Christian Standard Bible
2 Kings 2:8
8Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
2 Kings 2:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
- New King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of 2 Kings 2:8
6Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you.” So Elisha answered, “Please, let me inherit two shares of your spirit.” 10Elijah replied, “You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won’t.”
Read all of 2 Kings 22 Kings 2:8 word by word
וַיִּקַּח֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ אֶת־אַדַּרְתּ֤וֹ וַיִּגְלֹם֙ וַיַּכֶּ֣ה אֶת־הַמַּ֔יִם וַיֵּחָצ֖וּ הֵ֣נָּה וָהֵ֑נָּה וַיַּעַבְר֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם בֶּחָרָבָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- his mantleאַדֶּ֫רֶת'addereth · clothingH155
- togetherגָּלַםgâlam · to foldH1563
- and smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- and they were dividedחָצָהchâtsâh · to divideH2673
- hither and thither, so that they twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- went overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- on dryחָֽרָבָהchârâbâh · dry groundH2724
Cross-references for 2 Kings 2:8
- 1 Kings 19:13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- 2 Kings 2:14He took the mantle Elijah had dropped, and he struck the water. “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” he asked. He struck the water himself, and it parted to the right and the left, and Elisha crossed over.
- Exodus 14:21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided,
- Joshua 3:14When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of the people.
- Psalms 114:5Why was it, sea, that you fled? Jordan, that you turned back?
- Isaiah 11:15The Lord will divide the Gulf of Suez. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates with his mighty wind and will split it into seven streams, letting people walk through on foot.
- Hebrews 11:29By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.
- Revelation 16:12The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 2:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Took his mantle - , his sheep-skin, says the Septuagint. The skins of beasts, dressed with the hair on, were formerly worn by prophets and priests as the simple insignia of their office. As the civil authority was often lodged in the hands of such persons, particularly among the Jews, mantles of this kind were used by kings and high civil officers when they bore no sacred character. The custom continues to the present day; a lamb's skin hood or cloak is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8They were divided - The attestation to the divine mission of Elijah furnished by this miracle would tend to place him upon a par in the thoughts of men with the two great leaders of the nation named in the marginal references.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Elijah folded his cloak and hit the water with it. These symbolic actions showed God's power (see Exodus 14:16, 21, 26–27; 17:8–13; 1 Kings 11:30–31; Ezekiel 4; 5:1–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters--Like the rod of Moses, it had the divinely operating power of the Spirit.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 2:8
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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