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2 Kings Chapter
Two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 2
This
chapter relates
how that Elisha accompanied Elijah to several places
and on
the other side Jordan Elijah was taken up from him to heaven
which occasioned
great lamentation in him
2 Kings 2:1
but
having the mantle of Elijah
he divided the waters of Jordan
and passed over
2 Kings 2:13
and
the sons of the prophets at Jericho
perceiving the spirit of Elijah on him
showed him great respect
and proposed sending men to seek his master
which
they did in vain
2 Kings 2:15
when
he healed the waters at Jericho
at the request of the men of it
2 Kings 2:19
and
the chapter is concluded with the destruction of forty two children at Bethel
by bears
who mocked him
2 Kings 2:23.
2 Kings 2:1 And
it came to pass
when the Lord was about to take up
Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind
that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
at
Jehovah's taking up Elijah in a whirlwind to the heavens
that Elijah goeth
and Elisha
from Gilgal
And it came to pass
when the Lord would take up Elijah into
heaven by a whirlwind
.... Thereby lifting him up from the earth
and which
as it was
the purpose and will of God
Elijah had notice of
as appears by his motions to
different places
under a divine direction:
that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal
where it
seems they met
a place where the Israelites first pitched when they came over
Jordan
and where the tabernacle was for some time
and was famous for
religious services
see Joshua 4:19.
2 Kings 2:2 2 Then Elijah said to
Elisha
“Stay here
please
for the Lord has sent me on to
Bethel.” But Elisha said
“As the Lord lives
and as your
soul lives
I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.
YLT
2and Elijah saith unto
Elisha
`Abide
I pray thee
here
for Jehovah hath sent me unto Beth-El;' and
Elisha saith
`Jehovah liveth
and thy soul liveth
if I leave thee;' and they
go down to Beth-El.
And Elijah said unto Elisha
tarry here
I pray thee
.... Seemingly
unwilling he should go with him
and be present at his assumption; which was
either out of modesty
not affecting the spread of the honour and glory to be
conferred upon him; or to prevent the grief of Elisha at his departure
or to
try whether Elisha knew any thing of it
and what affection he had for him:
for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel; to give some comfort and
some instruction and advice to the college of prophets there:
and Elisha said unto him
as the Lord liveth
and as thy soul
liveth
I will not leave thee; being determined to see the last of him
and to have the benefit of his company and conversation
his heavenly
discourse
and instruction from him as long as he could
and in hope of
receiving a blessing from him at parting:
so they went down to Bethel; together
which
according to BuntingF8Travels
&c. p. 205.
was six miles.
2 Kings 2:3 3 Now the sons of the
prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha
and said to him
“Do you
know that the Lord
will take away your master from over you today?” And he said
“Yes
I know;
keep silent!”
YLT
3And sons of the prophets
who [are] in Beth-El come out unto Elisha
and say unto him
`Hast thou known
that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head?' and he saith
`I also
have known -- keep silent.'
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel
.... Or the
disciples of them
as the Targum; here
though a place where one of Jeroboam's
calves was set up
was a school of the prophets
perhaps founded by Elijah as a
nursery for religion
and a check upon the idolatry of the times:
came forth to Elisha; out of their college: and said unto him
knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today? who was
as
Abarbinel observes
the crown and glory of his head; or else this is said
as
generally thought
in allusion to disciples sitting at the feet of their
masters
and so they at the head of them; the rapture of Elijah was by a spirit
of prophecy revealed unto them:
and he said
yea
I know it; being revealed to him in
the same way:
hold your peace: not caring to continue any discourse with
them on the subject
that his thoughts
which were intent upon it
might not be
interrupted
and that his master might not know that he knew of it
and lest he
should be snatched away from him
and he not see him
while discoursing with
them.
2 Kings 2:4 4 Then Elijah said to him
“Elisha
stay here
please
for the Lord has sent me on to
Jericho.” But he said
“As the Lord lives
and as your
soul lives
I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho.
YLT
4And Elijah saith to him
`Elisha
abide
I pray thee
here
for Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho;' and he
saith
`Jehovah liveth
and thy soul liveth
if I leave thee;' and they come in
to Jericho.
And Elijah said unto him
Elisha
tarry here
I pray thee
.... At
Bethel:
for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho; to the school
of the prophets there
to strengthen
encourage
and advise them:
and he said
as the lord liveth
&c; using the same
form of oath as before:
so they came to Jericho; together
which
as the
above writer saysF9Travels
&c. p. 205.
was four miles from
Bethel.
