2 Kings 2:14

14 he took the cloak that had fallen off Eliyahu, struck the water and said, "Where is ADONAI, the God of Eliyahu?" But when he actually did strike the water, it divided itself to the left and to the right; then Elisha crossed over.

2 Kings 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 2:14

And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote
the waters
He wrapped it together, as Elijah had done, and smote the waters in like manner, to make trial whether he had the same spirit and power conferred on him:

and said, where is the Lord God of Elijah?
let him appear now, and show his power as he did by him; he knew the mantle would not do without the Lord, and the exertion of his might:

and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and
thither;
as when Elijah smote them. The words "aph-hu", rendered "he also", is left untranslated by the Septuagint, and is interpreted by Theodoret ^F14 "hidden". They stand immediately after "the God of Elijah", and may be rendered, "yea he", even he himself; meaning not Elijah, as if he was inquired after, or was present and smote the waters; but rather, as we and others, Elisha, even he also smote the waters; though some take it to be the name of God, as "Hu" was, and is with the Arabs to this day, (See Gill on Isaiah 43:13). Athanasius ^F15 interprets it of God, "Appho"; and so Elisha calls him by his title and attribute, "Aph-hu": but the words may be an answer to the prophet's question, "where is the Lord God of Elijah?" here he is, even he himself, in the faith of which the water, being smitten, parted; and with this agrees Abarbinel's note on the text; the meaning is, though we are deprived of Elijah, yet not of the providence of God; and though the servant is wanting, the Lord or master is not; for even he, the blessed God, is in his room, and his excellency is as it was before; which sense is approved of by Frischmuth ^F16

and Elisha went over;
the river Jordan, as on dry land.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F14 Apud Flamin. Nobil. in loc. So Suidas in voce (apfw) .
F15 De Commun. Essent. Patris vol. 1. p. 374. See Weemse of the Moral Law, l. 1. c. 7. p. 162.
F16 Dissert. de Eliae Nomine sect. 11, 12.

2 Kings 2:14 In-Context

12 Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Isra'el!" Then he lost sight of him. Seizing his clothes, he tore them in half.

13 Then he picked up Eliyahu's cloak, which had fallen off him. Standing on the bank of the Yarden,

14 he took the cloak that had fallen off Eliyahu, struck the water and said, "Where is ADONAI, the God of Eliyahu?" But when he actually did strike the water, it divided itself to the left and to the right; then Elisha crossed over.

15 When the guild prophets of Yericho saw him in the distance, they said, "The spirit of Eliyahu does rest on Elisha." Advancing to meet him, they prostrated themselves on the ground before him

16 and said to him, "Here now, your servants include fifty strong men. Please let them go and look for your master, in the event that the Spirit of ADONAI has taken him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley." He answered, "Don't send them."