2 Kings 2:7
New International Version
Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.

New Living Translation
Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River.

English Standard Version
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.

Berean Standard Bible
Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan.

King James Bible
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

New King James Version
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

New American Standard Bible
Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

NASB 1995
Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

NASB 1977
Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, but the two of them stood by the Jordan.

Amplified Bible
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood opposite them [to watch] at a distance; and the two of them stood by the Jordan.

Christian Standard Bible
Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood observing them at a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Fifty men from the sons of the prophets came and stood facing them from a distance while the two of them stood by the Jordan.

American Standard Version
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off: and they two stood by the Jordan.

Contemporary English Version
Fifty prophets followed Elijah and Elisha from Jericho, then stood at a distance and watched as the two men walked toward the river.

English Revised Version
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Fifty disciples of the prophets stood at a distance as Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan River.

Good News Translation
and fifty of the prophets followed them to the Jordan. Elijah and Elisha stopped by the river, and the fifty prophets stood a short distance away.

International Standard Version
accompanied by 50 men from the Guild of Prophets, who stood at a short distance from them while they were both standing by the Jordan.

Majority Standard Bible
Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan.

NET Bible
The fifty members of the prophetic guild went and stood opposite them at a distance, while Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan.

New Heart English Bible
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.

Webster's Bible Translation
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

World English Bible
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and fifty men of the sons of the prophets have gone on, and stand opposite [them] far off—and both of them have stood by the Jordan.

Young's Literal Translation
-- and fifty men of the sons of the prophets have gone on, and stand over-against afar off -- and both of them have stood by the Jordan.

Smith's Literal Translation
And fifty men from the sons of the prophets went, and they will stand from opposite from afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And fifty men from the sons of the prophets followed them, and they stood opposite them, at a distance. But the two of them were standing above the Jordan.

New American Bible
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood next to the Jordan.

New Revised Standard Version
Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood to watch from afar; and they two stood by the Jordan.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And fifty men of the sons of the Prophets went, and they stood across at a distance, and the two stood on the edge of Jordan.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went also, and they stood opposite afar off: and both stood on the bank of Jordan.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Taken to Heaven
6And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Then a company of fifty of the sons of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing Elijah and Elisha as the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.…

Cross References
Joshua 3:14-17
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. / Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, / the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. ...

Exodus 14:21-22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, / and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

1 Kings 19:19-21
So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him. / So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” / So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.

Matthew 3:16-17
As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. / And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”

Mark 1:9-11
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. / As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. / And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Luke 3:21-22
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened, / and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

John 1:32-34
Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. / I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ / I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Acts 1:9-11
After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. / They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. / “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

Acts 8:38-39
And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. / When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

Hebrews 11:29
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

Isaiah 43:16-17
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, / who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

Psalm 114:3-5
The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back; / the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. / Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,

Joshua 4:10-18
Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until the people had completed everything the LORD had commanded Joshua to tell them, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried across, / and after everyone had finished crossing, the priests with the ark of the LORD crossed in the sight of the people. / The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over before the Israelites, armed for battle as Moses had instructed them. ...

2 Kings 4:29-31
So Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment, take my staff in your hand, and go! If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. Then lay my staff on the boy’s face.” / And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her. / Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”


Treasury of Scripture

And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

fifty men

2 Kings 2:17
And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

1 Kings 18:4,13
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) …

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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














Fifty men
The mention of "fifty men" from the company of the prophets signifies a significant group of witnesses to the miraculous events about to unfold. In the Hebrew context, the number fifty often symbolizes completeness or fullness, suggesting that this was a complete representation of the prophetic community. Historically, prophets were seen as God's messengers, and their presence here underscores the importance of the transition from Elijah to Elisha.

of the sons of the prophets
This phrase refers to a group or guild of prophets who were disciples or followers of a leading prophet, in this case, Elijah. The "sons of the prophets" were not necessarily biological sons but rather students or members of a prophetic community. This highlights the organized nature of prophetic ministry in ancient Israel, where mentorship and communal learning were vital.

went and stood
The action of going and standing indicates intentionality and readiness to witness a significant event. In the Hebrew tradition, standing often denotes respect and attentiveness. These prophets were positioning themselves to observe God's work, showing their reverence and anticipation for divine revelation.