2 Kings 2:5 5 Now the sons of the
prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him
“Do you
know that the Lord
will take away your master from over you today?” So he answered
“Yes
I know;
keep silent!”
YLT
5And sons of the prophets
who [are] in Jericho come nigh unto Elisha
and say unto him
`Hast thou known
that to-day Jehovah is taking thy lord from thy head?' and he saith
`I also
have known -- keep silent.'
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho
.... For
though this place was lately rebuilt under a curse to the builder
yet was
blessed with a school of the prophets: whose disciples came to Elisha
and said
unto him; as in 2 Kings 2:3 and to
whom he made the same reply.
2 Kings 2:6 6 Then Elijah said to him
“Stay here
please
for the Lord has sent me on to the
Jordan.” But he said
“As the Lord lives
and as your
soul lives
I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on.
YLT
6And Elijah saith to him
`Abide
I pray thee
here
for Jehovah hath sent me to the Jordan;' and he
saith
`Jehovah liveth
and thy soul liveth
if I leave thee;' and they go on
both of them
And Elijah said unto him
tarry
I pray thee
here
.... At
Jericho
seemingly very desirous to get rid of him
that he might not see his
assumption:
for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan: where passing that he
was to be taken up:
and he said
&c; Elisha swore
as before
he would not leave him:
and they two went on; to Jordan
which was six
miles from JerichoF11Travels
&c. p. 205. .
2 Kings 2:7 7 And fifty men of the sons
of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance
while the two
of them stood by the Jordan.
YLT
7-- and fifty men of the
sons of the prophets have gone on
and stand over-against afar off -- and both
of them have stood by the Jordan.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went
and stood to view
afar off
.... To have a view
if they could
of the assumption of Elijah
to heaven
and be witnesses of it:
and they two stood by Jordan; on the banks of it
even
Elijah and Elisha.
2 Kings 2:8 8 Now Elijah took his
mantle
rolled it up
and struck the water; and it was divided this way
and that
so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
YLT
8And Elijah taketh his robe
and wrappeth [it] together
and smiteth the waters
and they are halved
hither
and thither
and they pass over both of them on dry land.
And Elijah took his mantle
and wrapped it together
.... Folded it
up close together
in a position to smite with it; this is thought to be not
his hairy garment
but a shorter robe
that was worn upon his shoulders; but
the Greek version renders it by "melotes"
and so in 2 Kings 2:14
which
according to IsidoreF12Origin. l. 19. c. 24.
was a goat's
skin
hanging down from the neck
and girt at the loins; and being thus
clothed
perhaps
may be the reason of his being called an hairy man
2 Kings 1:8
and smote the waters
and they were divided hither and thither; just as Moses
lifted up his rod
and the waters of the sea were divided for the Israelites:
so that they two went over on dry ground; in like
manner as the Israelites did through the sea.
2 Kings 2:9 9 And so it was
when they
had crossed over
that Elijah said to Elisha
“Ask! What may I do for you
before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said
“Please let a double portion of
your spirit be upon me.”
YLT
9And it cometh to pass
at
their passing over
that Elijah hath said unto Elisha
`Ask
what do I do for
thee before I am taken from thee?' and Elisha saith
`Then let there be
I pray
thee
a double portion of thy spirit unto me;'
And it came to pass
when they were gone over
.... Had got
on the other side Jordan:
that Elijah said unto Elisha
ask what I shall do for thee
before
I be taken from thee; for
having followed him so closely
he now made no more a
secret of his assumption
and having had full trial of his attachment to him
and affection for him:
and Elisha said
I pray thee
let a double portion of thy spirit
be upon me; the two parts of the gifts of the spirit he had
that of
prophecy
and that of doing miracles
as some think; or two parts out of three
of what Elijah was possessed of; or rather double as much
and which he might
desire
not from a spirit of vanity and ambition to be greater than his master
but from an eagerness to promote the glory of God
and the interest of
religion
to reclaim the Israelites from their idolatry
and establish the true
religion
which he might observe Elijah was not able to do with that measure of
grace and gifts he had; or however this phrase denotes an abundance
a large
portion or measure
as it everywhere does. Many
after Ben Gersom
have thought
it refers to the double portion of the firstborn
and that Elisha does not mean
a double portion with respect to Elijah
but with respect to the junior
prophets
with whom he might be considered as a firstborn
and so desired a
double or greater portion than they
and which may be most correctF13See
Weemse of the Moral Law
l. 2. c. 7. p. 41. ; and when he asked this
he did
not suppose it was in Elijah's power to give him it
only that he would pray to
God
at parting with him
that he would bestow it on him.
