2 Kings 2

These were destroyed by fire from heaven, as was a second party also; but the captain of the third party entreating the prophet for his life, the latter was ordered immediately to go with him. His conduct towards the former captains has been much censured; but the blame, if any, attaches to his Master. Elijah had no more power over the fire of heaven, than had the captains who summoned him; and surely it would have been thought profane, even in a heathen, to deny Jupiter the right to wield his own lightnings. Elijah went, however, and delivered his message in the king’s bed-chamber, who came no more down from off his bed. With God “are the issues of life and death,” and however little we may think of it, in him we live, and move, and have our being ((Acts 17:28).)

Chap. II. Ver. 1—25. Elijah translated to heaven, and succeeded by Elisha.—It seems extraordinary that we should hear of a school of prophets at Beth-el, after it had been rendered so infamous by Jeroboam’s calves. We know, however, that the Lord had reserved to himself thousands of faithful worshippers, even when Elijah thought he had been left alone. The sons of the prophets were doubtless their pupils or disciples, who were not only instructed in the common arts of reading and writing, but in the Holy Scriptures; and especially in the arts of sacred te[xt] and music, which in these early ages were always associated. Thus, when we find Saul among the prophets, they were always so employed.

From these schools also the prophets themselves were generally selected. Elisha was doubtless immediately admitted to be a pupil, when he became an attendant on Elijah; and at his death he succeeded as head of all the schools. Here also, it should seem, were held religious assemblies on the sabbaths and new moons, and hither those who needed advice and consolation were accustomed to repair. (See (1 Samuel 10:5-12); (2 Kings 4:23); (1 Chronicles 25:1); (Nehemiah 6:7); (Jeremiah 40:2-4); (Amos 7:14).) There were schools of the prophets also at Jericho and at Gilgal, and probably at other places; and the students must have been pretty numerous, as we find fifty of them waiting to see Elijah ascend to heaven, of which they had, by some means, received intimation; though Elisha was only thus favoured, and caught his hairy or woolly mantle, when it fell.

Before the prophet ascended, however, he asked his disciple and successor Elisha what he should do for him, meaning, i.e. the way of intercession with that God into whose presence he was now going. The young man wisely entreated for a double portion of his master’s spirit and prophetic powers; that is, to be treated as his first-born son; and this was granted. He immediately wrought a miracle, by dividing the Jordan on his return, as his master had before on passing over, by his prophetic mantle, and was immediately accredited as his successor. The young prophets, however, perhaps farther to try his miraculous gifts, apply to him to heal the waters of Jericho, and the barrenness of the land about them, which he did, by casting into the water a cruise, or bottle of salt. From thence he went up to visit the school of Beth-el, when by the way he met with a number of young men and boys, probably belonging to some school of idolatry, and who, knowing that he was a prophet of Jehovah, turned his character into ridicule, and blasphemed his God, by telling him to go up to heaven after his master Elijah, of whose ascension they had heard, but did not believe.

This accounts for the apparent severity with which he treated them, by uttering a prophetic curse, which so speedily overtook them. It is, however, to be remembered, that Elisha could no more send bears from the wood, than he could call down fire from the skies. It was the Lord’s doing, and it becomes not us to censure it. Curious minds may be here disposed to ask a variety of questions; as, “What was this fiery chariot? and whither did it bear Elijah? This is no business of ours: we must be content to remain ignorant of many things more interesting to us; but we may safely consider this event as intended to demonstrate, that there is “another and a better world:” or wherefore this glorious apparatus, if he were to sink again, and perish.

As to ourselves, though we cannot hope for this honourable distinction of escaping death, afforded only to two individuals of the human race; yet if we serve the same God as Elijah did we shall have our chariots too. Poor Lazarus was conveyed by angels into Abraham’s bosom, and there is the same conveyance for every believer: and though our bodies may be left to putrify in the grave, yet when the Lord shall be revealed in flaming fire from heaven, there will be angels of fire and chariots of flame for all his people.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 10. Let fire come down.—(Or, rather, as the original literally imports, and the LXX. renders, fire SHALL come down; Elijah’s words being simply declarative, and not imprecatory.)—Bagster.

Ver. 16. Not come down off thy bed.—(In the East, there is usually at the end of each chamber a little gallery, raised three or four feet above the floor, with a balustrade in front, to which they go up by a few steps: here they place their beds; an allusion to which situation is involved in this declaration of Elijah’s, and frequently referred to in the Sacred Scriptures. 4. Psalm cxxxti. 3: 19.)

Ver. 17. Jehoram reigned in his stead.—See Margin. “The second year that Jehoram was pro-rex, and the 18th of Jehoshaphat.”

See (2 Kings 3:1). “There were two Jehorams contemporary; this Jehoram, whom the LXX. Vulgate, and Syriac, call the ‘brother’ of Ahaziah, king of Israel; and Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. It is believed that Jehoshaphat made his son viceroy (or partner in his throne) some years before his death, which was a circumstance not uncommon. See (2 Chronicles 21:2-5).

