2 Kings 2 Commentary

“And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.”

Juda, without the concurrence of the other tribes, (Calmet) which would be an evil precedent in a commonwealth, unless God had authorized them by the declaration of his will. (Grotius) — Samuel had before anointed David, and given him a right to the crown, (Worthington) jus ad regnum. But this anointing gives him a right to govern, jus in regno; (Calmet) or rather it proves, that the tribe submitted voluntarily to his dominion, which he had already (Haydock) lawfully begun to exercise, when he put the Amalecite to death. (Abulensis) (Tirinus) — Told, perhaps by some ill-designing men, who wished to irritate David against those who had shewn an attachment to Saul, unless the king had made enquiry, thinking it his duty to bury the deceased. (Calmet)

“And the sons of the prophets that were at 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.”

From thee. Hebrew, “from thy head,” thy superior, and raise him into the air, ver. 3. (Calmet)

“And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.”

Thee. Elias had tried the constancy of his disciple three times, as Christ required of St. Peter a triple confession of love, John xxi. 17. (Haydock) — Humility might also prompt the prophet to desire to be alone. (Salien)

“And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. to view: Heb. in sight, or, over against”

King. He invites them to concur with the men of Juda, hoping that all Israel would be influenced by their example. But his hopes proved abortive, as Abner caused Isboseth to be proclaimed king in the vicinity at Mahanaim.

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

Mantle. Septuagint meloten, “sheep skin,” (Menochius) such as the prophets wore. The Syriac explains it of an ornament or bandage of the head; others, of a leathren mantle to keep off rain. Ad subitas nunquam scortea desit aquas. (Martial xiv.)

“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, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.”

Double spirit. A double portion of thy spirit, as thy eldest son and heir: or thy spirit, which is double, in comparison of that which God usually imparteth to his prophets; (Challoner) or the power of working miracles, as well as of prophesying. (Worthington) — He wishes to excel his fellow disciples, rather than his master. (Tirinus) (Cajetan) (Amama) — Double often means, great and perfect, Jeremias xvii. 18. If Eliseus even begged that he might perform more and greater wonders than his master, (as Christ enabled his disciples to surpass himself, in this particular, John xiv. 12.; Haydock) he might do it without pride, purely for the glory of God. He certainly shone forth with peculiar splendour; and some have enumerated sixteen or twenty-four of his miracles, while they can only find eight (Lyranus) or twelve recorded of Elias. See Cornelius a Lapide, in Ecclesiasticus xlviii. 13. (Calmet) — We read a similar expression in Pindar, (Olym. vi.) where Neptune gave his son Jamus (Thesauron didumon mantosunas) “the double treasure of divination,” p. 50. Ed. Step. (Haydock)

“And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. Thou hast: Heb. Thou hast done hard in asking”

Hard thing. Hebrew literally, “thou art hardened to ask” a thing so difficult, and which I have not the power to grant. But I will pray that thou mayst receive it; (Calmet) and I feel confident that thou wilt, if God shall grant thee the power to see me, at my departure. (Haydock) — This he did, ver. 12. (Menochius) — Elias had perhaps imagined that his disciple would have desired some of his clothes, or some advice. (Calmet) — He left him his mantle, (ver. 13.; Haydock) and by prayer was enabled to communicate his spirit to him; as Moses and the apostles did to their assistants in the ministry. (Calmet)

“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 heaven.”

Horses. Angels assumed these forms, (Grotius) or a cloud, resembling a fiery chariot and horses, was impelled by a strong wind, under their guidance. (Tostat) (Menochius) (Salien, the year before Christ 914.) — As the name of Elias is very like Helios, “the sun,” some have supposed that they have the same meaning: (Sedulius, pasc. 1.) but the Hebrew term signifies, “He is my God.” The pagans have taken occasion from this history to represent the sun drawn in a fiery chariot, by horses composed of the same element.

“And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.”

Thereof. Thou alone wast equal to an army, in our defence. Chariots were then very common. (Calmet) — Chaldean and Vatable, “Thou wast, by thy prayer, better to Israel than chariots and horses.” So we should call a person, a pillar of the state, &c. (Tirinus) — In giving the character of Elias, the Holy Ghost dwells in a particular manner on his burning zeal. (Calmet) — Elias stood up as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch…he brought down fire from heaven thrice, on the holocaust, and on the captains. (Haydock) — Who can glory like to thee? Ecclesiasticus xlviii. 1, 4. See Sts. Ambrose and Chrysostom on Elias. His resemblance with Christ is very striking. His name puts us in mind of Christ’s divinity; who burnt with zeal for God’s house, (John ii. 17.) was persecuted, (Calmet) raised the dead to life, rose again and ascended triumphant into heaven, having imparted his blessing (Haydock) and his sacraments to his disciples. (Calmet) — No more, as he was taken from the company of men. (Haydock) — Pieces, to express his grief, at being deprived of so excellent a master. (Menochius)

“He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; bank: Heb. lip”

Mantle, as an earnest of his affection. By the imposition of this mantle, he had been called to be a prophet, 3 Kings xix. 19.

“And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.”