2 Kings 2:10 10 So he said
“You have
asked a hard thing. Nevertheless
if you see me when I am taken
from you
it shall be so for you; but if not
it shall not be so.”
YLT
10and he saith
`Thou hast
asked a hard thing; if thou dost see me taken from thee
it is to thee so; and
if not
it is not.'
And he said
thou hast asked a hard thing
.... Not a
common privilege
but what is rarely enjoyed
and difficult to obtain
few are
so favoured of God:
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; meaning
that if his rapture was
visible to Elisha
and he was favoured with a sight of his assumption
and be
an eyewitness of it
this would be a token both to Elijah that it was agreeable
to the Lord to ask of him this favour for him
and to Elisha to expect it
otherwise not.
2 Kings 2:11 11 Then it happened
as they
continued on and talked
that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with
horses of fire
and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven.
YLT
11And it cometh to pass
they
are going
going on and speaking
and lo
a chariot of fire
and horses of
fire
and they separate between them both
and Elijah goeth up in a whirlwind
to the heavens.
And it came to pass
as they still went on and talked
.... About the
donation of the gifts of the Spirit requested
about the state of religion in
Israel
and about the training up of prophets in the colleges
and about
Elisha's succession as a prophet in his room
and his discharge of that office
and such like things
as may be supposed
in which he gave him instruction and
advice:
that
behold
there appeared a chariot of fire
and horses of fire; either angels
in this form
see Psalm 104:4
in
which they appeared for the glory and honour of the prophet
and as emblems of
his flaming love and zeal for the purity of religion
and that his assumption
might be conspicuous to Elisha; and perhaps by this means might be seen by the
fifty men on the other side Jordan: this chariot
drawn with these horses
was
not seen in the heaven
but as running on the earth
and came between the two
prophets
and separated them from each other
taking up Elijah into it by means
of a wind whirling about him
and which was no other than the ministry of
angels; or these might be a conflux of exhalations or clouds
formed in this
likeness by a supernatural power
and
by the solar rays striking on them
might appear fiery or red; and so his assumption was much in such like manner
as our Lord was taken up in a cloud
Acts 1:9
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven; body and
soul; such a change passing on him
as he went through the region of the air
which divested him of his mortality and corruption
and fitted him for the
invisible world.
2 Kings 2:12 12 And Elisha saw it
and he cried out
“My father
my father
the chariot of Israel and its
horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore
them into two pieces.
YLT
12And Elisha is seeing
and
he is crying
`My father
my father
the chariot of Israel
and its horsemen;'
and he hath not seen him again; and he taketh hold on his garments
and rendeth
them into two pieces.
And Elisha saw it
.... The ascension of Elijah to heaven
the
manner of it
and all relative to it
as the disciples saw the ascension of
Christ
between which and this there is a great agreement
see Acts 1:9
and so
Elisha had the token by which he might expect to have the double portion
as
the disciples after the ascension of Christ had an extraordinary effusion of
the Spirit and gifts upon them:
and he cried
my father
my father; or my master
my master
as the Targum; Elijah being a father to Elisha
and the rest of the prophets
in the same sense as disciples of the prophets are called sons:
the chariots of Israel
and the horsemen thereof; who was a
greater defence to Israel
and was of more service to them by his instructions
and prayers
than an army consisting of chariots and horsemen; so the
Targum
"he was better to Israel by his prayers than chariots and
horsemen:"
and he saw him no more; he was carried up in the
above manner into the heaven of heavens
out of the sight of mortals
and never
seen more
but at the transfiguration of Christ on the mount:
and he took hold of his own clothes
and rent them in two pieces; not on
account of Elijah's case and circumstances
who was now in a most happy and
glorious state and condition
but as lamenting his own loss
and the loss of
the public.
2 Kings 2:13 13 He also took up the mantle
of Elijah that had fallen from him
and went back and stood by the bank of the
Jordan.
YLT
13And he taketh up the robe
of Elijah
that fell from off him
and turneth back and standeth on the edge of
the Jordan
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him
.... Which he
had now no further need of
and Elisha had
having rent his clothes in two; and
this falling into his hands was a token of his succeeding him in his office
and that he should have the double portion of his spirit:
and he went back
and stood by the brook of Jordan; at the place
where he and Elijah had passed over together.
2 Kings 2:14 14 Then he took the mantle of
Elijah that had fallen from him
and struck the water
and said
“Where is
the Lord
God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water
it was divided this way
and that; and Elisha crossed over.
