2 Kings 2:16

2Ki 2:16 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.

Ver. 16. And they said unto him, Behold now, &c.] They would do nothing without Elisha’s consent, whom now they looked upon as their new master. The Popish padres require blind obedience of their novices; telling them that if an angel or the blessed Virgin were talking with them, and their superior meanwhile call them off, they must presently obey. To argue or debate in their case, they say, were presumption: to require a reason, proud curiosity: to detract or disobey, breach of vow equal to sacrilege. This is the doctrine of Ignatius. But Elisha gave his pupils more liberty: as to propound and press their motion till he was ashamed. {2Ki 2:17}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 2:16-17. Behold, there be with thy servants fifty strong men — Able to take such a journey. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master — They had received but an imperfect revelation of God’s design, with respect to Elijah, when they asked Elisha if he knew that the Lord would take away his master: for they seem to have supposed that the Spirit of God might have taken him up and cast him, either dead or alive, upon some mountain, or in some valley at a distance; see on 1Ki 18:12; and if alive, they wished to find him, that they might minister to his necessities; and if dead, that they might give his body an honourable burial. And he said, Ye shall not send — For he knew it would be to no purpose. They urged him till he was ashamed — That is, to deny them any longer, lest they should think his denial proceeded from a neglect of his master, or a contempt of them. Or, as the Hebrew, עד בשׁ, gnad bosh, may with equal propriety be rendered, till they were ashamed, namely, because he so often and so obstinately denied their request. And they sought him three days — Searching every place where they thought it likely he might be cast. But found him not — Thus still further evidence was given of his translation, and they, having lost their labour, and tired themselves with their fruitless search, would be more ready to submit to Elisha’s authority, and acquiesce in his judgment another time.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.—

2Ki_2:16. Lest peradventure, &c.—They had seen Elijah pass miraculously over Jordan, but did not witness his ascension. Even if he had been taken up to heaven, they imagined that his body would be remaining somewhere on earth.

HOMILETICS OF 2Ki_2:16-18

THE MYSTERIOUSNESS OF THE DIVINE ACTIONS

I. A severe trial of faith. The sons of the prophets were slow to believe that Elijah had so utterly vanished as to return no more. It is true that one moment they saw him in company with Elisha; the next Elisha was alone, and their great leader was nowhere to be seen. Still it might be only another of the many sudden, abrupt disappearances which had marked Elijah’s erratic career. Besides, if the spirit had ascended to heaven, his body might have been dropped on some mountain side, or into the depths of some valley; and this should, if possible, be recovered, and reverently buried. Elisha’s account of the great prophet’s exit only increased the mystery, and they wearied him with speculations and suggestions. Faith must be prepared to take much on trust. Where there is no mystery, there is no faith. “Trials,” says F. W. Robertson, “bring man face to face with God—God and he touch; and the flimsy veil of bright cloud that hung between him and the sky is blown away; he feels that he is standing outside the earth, with nothing between him and the Eternal Infinite.”

II. Provokes diligent inquiry. The commonplaces of to-day were the mysteries of yesterday. The phenomena of nature, which to our fore-fathers were occasions of superstitious dread, are to us familiar friends, and our most valuable servants. Discoveries have been made by the diligent investigator which would have remained unknown secrets, and are secrets still, to the indolent and indifferent. Mystery piques curiosity, and curiosity keeps alive the investigating faculty. The more mystery there is surrounding a subject, the more eager is the earnest student to solve it.

III. Not always fathomed by the most laborious human endeavours. The search of the fifty strong men among the mountains of Gilead was fruitless: they found no trace of the missing Elijah, and they were compelled to accept the testimony of Elisha without further question. Much has been revealed to the diligent seeker after truth, there is much that is yet wrapped in mystery. We cannot know everything about every truth. Revelation is necessarily limited by two things: by the Divine will—there is nothing to impel the Divine Being to reveal Himself beyond what He wills to do—and by our human capacity. However effulgent the revelation on God’s part, its comprehension is necessarily limited on our part. We soon come to the extreme boundary of the known, and vainly we wave our hand in the darkness of the unknown. Much as we may discover by persevering study, more yet remains undiscovered. The pleasures of inquiry and discovery are endless. The investigation of all truth is ennobling, but none more so than the contemplation of those redemptive truths which, like the stars, their fittest emblems, fix the eye above in the very act of vision; a countless procession of brightness and wonder, lights visible to the humblest eye, yet fit to exercise the thoughts of angels: their full grandeur to be approached only when we shall have passed the grave, and, not less than sons of God, shall be free to enter into the mystery and magnificence of heaven.

