2 Kings 2:12
As Elisha watched, he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.
As Elisha watched
The Hebrew root for "watched" is רָאָה (ra'ah), which means to see or perceive. This indicates not just a physical act of seeing but a deeper spiritual perception. Elisha is witnessing a divine event, the departure of Elijah, which signifies a transition of prophetic authority. This moment is pivotal, as Elisha is not merely an observer but a participant in God's unfolding plan.

he cried out
The phrase "cried out" comes from the Hebrew זָעַק (za'aq), which conveys a loud call or proclamation, often in distress or urgency. Elisha's cry is both a lament and a recognition of the profound loss of his mentor, Elijah. It reflects the deep emotional bond and the weight of the prophetic mantle that is about to fall upon him.

My father, my father
This expression is a term of respect and endearment, indicating the close relationship between Elisha and Elijah. In ancient Israel, a spiritual leader or mentor was often regarded as a father figure. This highlights the personal loss Elisha feels, as well as the spiritual inheritance he is about to receive.

the chariots and horsemen of Israel
This phrase is metaphorical, symbolizing the power and protection that Elijah, as a prophet, provided to Israel. Chariots and horsemen were symbols of military strength, and Elisha's exclamation acknowledges Elijah's role as a spiritual defender of the nation. It underscores the idea that the true strength of Israel lies not in physical armies but in the presence of God's prophets.

And he saw Elijah no more
The finality of this statement marks the end of an era. Elijah's departure signifies the completion of his earthly mission and the beginning of Elisha's ministry. The absence of Elijah challenges Elisha to step into his new role with faith and courage, trusting in the same God who empowered his predecessor.

So taking hold of his own clothes
In ancient times, clothing was often symbolic of one's identity and status. By taking hold of his clothes, Elisha is preparing to make a significant gesture. This act is a precursor to the symbolic tearing that follows, representing a profound change in his life and ministry.

he tore them in two
Tearing one's clothes was a traditional expression of grief and mourning in the Hebrew culture. Elisha's action signifies his deep sorrow over Elijah's departure and the weight of the responsibility he now bears. It also symbolizes the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, as Elisha steps into his prophetic calling. This act of tearing is both a personal lament and a public declaration of his new role as God's prophet to Israel.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Elisha
A prophet and the successor of Elijah. He witnessed Elijah's ascension and took on his prophetic mantle.

2. Elijah
A major prophet in Israel known for his miraculous deeds and his confrontation with the prophets of Baal. He was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.

3. Chariots and Horsemen of Israel
Symbolic representation of God's power and protection over Israel, often associated with divine intervention.

4. Jordan River
The location where Elijah was taken up to heaven, marking a significant transition in prophetic leadership.

5. Tearing of Clothes
A traditional expression of grief and mourning in ancient Israel, signifying Elisha's sorrow at Elijah's departure.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Spiritual Mentorship
Elisha's relationship with Elijah underscores the value of mentorship in spiritual growth and leadership development.

Recognizing God's Sovereignty
The imagery of chariots and horsemen reminds believers of God's ultimate power and protection over His people.

Responding to Loss and Transition
Elisha's tearing of his clothes illustrates a healthy expression of grief and the importance of acknowledging emotional transitions.

Carrying Forward the Mantle
Just as Elisha continued Elijah's work, believers are called to carry forward the mission of Christ in their own lives.

Seeing Beyond the Physical
Elisha's vision challenges believers to seek spiritual insight and recognize God's presence in their circumstances.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the relationship between Elijah and Elisha inform our understanding of spiritual mentorship today?

2. In what ways can we recognize and rely on God's "chariots and horsemen" in our own lives?

3. How can we appropriately express and process grief in light of Elisha's response to Elijah's departure?

4. What are some practical ways we can "take up the mantle" of those who have spiritually influenced us?

5. How can we cultivate a spiritual vision to see God's work beyond our immediate circumstances, similar to Elisha's experience?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 6:17
Elisha prays for his servant's eyes to be opened to see the chariots of fire, reinforcing the theme of divine protection.

1 Kings 19:19-21
The initial calling of Elisha by Elijah, establishing the mentor-mentee relationship.

Acts 1:9-11
The ascension of Jesus, paralleling Elijah's departure and the continuation of ministry through the disciples.

Zechariah 6:1-8
Vision of chariots, symbolizing God's sovereign control and judgment.

Matthew 17:1-3
The Transfiguration, where Elijah appears with Moses, highlighting his enduring significance in God's plan.
Elijah's Translation and Elisha's DeathbedAlexander Maclaren2 Kings 2:12
The Departure of Good MenD. Thomas 2 Kings 2:1-14
Elijah TranslatedH. Crosby, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah TranslatedMonday Club Sermons2 Kings 2:1-15
Elisha's Love for ElijahL. A. Banks, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
EvensongF. B. Meyer, B. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
Life's EventideF. S. Webster, M. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Ascension of ElijahCanon Hutchings, M. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Christian a Native of HeavenAlex. Maclaren, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Departure of Good MenHomilist2 Kings 2:1-15
The Translation of ElijahJ. Parker, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah Taken UpJ. Orr 2 Kings 2:7-15
A Nation's True DependenceHomiletic Monthly2 Kings 2:11-12
Chariots of Fire for the New YearJohn Thomas, M. A.2 Kings 2:11-12
Parted FriendsC.H. Irwin 2 Kings 2:11, 12
The Ascension of ElijahW. Jay.2 Kings 2:11-12
The Chariot of FireL. A. Banks, D. D.2 Kings 2:11-12
The TranslationF. B. Meyer, B. A.2 Kings 2:11-12
The Translation of Elijah and the Ascension of ChristA. Maclaren, D. D.2 Kings 2:11-12
Three PartingsC. J. Vaughan, D. D.2 Kings 2:11-12
Two Prophets PartedF. Hastings.2 Kings 2:11-12
Waggons2 Kings 2:11-12
People
Elijah, Elisha
Places
Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho, Jordan River, Mount Carmel, Samaria
Topics
Apart, Carriages, Chariot, Chariots, Clothes, Cried, Cry, Crying, Elijah, Elisha, Eli'sha, Full, Garments, Grief, Hold, Horsemen, Longer, Pieces, Rendeth, Rent, Seeing, Taketh, Thereof, Tore
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 2:12

