2 Kings 2:1-3:27

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1-8

Elijah's times, and the events concerning him, are as little dated as those of any great man in scripture; we are not told of his age, nor in what year of Ahab's reign he first appeared, nor in what year of Joram's he disappeared, and therefore cannot conjecture how long he flourished; it is supposed about twenty years in all. Here we are told, I. That God had determined to take him up into heaven by a whirlwind, 2 Kgs. 2:1. He would do it, and it is probable let him know of his purpose some... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1

And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind ,.... Thereby lifting him up from the earth, and which, as it was the purpose and will of God, Elijah had notice of, as appears by his motions to different places, under a divine direction: that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal , where it seems they met, a place where the Israelites first pitched when they came over Jordan, and where the tabernacle was for some time, and was famous for religious... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 2:1

When the Lord would take up Elijah - It appears that God had revealed this intended translation, not only to Elijah himself, but also to Elisha, and to the schools of the prophets, both at Beth-el and Jericho, so that they were all expecting this solemn event. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1

And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven. The subject is introduced as one of general notoriety, the writer professing rather to give the exact details of a well-known fact, than to relate a new fact unknown to his readers. "When the time came," he means to say, "for Elijah's translation, of which you, my readers, all know, the following were the circumstances under which it took place." The fact itself was deeply impressed on the Jewish consciousness. "Elias,"... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1-6

Preparative to translation. The time had come when the Lord would take Elijah up in a whirlwind into heaven. It was a singular honor to be put upon a singularly great and good man. No case had happened like it since the days of Enoch—that other great prophet, who maintained a witness for God amidst the all but universal wickedness of antediluvian times (Jud 2 Kings 1:14 ). No other would happen till the ascension of Christ. We observe— I. THE PROPHET 'S MOVEMENTS . It is to be... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1-8

Parting visits. Here, through the telescope of Scripture story, we are permitted to witness the closing scene of a great life. Let us draw near and look carefully at what happens there, for the like of it only happened once before—and of that we have little record—and it has never happened since. Only two men, Enoch and Elijah, went straight from earth to heaven without passing through the valley of death. It was true of Elijah as well as of Enoch, that " he walked with God." It is a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1-10

Preparation for our departure from earth. Abnormal as was the mode of Elijah's departure from the earth, his conduct in prospect of departure may be to some extent a lesson to Christians. Note— I. HIS RESIGNATION . No murmur escapes him; he shows no unwillingness to depart, no clinging to earth, no fear of removal, no shrinking from entrance on the unseen world. When God determines that the objects with which he has been placed upon the earth are accomplished, and that the Divine... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1-14

The departure of good men. "And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven." Two subjects are here presented for notice— I. THE DEPARTURE OF A GOOD MAN FROM THE EARTH . Death is a departure from the world; it is not an extinction of being, but a mere change in its mode. There are two facts concerning Elijah's departure which mark the departure of all men. 1. The time is of God. "It came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah." There is an... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 2:1-25

THE REMOVAL OF ELIJAH FROM EARTH , AND SOME EARLY MIRACLES OF ELISHA . The great prophet of Israel was to have a departure from earth as marvelous as his life had been. Ewald's words, though not intended in an historical, but only in a literary sense, embody very forcibly what the humble believer may accept as the actual rationale of the occurrence related in 2 Kings 2:1-12 : "An earthly career which had no equal in the purity of its devotion to the service of... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Kings 2:1

The events of this chapter are related out of their chronological order. Elijah’s translation did not take place until after the accession of Jehoram in Judah 2 Chronicles 21:12, which was not until the fifth year of Jehoram of Israel 2 Kings 8:16. The writer of Kings, having concluded his notices of the ministry of Elijah in chapter 1, and being about to pass in 2 Kings 3:0 to the ministry of Elisha, thought it best to insert at this point the final scene of Elijah’s life, though it did not... read more

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