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

14Then he took the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. 15Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah has settled on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him. Then they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; please let them go and search for your master, in case the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him on some mountain or into some valley.” But he said, “You shall not send anyone.” 17Yet when they urged him until he was ashamed to refuse, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but did not find him. 18They returned to him while he was staying in Jericho; and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not 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

• Then they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to him, “Beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• nowנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• thereיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• with your servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
• strongחַ֫יִלchayil · strengthH2428
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• let them goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• and searchבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• for your masterאָדוֹן'âdôn 'âdôn · lordH113
• inפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• the Spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• has takenנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• and castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
• him on someאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• orאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• valleyגַּיְאgay' gay · valleyH1516
• You shall not sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971

Cross-references for 2 Kings 2:16

• 1 Kings 18:12And it will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to where I do not know; so when I come and inform Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, though I, your servant, have feared the Lord from my youth.
• Ezekiel 3:14So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong on me.
• Ezekiel 8:3And He extended the form of a hand and took me by the hair of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner courtyard, where the seat of the idol of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy, was located.
• Ezekiel 11:24And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen left me.
• Ezekiel 40:2In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and on it to the south there was something like a structure of a city.
• Acts 8:39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.
• 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

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