     5567   suffering, emotional
     5781   affection

2 Kings 2:11-12

     5092   Elijah
     7775   prophets, lives

Library
The Translation of Elijah and the Ascension of Christ
'And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.'--2 KINGS ii. 11. 'And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.'--LUKE xxiv. 51. These two events, the translation of Elijah and the Ascension of our Lord, have sometimes been put side by side in order to show that the latter narrative is nothing
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Elijah's Translation and Elisha's Deathbed
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.'--2 KINGS ii. 12. '...And Joash, the King of Israel, came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said. O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof.'--2 KINGS xiii. U. The scenes and the speakers are strangely different in these two incidents. The one scene is that mysterious translation on the further bank of the Jordan, when a mortal was swept up to heaven in a
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Chariot of Fire
'And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. 80 they went down to Beth-el 3, And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Gentleness Succeeding Strength
'He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 15. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Preparing to Depart
"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."--2 Kings 2:11. IT seems to me that the departure of Elijah from the world, though of course he did not "die" at all, may furnish us with a very good type of the decease of those saints who, although taken away on a sudden, are not without some previous intimation that in such a manner they will be
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 54: 1908

Whether Hope is a Help or a Hindrance to Action?
Objection 1: It would seem that hope is not a help but a hindrance to action. Because hope implies security. But security begets negligence which hinders action. Therefore hope is a hindrance to action. Objection 2: Further, sorrow hinders action, as stated above ([1361]Q[37], A[3]). But hope sometimes causes sorrow: for it is written (Prov. 13:12): "Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul." Therefore hope hinders action. Objection 3: Further, despair is contrary to hope, as stated above [1362](A[4]).
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Jericho Itself.
We read, that this city was not only wasted by Joshua with fire and sword, but cursed also. "Cursed be he before the Lord, who shall rise up and build that city Jericho," Joshua 6:26. "Nor was another city to be built (says the Talmudists), which was to be called by the name of Jericho: nor was Jericho itself to be built, although to be called by another name." And yet I know not by what chance this city crept out of dust and rubbish, lived again, and flourished, and became the second city to Jerusalem.
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Consolations against the Fear of Death.
If in the time of thy sickness thou findest thyself fearful to die, meditate-- 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is not; for in the church of Christ there is no death (Isa. xxv. 7, 8), and whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ, shall never die (John xi. 26). Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not; but when they please God, they are like Enoch translated unto God (Gen. v. 24;) their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven (2
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Baptist's Testimony.
"There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.... John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. For of His fulness we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
1. The Greek word canon (originally a straight rod or pole, measuring-rod, then rule) denotes that collection of books which the churches receive as given by inspiration of God, and therefore as constituting for them a divine rule of faith and practice. To the books included in it the term canonical is applied. The Canon of the Old Testament, considered in reference to its constituent parts, was formed gradually; formed under divine superintendence by a process of growth extending through
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Epistle vii. To Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius.
To Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius. Gregory to Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius, Bishops [1688] . I rejoice exceedingly that you welcomed with great joy the ordination of the most holy Cyriacus, my brother and fellow-priest. And since we have learnt from the preaching of Paul the apostle that If one member rejoice, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor. xii. 26), you must needs consider with how great exultation I rejoice with you in this thing, wherein not one member, but many members of Christ have
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8.
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to Christians to be Holy. By John Bunyan.
Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.'--[Psalm 93:5] London, by B. W., for Benj. Alsop, at the Angel and Bible, in the Poultrey. 1684. THE EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. This is the most searching treatise that has ever fallen under our notice. It is an invaluable guide to those sincere Christians, who, under a sense of the infinite importance of the salvation of an immortal soul, and of the deceitfulness of their hearts, sigh and cry, "O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

That Upon the Conquest and Slaughter of vitellius Vespasian Hastened his Journey to Rome; but Titus his Son Returned to Jerusalem.
1. And now, when Vespasian had given answers to the embassages, and had disposed of the places of power justly, [25] and according to every one's deserts, he came to Antioch, and consulting which way he had best take, he preferred to go for Rome, rather than to march to Alexandria, because he saw that Alexandria was sure to him already, but that the affairs at Rome were put into disorder by Vitellius; so he sent Mucianus to Italy, and committed a considerable army both of horsemen and footmen to
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Paul's Departure and Crown;
OR, AN EXPOSITION UPON 2 TIM. IV. 6-8 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR How great and glorious is the Christian's ultimate destiny--a kingdom and a crown! Surely it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive what ear never heard, nor mortal eye ever saw? the mansions of the blest--the realms of glory--'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' For whom can so precious an inheritance be intended? How are those treated in this world who are entitled to so glorious, so exalted, so eternal,
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.),
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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