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2 Kings 2

1
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3
The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
4
Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5
The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
6
Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
7
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
8
Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters; and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.
9
When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
10
He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
11
As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12
Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13
He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14
He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
15
When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16
They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the LORD’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.”
17
When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him.
18
They came back to him while he stayed at Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go’?”
19
The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”
20
He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
21
He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “The LORD says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
22
So the waters were healed to this day, according to Elisha’s word which he spoke.
23
He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”
24
He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the LORD’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths.
25
He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter records the solemn transition of prophetic authority from Elijah to Elisha, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another in Israel’s spiritual leadership. As Elijah is taken up into heaven by a whirlwind, Elisha both witnesses the event and receives a double portion of his spirit, confirming his role as Elijah’s legitimate successor. The chapter then demonstrates Elisha’s divine commission through miracles at the Jordan and in Jericho, while also confronting the peril of mocking God’s anointed servant.

Flow.

  • Elijah and Elisha journey from Gilgal to Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan, with Elisha refusing to depart from his master despite Elijah’s repeated invitations to stay behind.
  • The sons of the prophets at each location acknowledge Elijah’s impending departure, confirming the divine moment through their awareness and silence.
  • At the Jordan, Elijah parts the waters with his mantle; after his fiery ascent in a chariot of fire, Elisha inherits the mantle and repeats the miracle, confirming his prophetic authority.
  • Elisha performs a new miracle—purifying Jericho’s waters—and confronts mockery at Bethel with a severe judgment, before returning to Samaria.

Connections.
Following chapter 1, which depicts the failure of Ahaziah’s unrepentant reign and Elijah’s final confrontation with the king’s messengers, chapter 2 shifts focus from the end of a king’s life to the end of a prophet’s ministry, setting a spiritual contrast between corrupt leadership and faithful prophetic witness. The departure of Elijah prepares the reader for the continuation of God’s word through Elisha, whose empowered ministry in chapter 3—where he aids the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom—rests on the authority established here.

What it teaches.
The continuity of divine revelation and prophetic office is upheld by God’s sovereign appointment, not human succession. Elisha’s request for a double portion signifies not greater power than Elijah but the fullness of a son’s inheritance in the prophetic “household,” recognized by God when Elisha sees Elijah’s translation (WCF 1.4; HC LD 7). The parting of the Jordan evokes Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land under Joshua, signaling that God’s power remains active in redemption and judgment (WCF 4.1; BC Article 13). The cursing of the youths underscores the holiness of God’s office—mockery of His chosen servant is mockery of God Himself (WCF 7.6; Canons of Dort III/IV.14).

Apply.
When God confirms His Word through appointed servants, honoring them is a matter of covenant loyalty, not personal approval.

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