2 Kings 2:1
New International Version
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

New Living Translation
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.

English Standard Version
Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

Berean Standard Bible
Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,

King James Bible
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

New King James Version
And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

New American Standard Bible
Now it came about, when the LORD was about to bring Elijah up by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah left Gilgal with Elisha.

NASB 1995
And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

NASB 1977
And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened when Yahweh was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Amplified Bible
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.

Christian Standard Bible
The time had come for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The time had come for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal,

American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And it was that when LORD JEHOVAH would take up Elyah in a whirlwind to Heaven, Elyah and Elisha also went from Galgala.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass, when the Lord was going to take Eliu with a whirlwind as it were into heaven, that Eliu and Elisaie went out of Galgala.

Contemporary English Version
Not long before the LORD took Elijah up into heaven in a strong wind, Elijah and Elisha were leaving Gilgal.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the LORD was going to take Elijah to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha left Gilgal.

Good News Translation
The time came for the LORD to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal,

International Standard Version
As the time drew near when the LORD was about to take Elijah to heaven in a wind storm, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, at YHWH’s taking up Elijah to the heavens in a whirlwind, that Elijah goes, and Elisha, from Gilgal,

Majority Standard Bible
Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,

New American Bible
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

NET Bible
Just before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a windstorm, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal.

New Revised Standard Version
Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

New Heart English Bible
It happened, when the LORD would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

World English Bible
When Yahweh was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at Jehovah's taking up Elijah in a whirlwind to the heavens, that Elijah goeth, and Elisha, from Gilgal,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Taken to Heaven
1Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal, 2and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.…

Cross References
Hebrews 11:5
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away.

Joshua 4:19
On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho.

1 Kings 19:16
You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.

2 Kings 1:18
As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

2 Kings 4:38
When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, "Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets."


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

take up

Genesis 5:24
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

1 Kings 19:4
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Luke 9:51
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

by a whirlwind

1 Kings 18:12
And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.

1 Kings 19:11
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

Job 38:1
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Elisha

1 Kings 19:16-21
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room…

Gilgal

Joshua 4:19
And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.

Joshua 5:9
And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

Jump to Previous
Elijah Eli'jah Elisha Eli'sha Gilgal Great Heaven Heavens Jehovah's Way Whirlwind Wind
Jump to Next
Elijah Eli'jah Elisha Eli'sha Gilgal Great Heaven Heavens Jehovah's Way Whirlwind Wind
2 Kings 2
1. Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan
9. and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven
12. Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor
16. The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him.
19. Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters
23. Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha














(1) And it came to pass . . . whirlwind.--The compiler has prefixed this heading to the following narrative by way of connection with the general thread of the history. It seems to be indicated that the event happened in the beginning of the reign of Jehoram; but see Note on 2Chronicles 21:12.

When the Lord would take up.--When Jehovah caused Elijah to go up, or ascend. This anticipates the conclusion of the story.

Into heaven.--Heb., accusative of direction, as in 2Kings 2:11. The LXX. renders, ?? ??? ??? ??????? "as into heaven," perhaps to suggest that not the visible heavens, but God, was the real goal of the prophet's ascension.

By a whirlwind.--In the storm.

Gilgal.--Heb., the Gilgal, i.e., the Ring (comp. Isaiah 28:28, "wheel"), a descriptive name of more than one place. Here, Gilgal in Ephraim, the present Jiljilia, which stands on a hill south-west of Seil-n (Shiloh), near the road leading thence to Jericho. (See Deuteronomy 11:30; Hosea 4:15; Amos 4:4.) Hosea and Amos connect Gilgal with Bethel, as a sanctuary. It was probably marked by a ring of stones like those at Stonehenge and Avebury. From this spot the mountain land of Gilead, the Great Sea, and the snowy heights of Hermon, were all visible; so that the prophet could take from thence a last look at the whole country which had been the scene of his earthly activity. . . .

Verse 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," says the Sou of Sirach, "was taken up in a whirlwind of fire, and in a chariot of fiery homes" (Ecclus. 48:9). He was ranked with Enoch, as not having seen death (Josephus, 'Ant. Jud.,' 9:2. § 2), and was viewed as "continuing in heaven a mysterious life, which no death had ever interrupted, whence he was ready at any time to return to earth" (Ewald, 'History of Israel,' vol. 4. p. 113). The scribes thought that he was beyond all doubt to make his appearance upon the earth in person, before the coming of the Messiah (Matthew 16:10). By a whirlwind. Sa'arach is not so much an actual "whirlwind" as a storm or atmospheric disturbance (συσσεισμός, LXX.). It is a word which only occurs here in the historical Scriptures. That Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Elisha had become to Elijah what Joshua was to Moses (Exodus 24:13) - his "minister," or regular attendant, from the time of his call at Abel-meholah (1 Kings 19:21). Elijah had no fixed residence, but moved from place to place as the Spirit of God suggested. His wanderings had now brought him to Gilgal (probably Jiljilieh, near Nablous), one of the most ancient sanctuaries of the land (1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Samuel 11:15, etc.), celebrated in the history of Saul and Samuel.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Shortly before
וַיְהִ֗י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

took
בְּהַעֲל֤וֹת (bə·ha·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

Elijah
אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ (’ê·lî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 452: Elijah -- 'Yah is God', a well-known prophet of Israel, also three other Israelites

up to heaven
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (haš·šā·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

in a whirlwind,
בַּֽסְעָרָ֖ה (bas·‘ā·rāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5591: A hurricane

Elijah
אֵלִיָּ֛הוּ (’ê·lî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 452: Elijah -- 'Yah is God', a well-known prophet of Israel, also three other Israelites

and Elisha
וֶאֱלִישָׁ֖ע (we·’ĕ·lî·šā‘)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 477: Elisha -- 'God is salvation', a well-known Israelite prophet

were on their way
וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

from
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

Gilgal,
הַגִּלְגָּֽל׃ (hag·gil·gāl)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1537: Gilgal -- 'circle (of stones)', the name of several places in Palestine


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OT History: 2 Kings 2:1 It happened when Yahweh would take up (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 1:18
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