facing them
This phrase suggests a direct and intentional observation. The prophets were not merely bystanders but were actively engaged in witnessing the transition of prophetic authority. This positioning also implies a readiness to testify to what they would see, emphasizing the importance of eyewitness accounts in validating prophetic events.

at a distance
The distance maintained by the prophets could symbolize respect for the sacredness of the event about to occur. In biblical narratives, distance often signifies reverence for God's holy acts, as seen in other instances where people are instructed to keep a distance from holy sites or events. This separation underscores the awe and mystery surrounding God's miraculous interventions.

as Elijah and Elisha
The pairing of Elijah and Elisha highlights the mentor-mentee relationship central to this narrative. Elijah, whose name means "My God is Yahweh," represents the powerful, miraculous ministry that Elisha is about to inherit. Elisha, meaning "God is salvation," signifies the continuation and expansion of God's work through a new vessel. This transition is crucial in the biblical narrative, showcasing the continuity of God's prophetic voice.

stood by the Jordan
The Jordan River is a significant geographical and spiritual landmark in Israel's history. It represents a place of transition and transformation, as seen in the Israelites' crossing into the Promised Land and later in the baptism of Jesus. Elijah and Elisha standing by the Jordan symbolizes a threshold moment, where the old is passing, and the new is about to begin. This setting underscores the theme of divine intervention and new beginnings in God's redemptive plan.

(7) And fifty . . . went.--Now fifty . . . had gone.

Stood to view.--Taken their stand opposite, i.e., directly opposite the place where the two were standing by the brink of the river, yet at some distance behind. They wished to see whether and how the companions would cross the stream at a point where there was no ford.

Verse 7. - And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view. It is a harsh judgment to blame the "sons of the prophets" for an idle and shallow curiosity in merely "standing" at a distance "to view" the wonderful event, which Elisha was determined to witness as closely, and associate himself with as intimately, as possible. For the sons of the prophets to have approached nearer, and hung on the skirts of Elijah, would have been an impertinence, Elisha's persistence is only justified by his strong affection, and the special office which he held, of attendant minister. The fifty students showed a courteous sense of what was due to the prophet's desire of seclusion by not pressing on his footsteps, and at the same time a real interest in him, and a reasonable curiosity, by quitting their college and "standing to view" on some eminence which commanded a prospect of the lower Jordan valley. There were many such eminences within a short distance of Jericho. And they two stood by Jordan. At length all other human companionship was shaken off - "they two" stood, side by side, on the banks of the sacred stream, which had played so important a part, and was still to play so far more important a part, in the theocratic history. All the world, except their two selves, was remote - was beyond their ken; the master and the servant, the prophet of the past and the prophet of the coming generation, were together, with none to disturb them, or interfere between them, or separate them. Jordan rolled its waters before their eyes, a seeming barrier to further advance; and Elisha may naturally have looked to see the final scene transacted in that "plain below a plain," the Jordan bed, sunk beneath the general level of the Ghor, green with lush grass and aquatic plants, and with beds of reeds and osiers, but squalid with long stretches of mud and masses of decaying vegetation, brought down from the upper river, and with rotting trunks of trees torn from the banks higher up. But the end was not yet. Jordan was to be crossed, and the ascension to take place from the plain whence Moses, when about to quit earth, had made his ascent to Pisgah.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then a company
אִ֜ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

of fifty
וַחֲמִשִּׁ֨ים (wa·ḥă·miš·šîm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 2572: Fifty

of the sons
מִבְּנֵ֤י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of the prophets
הַנְּבִיאִים֙ (han·nə·ḇî·’îm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

went
הָֽלְכ֔וּ (hā·lə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

and stood
וַיַּעַמְד֥וּ (way·ya·‘am·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

at a distance,
מִנֶּ֖גֶד (min·ne·ḡeḏ)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5048: A front, part opposite, a counterpart, mate, over against, before

facing [Elijah and Elisha]
מֵרָח֑וֹק (mê·rā·ḥō·wq)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7350: Remote, of place, time, precious

as the two
וּשְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם (ū·šə·nê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Number - mdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

of them stood
עָמְד֥וּ (‘ā·mə·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

by
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the Jordan.
הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃ (hay·yar·dên)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3383: Jordan -- the principal river of Palestine


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OT History: 2 Kings 2:7 Fifty men of the sons (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
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