2 Kings 2:16

2 Kings 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)“Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.” “No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they said to him, "Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "You shall not send."
• New King James Version (NKJV)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.”

Context of 2 Kings 2:16

14He took the coat and struck the water with it. He asked, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” As he struck the water, it divided to his left and his right, and Elisha crossed ⌞the river⌟. 15The disciples of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him from a distance. They said, “Elijah’s spirit rests on Elisha!” Then they went to meet him and bowed in front of him with their faces touching the ground. They said to him, “There are 50 strong men here with us. Please let them go and search for your master. Maybe the Lord’s Spirit lifted him up and dropped him on one of the hills or in one of the valleys.” Elisha answered, “Don’t send them ⌞to look⌟.” 17But the disciples kept urging him ⌞to send the men⌟ until he was embarrassed. So he said, “Send them.” They sent 50 men who searched for three days without finding him. 18They returned to Elisha in Jericho, where he was waiting. He said, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

2 Kings 2:16 word by word

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֡יו הִנֵּה־נָ֣א יֵֽשׁ־אֶת־עֲבָדֶיךָ֩ חֲמִשִּׁ֨ים אֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּנֵֽי־חַ֗יִל יֵ֣לְכוּ נָא֮ וִיבַקְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־אֲדֹנֶיךָ֒ פֶּן־נְשָׂאוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הֶהָרִ֔ים א֖וֹ בְּאַחַ֣ת הַגֵּאָי֑וֹת וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֥א תִשְׁלָֽחוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, Behold now, there beיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• with thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
• strongחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• menבֵּןbên · son: warriorH1121
• let them goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• we pray thee, and seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• thy masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• lest peradventure the Spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath taken him upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• him upon someאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• valleyגַּיְאgay' gay · valleyH1516
• Ye shall not sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971

Cross-references for 2 Kings 2:16

• 1 Kings 18:12This is what will happen: When I leave you, the Lord’s Spirit will take you away to some unknown place. I’ll tell Ahab, but he won’t be able to find you. Then he will kill me. “I have been faithful to the Lord since I was a child.
• Ezekiel 3:14Then the Spirit lifted me and took me away. I went away feeling bitter and angry. The strong power of the Lord came over me.
• Ezekiel 8:3It stretched out what looked like a hand and grabbed me by the hair on my head. In these visions from God, the Spirit carried me between heaven and earth. He took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner courtyard of the temple. That was where an idol that stirs up ⌞God’s⌟ anger was located.
• Ezekiel 11:24In this vision from God’s Spirit, the Spirit lifted me and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia. Then the vision I saw left me.
• Ezekiel 40:2In visions, God brought me to Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On the south side of the mountain were some buildings that looked like those in a city.
• Acts 8:39When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official joyfully continued on his way and didn’t see Philip again.
• 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a follower of Christ who was snatched away to the third heaven fourteen years ago. I don’t know whether this happened to him physically or spiritually. Only God knows.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Fifty strong men - Probably the same fifty who are mentioned 2 Kings 2:7, and who saw Elijah taken up in the whirlwind. Cast him upon some mountain - Though they saw him taken up towards heaven, yet they thought it possible that the Spirit of the Lord might have descended with him, and left him on some remote mountain or valley. Ye shall not send - He knew that he was translated to heaven, and that therefore it would be useless.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Compare the marginal references. The words “cast him upon some mountain,” rather imply that they expected to find the prophet alive.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-18Verses 13-18 Elijah left his mantle to Elisha; as a token of the descent of the Spirit upon him; it was more than if he had left him thousands of gold and silver. Elisha took it up, not as a sacred relic to be worshipped, but as a significant garment to be worn. Now that Elijah was taken to heaven, Elisha inquired, 1. After God; when our creature-comforts are removed, we have a God to go to, who lives for ever. 2. After the God that Elijah served, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18The prophets looked through the wilderness to make sure Elijah had not just vanished for a while (see 1 Kings 18:12). Elisha already knew the search was useless.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1814-18. smote the waters--The waving of the mantle on the river, and the miraculous division of the waters consequent upon it, was an evidence that the Lord God of Elijah was with him, and as this miracle was witnessed by the scholars of the prophets from Jericho, they forthwith recognized the pre-eminence of Elisha, as now the prophet of Israel.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 2:16

• Ascension

In the dictionaries

• Double
• Elijah
• Heal
• Lord
• Mock
• Rest
• Elisha
• Friend; Friendship
• Holy Spirit
• Jehoram; Joram

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