LESSONS:—

1. The mystery of Divine truth is no sufficient reason for rejecting it.

2. The truth essential to salvation is plainly revealed.

3. More mysteries are solved by faith than by the most daring unbelief.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES

2Ki_2:16-18. An obstinate incredulity. I. Is dissatisfied with the most reliable testimony. II. Constructs theories of its own (2Ki_2:16). III. Persists in having its own way, notwithstanding repeated efforts to persuade to the contrary (2Ki_2:17). IV. Suffers ignominious defeat (2Ki_2:18).

—How many, especially young and inexperienced persons, will not be dissuaded from their opinions, views, and doubts, and will not heed the words of their teachers and parents, who have the best intentions towards them, and far more experience. They must become wise by bitter experience, and then hear to their shame, “Did I not say unto you, Go not?”

2Ki_2:18. Some men are best satisfied when they have wearied themselves in their own ways Nothing will teach them wit but disappointment. Their painful error leads them to a right conceit of Elijah’s happier transportation. Those that would find Elijah, let them aspire to the heavenly paradise. Let them follow the high steps of his sincere faithfulness, strong patience, undaunted courage, fervent zeal, and constant obedience. Then God shall send the fiery chariot of death to fetch them up to that heaven of heavens where they shall triumph in everlasting joys.—Bp. Hall.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:16-18 The prophets searched the wilderness, perhaps to be certain that Elijah had not temporarily disappeared (cp. 1 Kgs 18:12). Elisha already knew that the search was pointless.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, Elijah: for they thought his body had been cast in some mountain.

Because the fact was extraordinary, they doubted where he was become, but Elisha was assured that he was taken up to God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

fifty strong men, let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master--Though the young prophets from Jericho had seen Elijah's miraculous passage of the Jordan, they had not witnessed the ascension. They imagined that he might have been cast by the whirlwind on some mountain or valley; or, if he had actually been admitted into heaven, they expected that his body would still be remaining somewhere on earth. In compliance with their importunity, he gave them permission, but told them what the result would be.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 16. Fifty strong men] Probably the same fifty who are mentioned 2Kg 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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) And they said unto him.—After he had told them of the Assumption of Elijah (Thenius).

Fifty strong men.—See margin. Perhaps these were attendants on the members of the prophetic guild. (Comp. Elisha’s servant Gehazi, and the fifty sons of the prophets, in 2Ki_2:7.) Their being “sons of valour” was important, as the search in the mountains would involve danger.

The Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up.—Comp. 1Ki_18:12; Act_8:39-40. This suggestion of the sons of the prophets is a good comment on 2Ki_2:11-12. It shows that what is there told is certainly not that Elijah ascended a fiery chariot and rode visibly into heaven, as the popular notion is.

Upon some mountain, or into some valley.—Literally, on to one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys, of the land of Gilead. The motive of the disciples was not a desire to pay the last honours to the body of the departed master, as Keil suggests; for they rather expected to find Elijah alive. After the words “cast him,” the LXX. has “into the Jordan,” which may be authentic. In that case, the disciples may have thought the prophet was hidden somewhere among the reeds and rushes of the river bank, in order to escape some threatened danger.

Ye shall not send.—Or, Ye must not, ye should not, or ought not, to send.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. there be with thy servants fifty strong men] Doubtless some from among the company of the prophets are meant. In chapter 2Ki_4:1-4 they are described as men equal to the labour of telling trees, and doing the work of building. We cannot suppose that in such a society there were many persons retained for the service of the college. As Elisha served Elijah, so they did all that was needful for themselves.

seek thy master] Throughout the narrative there is implied a much closer connexion between Elijah and Elisha than between Elijah and the rest. He is ‘thy master’ not ‘our master’.

the spirit of the Lord hath taken him up] Compare 1Ki_18:12, where Obadiah speaks of the spirit of the Lord carrying Elijah away to some unknown spot. A like expression is found in the introduction to Ezekiel’s vision (Eze_37:1) of the dry bones. ‘The hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord.’ The ‘sons of the prophets’ appear to have thought that the body of Elijah might be discovered somewhere, though God had taken away his soul. They had knowledge, as is seen from the previous part of the narrative, that the prophet was to be taken away from life, but seem to have expected his body would be left lifeless near the spot where he was separated from Elisha. It cannot be supposed after what they had before said to Elisha, that the Lord would take away his master from him on that day, that they expected to find Elijah somewhere alive. ‘Could they think that God would send such a chariot and horses, for a less voyage than heaven?’ (Bp Hall).

and cast him] Here the LXX. adds ‘in the Jordan or’, an addition which seems due to a desire to express every possible place into which the body could have been thrown. If it were not on a hill or in a valley, it might perhaps be in the river. The use of the word ‘cast’ seems to indicate that they thought of the body of the prophet as merely the wrapping of that better part which God had taken to Himself, and that the body was of small account when the spirit had been taken from it.

