can end Elisha's question: "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah, even he?"
What changes: Read the first way, the verse says that Elisha, like Elijah in verse 8, struck the water. Read the second way, Elisha's question asks where Yahweh himself is. Either way, the water divided and Elisha crossed over.
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15When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
In plain English: When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho, across from him, saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." They came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.
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16They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps Yahweh’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.”
In plain English: They said to him, "Look, your servants have fifty strong men with them (literally: sons of strength). Please let them go and look for your master. Perhaps Yahweh's Spirit (or: wind) has taken him up and thrown him down (this Bible: put him) on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys." He said, "Do not send them."
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17When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him.
In plain English: But they kept urging him until he was ashamed, and he said, "Send them." So they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him.
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18They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”
In plain English: They came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, "Did I not tell you, 'Do not go'?"
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19The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”
In plain English: The men of the city said to Elisha, "Look, please, this city is in a good place (this Bible: the situation is pleasant), as my lord can see. But the water is bad, and the land is barren (literally: causes miscarriage; see the note)."
The Hebrew word: "Barren" is shakol, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to miscarry ... by analogy, to bereave". The same word is "barren wasteland" in verse 21: the healed water would no longer bring death or miscarriage.
What changes: Read as "barren", the land did not bear. Read as "causes miscarriage", the bad water made people or animals lose their young. The text does not say which. It says only that the water was healed (verse 22).
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20He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
In plain English: He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him.
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21He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
In plain English: He went out to the spring of the water, threw salt into it, and said, "Yahweh says this: 'I have healed this water. No more death or miscarriage (this Bible: barren wasteland) will come from there.'"
Good to know: Elisha speaks Yahweh's message here ("Yahweh says"), so it is not in gold. Verse 22 says the water was healed "according to Elisha's word which he spoke".
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22So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.
In plain English: So the water was healed, as it is to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
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23He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”
In plain English: He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up the road, some young boys (or: young men; see the note) came out of the city and mocked him. They said to him, "Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!"
The Hebrew words: "Youths" is ne'arim qetannim, word for word "small (or: young) lads". The dictionary gives na'ar as "a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant", and qatan as small "in quantity, size or number" or "in age or importance". King Solomon used the same two words of himself: "I am just a little child" (). In verse 24 the word is yeladim, which the dictionary gives as "a lad or offspring"; it is the word for the "young men" who grew up with Rehoboam in .
What changes: Read as "young boys", children came out of the city and mocked Elisha. Read as "young men", they were youths. The text says only that they came out of the city, mocked him, and said "Go up, you baldy!"
The Hebrew word: "Baldy" is qereach, which the dictionary gives as "bald (on the back of the head)". It is in only 2 verses of the Bible. "Go up" is the same word as Elijah being taken "up" in verses 1 and 11. The text does not explain what they meant by it.
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24He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in Yahweh’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths.
In plain English: He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in Yahweh's name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled (or: tore) forty-two of the boys (or: young men).
The Hebrew words: "Mauled" is baqa, which the dictionary gives as "to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open". The word for bear, dov, does not itself say male or female. In the Hebrew, the words "two" and "came out" have the form used of females, so this Bible says "female bears".
Good to know: The text says plainly that Elisha cursed them in Yahweh's name, and that two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them. It does not say whether any of them died, and it says nothing more about what happened.
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25He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
In plain English: From there he went to Mount Carmel, and from there he went back to Samaria.
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