YLT
14and he taketh the robe of
Elijah that fell from off him
and smiteth the waters
and saith
`Where [is]
Jehovah
God of Elijah -- even He?' and he smiteth the waters
and they are
halved
hither and thither
and Elisha passeth over.
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him
and smote the
waters
.... He wrapped it together
as Elijah had done
and smote the
waters in like manner
to make trial whether he had the same spirit and power
conferred on him:
and said
where is the Lord God of Elijah? let him
appear now
and show his power as he did by him; he knew the mantle would not
do without the Lord
and the exertion of his might:
and when he also had smitten the waters
they parted hither and
thither; as when Elijah smote them. The words "aph-hu"
rendered "he also"
is left untranslated by the Septuagint
and is
interpreted by TheodoretF14Apud Flamin. Nobil. in loc. So Suidas in
voce απφω.
"hidden". They stand immediately after "the God of Elijah"
and may be rendered
"yea he"
even he himself; meaning not Elijah
as if he was inquired after
or was present and smote the waters; but rather
as we and others
Elisha
even he also smote the waters; though some take it to
be the name of God
as "Hu" was
and is with the Arabs to this day;
see Gill on Isaiah 43:13.
AthanasiusF15De Commun. Essent. Patris
&c. vol. 1. p. 374. See
Weemse of the Moral Law
l. 1. c. 7. p. 162. interprets it of God
"Appho"; and so Elisha calls him by his title and attribute
"Aph-hu": but the words may be an answer to the prophet's question
"where
is the Lord God of Elijah?" here he is
even he himself
in the faith of
which the water
being smitten
parted; and with this agrees Abarbinel's note
on the text; the meaning is
though we are deprived of Elijah
yet not of the
providence of God; and though the servant is wanting
the Lord or master is
not; for even he
the blessed God
is in his room
and his excellency is as it
was before; which sense is approved of by FrischmuthF16Dissert. de
Eliae Nomine
&c. sect. 11
12. .
and Elisha went over; the river Jordan
as on dry
land.
2 Kings 2:15 15 Now when the sons of the
prophets who were from Jericho saw him
they said
“The spirit of Elijah
rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him
and bowed to the ground before
him.
YLT
15And they see him -- the
sons of the prophets who [are] in Jericho -- over-against
and they say
`Rested hath the spirit of Elijah on Elisha;' and they come to meet him
and
bow themselves to him to the earth
And when the sons of the prophets
which were to view at Jericho
saw him
.... Who went out from thence towards Jordan
to have a sight if
they could of the assumption of Elijah; these
when they saw Elisha come over
Jordan
the waters being parted by him:
they said
the spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha; or he has the
same power and spirit to work miracles as he had
which they discerned by his
dividing the waters of Jordan with his mantle:
and they came to meet him
and bowed themselves to the ground
before him; in reverence of him as their master
in the room of Elijah.
2 Kings 2:16 16 Then they said to him
“Look now
there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go
and search for your master
lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him
up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said
“You
shall not send anyone.”
YLT
16and say unto him
`Lo
we
pray thee
there are with thy servants fifty men
sons of valour: let them go
we pray thee
and they seek thy lord
lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him
up
and doth cast him on one of the hills
or into one of the valleys;' and he
saith
`Ye do not send.'
And they said unto him
behold
now
there be with thy servants
fifty strong men
.... Perhaps meaning themselves
2 Kings 2:7 who
were young
stout
and strong
and able to travel for days together:
let them go
we pray thee
and seek thy master; for though
they knew he was to be taken away
yet knew not for what time
and imagined he
might be found again:
lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up; as it seems
he was wont to do
see 1 Kings 18:12.
and cast him upon some mountain
or into some valley; where he
sometimes had his abode; or they might fancy
if he was taken up to heaven
yet
in his soul only
and that
when that was separated
his dead body would be
left on a mountain
or in a valley; and therefore they were desirous of seeking
and finding it
that it might not be exposed to birds and beasts of prey
but
that they might bury it in a decent and honourable manner:
and he said
ye shall not send; he knew it was to no
purpose
since he was translated to heaven
body and soul
and which he was an
eyewitness of.
2 Kings 2:17 17 But when they urged him
till he was ashamed
he said
“Send them!” Therefore they sent fifty
men
and they searched for three days but did not find him.