Ye shall not send] There could be no doubt in Elisha’s mind about the taking up of the body of his master. The garment left as a symbol of the granted petition was all that had fallen to the ground. But though he described, as no doubt he did, the glory which he had beheld and the way in which his master was translated, the sons of the prophets could not be moved from their notion that the body of Elijah might somewhere be discovered, and it is easy to understand how they would desire to give it reverent burial, if it were to be found.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when they urged him until he was ashamed,.... To deny them any longer, being so very pressing and importunate:

he said, send; lest they should think he had not the respect for his master he should have had; or was so fond of his office, that he did not choose he should be found alive if he could, and return and reassume it:

they sent therefore fifty men; some one way, and some another:

and they sought three days, but found him not; and then returned.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Compare the marginal references. The words “cast him upon some mountain,” rather imply that they expected to find the prophet alive.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Valley. It seems such translations were not uncommon, 3 Kings xviii. 12. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Strong men; able to take such a journey. They thought, either,

1. That God had not finally taken him away from them, but only for a time; compare 1Ki 18:12; which they heartily desired, and therefore easily believed; or

2. that God had only taken away his soul, and that his body was cast down into some place, which they desired to seek, that they might give it an honourable burial.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. Cast him upon some mountain — The fifty men that stood afar off to view, (2Ki_2:7,) had perhaps seen that Elijah was suddenly snatched away from view, or else Elisha at once told them how his master had departed; but they could not fully believe that he had gone bodily to heaven. Their search to find him, however, was as fruitless and idle as the attempt of some moderns to explain away the idea of a bodily ascension into heaven.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they said unto him. Thenius suggests that Elisha first related to them what had befallen his master; but the impression left by the narrative is rather that they began the conversation, being aware of Elijah"s disappearance, which in that clear atmosphere they may have distinctly perceived, though the ascension may not have been visible to them. Keil thinks that they saw the ascension, but supposed that the body, after being taken up a certain height into the air, would necessarily fall to earth, and that they wished to find it and bury it. But the natural interpretation is that they thought the prophet had been "caught away" by a Divine influence, as Philip the evangelist was in later times, (Act_8:39) and would be found somewhere alive, as Philip "was found at Azotus." Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; literally, sons of strength; i.e. stout, active persons, capable of climbing the rough and precipitous rocks among which they thought that Elijah might be east. 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.

On either side of the ciccar, or Jordan plain, are rugged districts, consisting of alternate rocky mountain slopes and narrow gulleys, or water-courses, dry during the greater part of the year. The sons of the prophets think that Elijah has been carried by the Spirit of God into one or other of these mountain tracts, and wish to search them. And he said, Ye shall not send; or, do not send; meaning, "it will be useless you will find nothing it is not as you suppose.

Vers. 16-18.

Seeking the translated.

It is plain from this passage that, while the prophets of Jericho knew from Divine intimations that Elijah was to be parted from them, they did not understand the full meaning of their own revelations. They still clung to the belief that the parting might only be temporary that, as on other occasions, the Spirit of God had caught him up, and carried him away to some place, where, by searching, he might be found (cf. 1Ki_18:10-12) They desired, therefore, permission to send out fifty strong men to look for him among the mountains and valleys. Elisha knew better, but, as they persisted, he allowed them, for the satisfaction of their minds, to send. When they had sought for three days, and found him not, they returned, and Elisha said, "Did I not say unto you, Go not?" One result of the search, in any case, would be to set doubts at rest and confirm Elisha in his position of authority.

I IT IS THE MARK OF A GREAT MIND THAT IT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE TEMPORARY AND ACCIDENTAL, AND THE PERMANENT AND FINAL. In this Elisha"s superiority is seen to the "sons of the prophets." He took in at once the essence of the situation. He know that it was useless to seek further for Elijah that he was parted from them forever. They dwelt on formal resemblances to previous disappearances on the accidents of the event; Elisha penetrated to its real meaning. The same mark of distinction between superior and inferior minds appears in all departments. Paul was a notable example of this power to distinguish between substance and accident-between what was temporary and what was final; while his opponents in the Christian Church exhibited the opposite defect. Apply to creed, ritual, Church-government, etc.

II THIS DEFECT IN INSIGHT OFTEN LEADS TO MUCH NEEDLESS TROUBLE. It caused, in this case, three days of needless search. It is often the occasion of dispute, division, delay in executing reforms, fruitless experiments to attain impossible ends. All are not like the children of Issachar, "men of understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do". (1Ch_12:32) Men go about, holding on by, or seeking the revival of, that which has served its day, and is being left behind.