Not divided. God thus prevented him from giving way to vanity, (Abulensis, q. 28.) or thinking that he could do any thing of himself. (Haydock) — Elias. Hebrew, “where is he?” (Calmet) — The original and Septuagint (Alexandrian and Vatican) do not specify that he struck the waters twice, or that they did not divide at first. (Haydock) — This is taken from other copies of the Septuagint. (Amama) — The exclamation contains a most fervent prayer. Hebrew, “he smote the waters, and said: Where is the Lord God of Elias? and when he had stricken the,” &c., which removes the idea of presumption, which (Haydock) some discover in the words of Eliseus. (Tirinus) (Sanctius) — Now. Hebrew aph hu. Septuagint aphpho, retaining the words which Theodotion renders “the hidden” god. (Haydock) — “Even he himself.” (Aquila) (Calmet) — When I stand so much in need of his assistance, (Menochius) having to perform his important functions, which cannot be done without his spirit, nor without the confirmation of miracles, before an unbelieving people. (Haydock)

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

They worshipped him; viz., with an inferior, yet religious veneration, not for any temporal, but spiritual excellency. (Challoner) (Worthington) — They had stopped on a hill, (Menochius) to see the event, ver. 7. (Haydock) — Jericho itself is two hours’ journey from the Jordan. (Adrichomius) — The sons of the prophets had seen what had happened at the translation of Elias, and perceiving that Eliseus was invested with his mantle, and with the power of working miracles, they did not hesitate to acknowledge him for their superior, during the absence of Elias, who they expected would return. (Calmet)

“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, Ye shall not send. strong: Heb. sons of strength some mountain: Heb. one of the mountains”

Valley. It seems such translations were not uncommon, 3 Kings xviii. 12. (Calmet)

“And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.”

Send. He acquiesces, lest they might think that he was afraid of losing his superiority. (Menochius)

“And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?”

Woods. Swiftness was one great qualification of a warrior, chap. i. 23. Homer generally styles Achilles, “the swift-footed.”

“And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. barren: Heb. causing to miscarry”

Barren, owing to the salt or bituminous waters. Some think that they were muddy and of a loathsome smell. The fountain is still to be seen very abundant and excellent, watering the plain on the west of the city. Its source is about two miles distant on the road to Jerusalem. (Maundrell, p. 134.) (Calmet) — Other parts of the environs were very fertile. (Menochius)

“And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.”

Put salt. He removes every suspicion of imposture: if the waters were already saline, the remedy would seem contrary to his design, but it would display the miracle in a stronger light; and if they were only fetid and muddy, (Calmet) though (Haydock) salt might rectify a small quantity, (Palladius tit. 9. Vales, &c.) it could never correct the bad qualities of such a fountain for a length of time, by the mere force of nature. (Haydock) — Josephus (Jewish Wars iv. 8.) represents Eliseus acting like a magician, being desirous to please the pagan readers with various embellishments. (Calmet)

“And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast 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.”

Barrenness. By the divine power they are become salubrious. (Haydock)

“So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.”

Brother. It seems they were great friends, though they had espoused different parties. (Calmet)

“And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.”

Bald-head. It is not known whether Eliseus was really bald, or only wore his hair short, like the priests of the Lord, and the monks at present. It may also be a term of reproach, of which the emperors Julius Cęsar, Domitian, and Otho, were very sensible. Cęsar wore a crown of laurel, and Otho a sort of false hair, to hide this deformity. (Suetonius)

“And he turned back, and looked on them, and 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.”

Cursed them. This curse, which was followed by so visible a judgment of God, was not the effect of passion, or of a desire of revenging himself; but of zeal for religion, which was insulted by these boys, in the person of the prophet, and of a divine inspiration; God being determined to punish in this manner the inhabitants of Bethel, (the chief seat of the calf-worship) who had trained up their children in a prejudice against the true religion and its ministers. (Challoner) — The boys themselves were not so little as not to be aware of the insult they were offering to a minister of the God of Juda; and probably they acted thus out of hatred to him, at the instigation of their idolatrous parents. (Sanctius) (Calmet) — Lord. He called on him (Menochius) to revenge his own cause, (Haydock) “that the people might learn to take care of their souls, by the fear of death.” (St. Augustine) (Du Hamel)

“And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.”

Carmel. To avoid the indignation of the populace, and to instruct his disciples. — Samaria. That he might be ready to give advice to the two kings, who were meditating an expedition against Moab. (Menochius)

Destruction. Septuagint, “till thou hast gained a complete victory?” Chaldean, “to separation?” Must we come to an eternal rupture? — Despair? Hebrew, “that it will be bitterness in the end?” Abner insinuates that they had commenced in a sort of play, but the consequences had already proved too serious; and if Joab continued to pursue, his men would be rendered desperate. (Calmet) — Despair makes people perform wonders, to revenge themselves. (Menochius)

Sooner. Hebrew, “If thou hadst not spoken,” (Du Hamel) by challenging, ver. 14. (Josephus, &c.) (Calmet)

Trumpet. It was not dishonourable for a general to do this himself, chap. xviii. 16. But among the Hebrews, the priests generally performed this office. (Calmet)

Beth-horon. Septuagint, “the extended plain.” Hebrew Bithrun, (Haydock) or the country towards the Jordan. (Calmet) — Thus the battle ended in his disgrace; (Haydock) and many from all Israel began to flock to the standard of David, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 22. (Tirinus)

Day, after a march of ten hours. (Adrichomius) (Menochius)