YLT
17And they press upon him
till he is ashamed
and he saith
`Send ye;' and they send fifty men
and they
seek three days
and have not found him;
And when they urged him until he was ashamed
.... To deny
them any longer
being so very pressing and importunate:
he said
send; lest they should think he had not the
respect for his master he should have had; or was so fond of his office
that
he did not choose he should be found alive if he could
and return and reassume
it:
they sent therefore fifty men; some one way
and some
another:
and they sought three days
but found him not; and then
returned.
2 Kings 2:18 18 And when they came back to
him
for he had stayed in Jericho
he said to them
“Did I not say to you
‘Do
not go’?”
YLT
18and they turn back unto him
-- and he is abiding in Jericho -- and he saith unto them
`Did I not say unto
you
Do not go?'
And when they came again to him
for he tarried at Jericho
.... Waiting
their return to hear the report they made: which when they had:
he said unto them
did I not say unto you
go not? assuring them
it would be fruitless
and to no purpose; though this search of theirs served
both to confirm the assumption of Elijah
and the truth of Elisha being a
prophet of the Lord.
2 Kings 2:19 19 Then the men of the city
said to Elisha
“Please notice
the situation of this city is pleasant
as my lord sees; but the water is bad
and the ground barren.”
YLT
19And the men of the city say
unto Elisha
`Lo
we pray thee
the site of the city [is] good
as my lord
seeth
and the waters [are] bad
and the earth sterile.'
And the men of the city
said unto Elisha
.... The inhabitants of Jericho
perceiving him to be a prophet
and endowed with a power of working miracles:
behold
I pray thee
the situation of this city is pleasant
as my
lord seeth; in a plain
surrounded with gardens and orchards
with
vineyards
oliveyards
and groves of palm trees
and other odoriferous ones:
but the water is naught
and the ground barren; that is
that
part of it where this water was
or ran
for from thence it became barren; or
"caused to miscarry"
as the word signifiesF17משכלת "orbans"
Montanus
Vatablus; "facit
abortum"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; not only trees cast their
fruit
which it watered
but women became abortive that drank of it
as
Josephus saysF18De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 3.
and so cattle.
Abarbinel thinks it was so from the times of Joshua
being cursed by him; but
if so
it would not have been inhabited again; rather this was owing to a new
curse
upon its being rebuilt; though this might affect only a small part of
the ground
not the whole
as before observed.
2 Kings 2:20 20 And he said
“Bring me a
new bowl
and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
YLT
20And he saith
`Bring to me
a new dish
and place there salt;' and they bring [it] unto him
And he said
bring me a
new cruse
and put salt therein
.... One that had never been used
that it
might not be thought that the virtue was owing to anything that had been
or
was
put into it:
and they brought it to him; the pot with the salt in
it.
2 Kings 2:21 21 Then he went out to the
source of the water
and cast in the salt there
and said
“Thus says the Lord: ‘I have
healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’”
YLT
21and he goeth out unto the
source of the waters
and casteth there salt
and saith
`Thus said Jehovah
I
have given healing to these waters; there is not thence any more death and
sterility.'
And he went forth unto the
spring of the waters
.... The fountain from whence they flowed
the head of them:
and cast the salt in there; which was an unlikely
means of making bad water good
since that makes it brackish
and not so
drinkable
and what makes ground barren; but this method
contrary to nature
was taken
that the miracle might appear the greater; or
as the Jews express
it
be a miracle within a miracle:
and said
thus saith the Lord
I have healed these waters; he did not
pretend to heal them in his own name
and by his own power
but in the name and
by the power of the Lord
to whom he would have it ascribed:
there shall not be from thence any more death
or barren land; or
miscarrying; no more noxious and mortal diseases should be got by drinking
them
nor any abortions occasioned by them in women
cattle
and fruit trees
as had been.
2 Kings 2:22 22 So the water remains
healed to this day
according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
YLT
22And the waters are healed
unto this day
according to the word of Elisha
that he spake.
So the waters were healed
unto this day
according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. In the name of
the Lord; and not only they remained so unto the time of the writer of this
history
but to the times of Josephus
as he testifiesF19De Bello
Jud. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 3.
and even to ours; for there is a spring now called
Elisha's spring or fountain
of which Mr. Maundrell saysF20Journey
from Aleppo
&c. p. 80.
"its waters are at present received in a
basin about nine or ten paces long
and five or six broad; and from thence
issuing out in good plenty
divide themselves into several small streams
dispersing their refreshment to all the field between this and Jericho
and
rendering it exceeding fruitful.'So some other travellersF21Egmont
and Heyman's Travels
vol. 1. p. 331. say of it
that the water is very clear
and cool
and issues in a copious steam. PlinyF23Nat. Hist. l. 5. c.
