2 Kings 2:1

2 Kings 2:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
• New International Version (NIV)When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.

Context of 2 Kings 2:1

The Lord was now ready to take Elijah up to heaven in a storm of wind. At this time, Elijah and Elisha were travelling from Gilgal. 2Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here, because the Lord has sent me to Bethel.’ But Elisha replied, ‘I will not leave you. I promise that, as surely as the Lord lives and as surely as you also live.’ So they went down to Bethel together. 3A group of prophets lived in Bethel. They came out to Elisha and they asked him, ‘Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?’ Elisha replied, ‘Yes, I do know that, but do not talk about it now.’

2 Kings 2:1 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י בְּהַעֲל֤וֹת יְהוָה֙ אֶת־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ בַּֽסְעָרָ֖ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ אֵלִיָּ֛הוּ וֶאֱלִישָׁ֖ע מִן־הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, when the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• would take upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
• into heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• by a whirlwindסְעָרָהsa‛ar se‛ârâh · tempestH5591
• wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• with Elishaאֱלִישָׁע'ĕlîyshâ‛ · ElishaH477
• from Gilgalגִּלְגָּלgilgâl · GilgalH1537

Cross-references for 2 Kings 2:1

• Genesis 5:24Enoch lived to please God all this time, then Enoch was not there any more. God took Enoch to be with him.
• 1 Kings 19:4Then Elijah went into the desert by himself. He travelled for about a day. He found a small tree there and he sat down under it. He prayed that he might die. He said, ‘Lord, I have had enough trouble! Take my life from me. It is no better for me here than to be with my dead ancestors.’
• Luke 9:51The time came when God would soon take Jesus up to heaven. Jesus knew this, so he began to go towards Jerusalem.
• Acts 1:9When Jesus had finished speaking to his apostles, God took him up to heaven. The apostles watched Jesus while he went up. Then a cloud hid him and they could not see him any more.
• Hebrews 11:5Enoch also believed God. Because of Enoch's faith, God took him away to heaven. He did not die like other people. As a result, nobody could ever find him, because God had taken him away. Before God took him away, it was clear that Enoch had made God happy.
• Revelation 11:12Then God's two servants heard a loud voice that came from heaven. The voice said, ‘Come up here.’ They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.
• 1 Kings 18:12When I leave you, I do not know where the Lord's Spirit will take you. I may not be able to find you again. Then if I tell Ahab that I have seen you, he still will not find you. So he will kill me. But I have served the Lord faithfully since I was a young man.
• 1 Kings 19:11The Lord said, ‘Go out from the cave and stand on the mountain, in front of me. I, the Lord, will pass in front of you.’ Then a very strong wind broke the mountain apart. It broke the rocks into pieces as the Lord came near. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake.
• Job 38:1The Lord spoke to Job from the middle of the storm. This is what he said:
• 1 Kings 19:16You must also anoint Nimshi's grandson Jehu to make him king of Israel. Then anoint Shapat's son Elisha from Abel Meholah to be my prophet after you.
• Joshua 4:19On the tenth day of the first month, the people left the shore of the Jordan River. They put up their tents at a place called Gilgal. That was on the east side of Jericho city.
• Joshua 5:9The Lord said to Joshua, ‘This shows that you are no longer ashamed to be slaves, as you were in Egypt. Today I have taken away your shame.’ So they called that place Gilgal, and it still has that name.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 2:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1When the Lord would take up Elijah - It appears that God had revealed this intended translation, not only to Elijah himself, but also to Elisha, and to the schools of the prophets, both at Beth-el and Jericho, so that they were all expecting this solemn event.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The events of this chapter are related out of their chronological order. Elijah‘s translation did not take place until after the accession of Jehoram in Judah 2 Chronicles 21:12, which was not until the fifth year of Jehoram of Israel 2 Kings 8:16. The writer of Kings, having concluded his notices of the ministry of Elijah in chapter 1, and being about to pass in 2 Kings 4:38.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Chapter Outline Elijah divides Jordan. (1-8) Elijah is taken up into heaven. (9-12) Elisha is manifested to be Elijah's successor. (13-18) Elisha heals the waters of Jericho, Those that mocked Elisha destroyed. (19-25) Verses 1-8 The Lord had let Elijah know that his time was at hand. He therefore went to the different schools of the prophets to give them his last exhortations and blessing. The removal of Elijah was a type and figure of the ascension of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-18Elijah was taken up into heaven. At that moment, the role of prophet passed to Elisha, shown by the transfer of Elijah’s mantle (cloak).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 2:1

• Ascension
• Elisha
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Servant
• Translation
• Whirlwind

In the dictionaries

• Elijah
• Elisha
• Gilgal
• Double
• Heal
• Lord
• Mock
• Rest
• Education
• Friend; Friendship

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