Berean Standard Bible
2 Kings 2:2
2and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.”
But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”
So they went down to Bethel.
2 Kings 2:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth–el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth–el.
- New International Version (NIV)Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Elijah said to Elisha, "Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of 2 Kings 2:2
1Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal, and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.” 4And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
Read all of 2 Kings 22 Kings 2:2 word by word
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ אֶל־אֱלִישָׁ֜ע שֵֽׁב־נָ֣א פֹ֗ה כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ שְׁלָחַ֣נִי עַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֔ע חַי־יְהוָ֥ה וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ אִם־אֶעֶזְבֶ֑ךָּ וַיֵּרְד֖וּ בֵּֽית־אֵֽל׃Read the interlinear
- and Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
- Pleaseנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
- stayיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- hereפֹּהpôh pô' pô · hereH6311
- forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- has sent meשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- on toעַד‛ad · tillH5704
- Bethelבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
- livesחַיchay · aliveH2416
- and as you yourselfנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- I will notאִם'im · if: surely noH518
- leave youעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- So they went downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
Cross-references for 2 Kings 2:2
- Ruth 1:15“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
- 2 Samuel 15:19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
- John 6:67So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
- 2 Kings 2:4And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
- 2 Kings 4:30And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
- 1 Samuel 1:26“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 17:55As Saul had watched David going out to confront the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “As surely as you live, O king,” Abner replied, “I do not know.”
- 1 Samuel 25:26Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has held you back from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, may your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.
- Jeremiah 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
- Ruth 1:16But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
- 2 Samuel 15:21But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”
- 1 John 2:19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
- Genesis 28:19and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
- 1 Kings 12:29One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan.
- 1 Kings 13:1Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 2:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Tarry here, I pray thee - He either made these requests through humility, not wishing any person to be witness of the honor conferred on him by God, or with the desire to prove the fidelity of Elisha, whether he would continue to follow and serve him.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Tarry here - Elijah‘s motive in making this request is not clear. Perhaps he thought that so awful and sacred a scene as that which he was led to expect 2 Kings 2:9, should be kept as secret as possible. The Lord hath sent me to Bethel - Elijah may have been directed to Bethel, because of the “School of the prophets” there, that the sight of him - if not his words - might console and encourage them before they lost him forever. As the Lord liveth - This…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-6stay here: Elijah asked Elisha three times to stay behind while he traveled. Each time, Elisha refused and promised to stay with his master until the end.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-102Ki 2:1-10. Elijah Divines Jordan. 1-7. when the Lord would take up Elijah--A revelation of this event had been made to the prophet; but, unknown to him, it had also been revealed to his disciples, and to Elisha in particular, who kept constantly beside him. Gilgal--This Gilgal (Jiljil) was near Ebal and Gerizim; a school of the prophets was established there. At Beth-el there was also a school of the prophets, which Elijah had founded, notwithstanding…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 2:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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