III A CIRCUITOUS WAY OF ATTAINING TO CERTAINTY IS BETTER THAN NO WAY AT ALL. These sons of the prophets satisfied themselves at length, though after much useless trouble. It was welt they did so, since they could not otherwise be assured. There are direct ways to certainty which the better class of minds perceive, but which are like roads shut to others. These must take a more laborious and circuitous route. We see this, e.g., in Christian evidences. The other apostles were satisfied, but Thomas had to put his fingers in the print of the nails, etc. (Joh_20:24-29) The need of bearing with man"s weaknesses and imperfections, and of allowing him to reach conviction by the way he is capable of, explains much that seems circuitous in God"s government of the world. J.O.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Strong men - Able to take such a journey. Lest, &c. - They thought, either that God had not finally taken him away from them, but only for a time; or that God had only taken away his soul, and that his body was cast down into some place, which they desired to seek, that they might give it an honourable burial.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

But the disciples of the prophets at Jericho were so unable to realize the fact of Elijah's translation, although it had been previously revealed to them, that they begged permission of Elisha to send out fifty brave men to seek for Elijah. פּן־נשׂאו: whether the Spirit of the Lord has not taken him and cast him upon one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. פּן with the perfect is used "where there is fear of a fact, which as is conjectured almost with certainty has already happened," like μὴ in the sense of "whether not" (vid., Ewald, 337, b.). יהוה רוּח is not a wind sent by Jehovah (Ges.), but the Spirit of Jehovah, as in Kg1 18:12. The Chethb גּיאות is the regular formation from גּיא or גּיא (Zac 14:4); the Keri with the transposition of א and ,י the later form: גּאיות, Eze 7:16; Eze 31:12, etc. The belief expressed by the disciples of the prophets, that Elijah might have been miraculously carried away, was a popular belief, according to Kg1 18:12, which the disciples of the prophets were probably led to share, more especially in the present case, by the fact that they could not imagine a translation to heaven as a possible thing, and with the indefiniteness of the expression ראשׁך מעל לקח could only understand the divine revelation which they had received as referring to removal by death. So that even if Elisha told them how miraculously Elijah had been taken from him, which he no doubt did, they might still believe that by the appearance in the storm the Lord had taken away His servant from this life, that is to say, had received his soul into heaven, and had left his earthly tabernacle somewhere on the earth, for which they would like to go in search, that they might pay the last honours to their departed master. Elisha yielded to their continued urgency and granted their request; whereupon fifty men sought for three days for Elijah's body, and after three days' vain search returned to Jericho. עד־בּשׁ, to being ashamed, i.e., till he was ashamed to refuse their request any longer (see at Jdg 3:25).

The two following miracles of Elisha (Kg2 2:19-25) were also intended to accredit him in the eyes of the people as a man endowed with the Spirit and power of God, as Elijah had been. Kg2 2:19-22. Elisha makes the water at Jericho wholesome. - During his stay at Jericho (Kg2 2:18) the people of the city complained, that whilst the situation of the place was good in other respects, the water was bad and the land produced miscarriages. הארץ, the land, i.e., the soil, on account of the badness of the water; not "the inhabitants, both man and beast" (Thenius). Elisha then told them to bring a new dish with salt, and poured the salt into the spring with these words: "Thus saith the Lord, I have made this water sound; there will not more be death and miscarriage thence" (משּׁם). משׁלּכת is a substantive here (vid., Ewald, 160, e.). המּים מוצא is no doubt the present spring Ain es Sultn, the only spring near to Jericho, the waters of which spread over the plain of Jericho, thirty-five minutes' distance from the present village and castle, taking its rise in a group of elevations not far from the foot of the mount Quarantana (Kuruntul); a large and beautiful spring, the water of which is neither cold nor warm, and has an agreeable and sweet (according to Steph. Schultz, "somewhat salt") taste. It was formerly enclosed by a kind of reservoir or semicircular wall of hewn stones, from which the water was conducted in different directions to the plain (vid., Rob. Pal. ii. p. 283ff.). With regard to the miracle, a spring which supplied the whole of the city and district with water could not be so greatly improved by pouring in a dish of salt, that the water lost its injurious qualities for ever, even if salt does possess the power of depriving bad water of its unpleasant taste and injurious effects. The use of these natural means does not remove the miracle. Salt, according to its power of preserving from corruption and decomposition, is a symbol of incorruptibility and of the power of life which destroys death (see Bhr, Symbolik, ii. pp. 325,326). As such it formed the earthly substratum for the spiritual power of the divine word, through which the spring was made for ever sound. A new dish was taken for the purpose, not ob munditiem (Seb. Schm.), but as a symbol of the renewing power of the word of God. - But if this miracle was adapted to show to the people the beneficent character of the prophet's ministry, the following occurrence was intended to prove to the despisers of God that the Lord does not allow His servants to be ridiculed with impunity.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Perhaps the wind of Adonoy carried him up. Is it possible that yesterday they said to him, “Do you know that today Adonoy is taking your master?” and now they did not know where he was? This teaches [us] that since the day when Eliyahu was hidden, the Holy Spirit departed from the prophets, and the Holy Spirit was no longer widespread throughout Yisroel.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.