2 Kings 2:16

16 They said to him, See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray you, and seek your master, lest the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up, and cast him on some mountain, or into some valley. He said, You shall not send.

2 Kings 2:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 2:16

And they said unto him, behold, now, there be with thy
servants fifty strong men
Perhaps meaning themselves, ( 2 Kings 2:7 ) who were young, stout, and strong, and able to travel for days together:

let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master;
for though they knew he was to be taken away, yet knew not for what time, and imagined he might be found again:

lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up;
as it seems he was wont to do, see ( 1 Kings 18:12 )

and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley;
where he sometimes had his abode; or they might fancy, if he was taken up to heaven, yet in his soul only, and that, when that was separated, his dead body would be left on a mountain, or in a valley; and therefore they were desirous of seeking and finding it, that it might not be exposed to birds and beasts of prey, but that they might bury it in a decent and honourable manner:

and he said, ye shall not send;
he knew it was to no purpose, since he was translated to heaven, body and soul, and which he was an eyewitness of.

2 Kings 2:16 In-Context

14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah? and when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over.

15 When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho over against him saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah does rest 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; let them go, we pray you, and seek your master, lest the Spirit of Yahweh has taken him up, and cast him on some mountain, or into some valley. He said, You shall not send.

17 When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought 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?'"