Chap. II. Ver. 3. Thy master from thy head,—The master sat at the head (i.e. above) his scholars; hence they were said to sit at his feet, (Acts 22:3).

Ver. 7. To view afar off—Looking at a distance, while the two prophets were at the edge of the river which they were about to cross. See Ge. xlix.

Ver. 8. His mantle.—The LXX., here and elsewhere, render it “his sheep skin.” See note on (2 Kings 1:8).

Ver. 11. Chariot of fire.—i.e. a chariot and horses of the most resplendent glory, which manifesting itself in coruscations or shooting rays, seemed to be like blazing fire, or the sun in his strength. Some think that this circumstance gave rise to the fable of Apollo, or the sun, being seated in a blazing chariot, drawn by horses breathing fire.

Ver. 23. Little children.—The word rendered “children” is applied to Isaac at 28; to Joseph at 30; and to the soldiers of Ahab. (See (Genesis 21:5-12); xli. 12; (1 Kings 20:14).) But the diminutive restricts the term to an early age; and as both the words are masculine, it may fairly include boys of various ages, but not absolute children.

Chap. II. Ver. 4. A sheep-master.—So the Chaldee and other versions. Not only was this the case in those early times, but it is so with the Tartars to the present day. The royal flocks of the king of Spain were also considered extremely valuable; but the present king may perhaps have neglected them,—he has assumed a new vocation, and become dress-maker to the Virgin.

Chap. II. Ver. 1. The sons of Israel—See (Genesis 29)and following chapters.

Ver. 6. Zimri.—(Zabdi is apparently here called Zimri, in consequence of a beth being mistaken for a mem, and a daleth for a raish.)—Bagster.

Ver. 15. David the seventh.—(It appears from the parallel places of Samuel, that Jesse had eight sons, of whom David was the eighth and it is probable that one died before David came to the throne, and not reckoned in this genealogy.)—Bagster.

Ver. 17. Jether.—(Jether is essentially the same with Ithra, the latter only having the addition of an aleph; and it is probable that he was an Ishmaelite by birth, but an Israelite by religion.)—Bagster.

Caleb—I Caleb is the same as Chelubai, the latter simply having a war inserted, and a yood affixed. Before Israel left Egypt; for Bezaleel, the principal person employed in constructing the tabernacle, was his grandson.—Bagster.

Ver. 23. Kenath.—[Kenath was situated in] And the sons of Jerahmeel the first-born of Hezron were, Ram the first-born, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

And the sons of Ram the first-born of Jerahmeel were, Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker. And the sons of Onam were, Shammai, or, Zabdi, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai; Nadab, and Abishur, or, Darda. And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bare him Ahban, and Molid. And the sons of Nadab; Seled, and Appaim: but Seled died without children. And the sons of Appaim; Ishi. And the sons of Ishi; Sheshan. And the children of Sheshan; Ablai, or, Caleb. ver. 18,43

And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children. And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Jarha. And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha or, Shamhis servant to wife; and she bare him Attai. And Attai begat Nathan, and Nathan begat Zabad, And Zabad begat Ephlal, and Ephlal begat Obed, And Obed begat Jehu, and Jehu begat Ithra, and Azariah begat Helez, and Helez begat Eleasah, &c. And Eleasah begat Sisamai, and Sisamai begat Shallum, And Shallum begat Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begat Elishama.

Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were, Mesha his first-born, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron. And the sons of Hebron; Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema. And Shema begat Raham, the father of Jorkoam: and Rekem begat Shammai. And the son of Shammai was Maon; and Maon was the father of Beth-zur. And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat

And the sons of Jahdai; Regem, and Joatham, and Gesham, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph. Eusebius says it was called in his time Kanatha; and was a town on the Jordan. Josephus places it in Celosyria; and Pliny in the Trachonitis, near Bozra.

It was also called Nobah, after Nobah an Israelite, who conquered it; which is placed by Eusebius, 8 miles south of Heshbon.—Bagster.

Ver. 34. Sheshan.—(When the people of the East have no sons, they frequently marry their daughters to their slaves, even when they have much property to bestow on them. Hassan had been the slave of Kamel, his predecessor; but Kamel, according to the custom of the country, gave him one of his daughters in marriage, and left him at his death one part of the great riches which he had amassed in the course of a long and prosperous life.—Maillet.)—Bagster.

Ver. 45. Beth-zur.—[Beth-zur was situated in the tribe of Judah, twenty miles south from Jerusalem, towards Hebron, according to Eusebius.

It was fortified by Rehoboam, ((2 Chronicles 11:7).) and was a fortress of great consequence, principally in the time of the Maccabees.]—Bagster.

It is probable they were deemed perfectly interchangeable, and indifferent in sense of successor: so perhaps ver. 17, and elsewhere. See (Jeremiah 22:30), both.