2 Kings 2 Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divideth Jordan, 2 Kings 2:1–8; and granting Elisha his request on condition, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven, 2 Kings 2:9–11. Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah’s mantle, is acknowledged his successor, 2 Kings 2:12–18.

Elijah said unto Elisha: this he desires, either, 1. That he, being left alone, might better prepare himself for his great change. Or, 2. Out of his humility and modesty; he desired no witnesses of his glorious removal, and no fame and glory from it. Or, 3.

The Lord will take away thy master: this was revealed to some of the sons of the prophets, and by them to the whole college. From thy head, Heb. from above thy head; which phrase may respect, either, 1. The manner of sitting in schools, where the scholar sat at his master’s feet, Deut.

Stood to view; to observe this great event, Elijah’s translation to heaven, which they expected every moment, now when he had taken his last farewell of all the prophets; and whereof they desired to be spectators, not so much to satisfy their own curiosity, as that they might be witnesses of it to…

Either, 1. Double to what is in thee; which it seems not probable that he had confidence either to ask, or to expect. Or rather, 2. Double to what the rest of the sons of the prophets may receive at thy request upon this occasion. He alludes to the double portion of the firstborn, Deut. 21:17.

A hard thing, i. e. a rare and singular blessing, which I cannot promise thee, which only God can give; and he gives it only when and to whom he pleaseth.

A chariot of fire, and horses of fire; a bright cloud formed into such a likeness, managed by holy and blessed angels sent from heaven to conduct him thither.

My father, my father; so he calls him for his fatherly affection to him, and for his fatherly authority which by his office he had over him, in which respect the scholars of the prophets are called their sons, as 1 Kings 20:35.

God so ordering it for Elisha’s comfort, and the strengthening of his faith, as a pledge that, together with Elijah’s mantle, his office and spirit should rest upon him.

Where is the Lord God of Elijah? who at Elijah’s request divided these waters, and is as able to do it again; and hath given me his spirit and office; and therefore I humbly beg, and confidently expect, his assistance in this matter.

Or, as it is in the Hebrew, And the sons of the prophets who lived in Jericho saw him over against them, from some hill where they stood at a convenient distance to observe the event, 2 Kings 2:7. They said, Heb.

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 1 Kings 18:12; which they heartily desired, and therefore easily believed; or 2.

Till he was ashamed, i.e. to wit, to deny them any longer, lest they should think his denial proceeded from a neglect of his master, or a contempt of the sons of the prophets, or a secret content he took in his master’s loss, that he might have his honour and power.

Either it was so orignally, at least as to that part of the city where the college of the prophets was, for it is not necessary to understand this of the whole territory; or it became so from the curse of God inflicted upon it, either when Joshua first took it, or afterwards when Hiel rebuilt it.

A new cruse; partly that there might be no ground of suspicion that the cure was wrought by any natural virtue of any thing which was or had been in the cruse before, but only by God’s power; and partly that there might be no legal pollution in it which might offend God, and hinder his miraculous…

Cast the salt in there; which was in itself idle and ineffectual, considering both the quality of salt, and the small quantity of it, and the place where it was put, the fountain, which quickly works out any thing which is put into it; see Lev.

He went up from thence unto Beth-el, to the other school or college of prophets, to inform them of Elijah’s translation and his succession into the same office; and to direct, and comfort, and stablish them, as he saw occasion.

Cursed them; nor was this punishment too great for the offence, if it be considered that these children were grown up to some maturity; (See Poole “2 Kings 2:23”;) that their mocking proceeded from a great malignity of mind against God; that they mocked not only a man, and an ancient man, whose…

He went from thence; partly, to decline the fury of the people of Beth-el; partly, that he might retire himself from men, and converse more freely with God, and so fit himself more for the discharge of his employment; and partly, that he might visit the sons of the prophets who lived in that place,…