16. gives it the name of "Calirroe"
the beautiful stream
and speaks
of it as hot
wholesome
and medicinal
and of great note.
2 Kings 2:23 23 Then he went up from there
to Bethel; and as he was going up the road
some youths came from the city and
mocked him
and said to him
“Go up
you baldhead! Go up
you baldhead!”
YLT
23And he goeth up thence to
Beth-El
and he is going up in the way
and little youths have come out from
the city
and scoff at him
and say to him
`Go up
bald-head! go up
bald-head!'
And he went up from thence
unto Bethel
.... From Jericho
which lay in a plain
to Bethel
situated on
an hill
and therefore is said to go up to it; hither he went
to acquaint the
sons of the prophets with the assumption of Elijah
to condole their loss of
him
and to comfort and encourage them
and confirm his own authority among
them as a prophet in his stead:
and as he was going up by the way; the ascent to the city:
there came forth little children out of the city; the word for
"children" is used of persons of thirty or forty years of age; and
though these are said to be "little"
they were so well grown as to
be able to go forth out of the city of themselves
without any to guide them
or to take care of them; and were of an age capable not only of taking notice
of Elijah's baldness
but knew him to be a prophet
and were able to
distinguish between good and evil; and
from a malignant spirit in them
mocked
at him as such
and at the assumption of Elijah; which they had knowledge of
and to whom
taught by their idolatrous parents
they had an aversion: some
Jewish writersF24T. Bab. Sotah
fol. 46. 2. say
they were called
"Naarim"
which we render "children"
because shaken from
the commandments
or had shaken off the yoke of the commands; and
"little"
because they were of little faith:
and mocked him
and said unto him
go up
thou bald head; go up
thou bald head; meaning not up the hill to Bethel
where his coming was not
desirable to the greater part in it
being idolaters; and perhaps these
children were sent out to intimidate him with their flouts and jeers from
entering there; but having heard of Elijah going up to heaven
as was said
they jeeringly bid him go up to heaven after him
and then they should have a
good riddance of them both; thus at the same time mocking at him for his
baldness
and making a jest of the wondrous work of God
the assumption of
Elijah; which
with behaving so irreverently to an hoary head
a prophet of the
Lord
was very heinous and wicked
and therefore what befell them need not be
wondered at.
2 Kings 2:24 24 So he turned around and
looked at them
and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two
female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
YLT
24And he looketh behind him
and seeth them
and declareth them vile in the name of Jehovah
and two bears
come out of the forest
and rend of them forty and two lads.
And he turned back
and
looked on them
.... With a stern countenance
thereby reproving them
and in
order to intimidate them
and make them ashamed
and cause them to leave off
but to no purpose; they repeated their mockeries with great vehemence:
and cursed them in the name of the Lord; moved
thereunto
not from passion and a spirit of revenge
but by an impulse of the
Spirit of God:
and there came forth two she bears out of the wood; which are
fiercest
and especially when bereaved of their whelps
as these might be; the
wood seems to be near to Bethel
perhaps in the wilderness of Bethel
of which
see Joshua 8:15
and
RelandF25Palestin. Illustrat. p. 378. thinks it is the same with the
wood of Ephraim
2 Samuel 18:6
though the Jews
to increase the miracle
sayF26T. Bab. Sotah
fol.
47. 1. there was no wood at all
and
if there was
that there were no bears in
it; but though those creatures are mostly in northern countries
yet there were
of them in Judea
see 1 Samuel 17:34.
and tare forty and two children of them; it seems
there were more than these; but such a number of them they tore to pieces and
destroyed; which was very extraordinary
and was an awful punishment for their
wickedness
which they knowingly and willingly committed
and of their parents
in them
who had trained them up in such impiety
and put them upon it
and
sent them out to do it.
2 Kings 2:25 25 Then he went from there to
Mount Carmel
and from there he returned to Samaria.
YLT
25And he goeth thence unto
the hill of Carmel
and thence he hath turned back to Samaria.
And he went from thence to
Mount Carmel
.... Where Elijah used to frequent
and where also there might be
a school of the prophets; this
according to BuntingF1Travels
&c. p. 206.
was fifty six miles from Bethel:
and from thence he returned to Samaria; the capital
of the kingdom of Israel; there to bear his testimony against idolatry
to
reprove for it
and reclaim from it; this
as the same writer saysF2Ibid.
was thirty two miles from Carmel.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》