2 Kings 2:12

12 Forsooth Elisha saw, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof. And he saw no more Elijah. And he took his clothes, and rent those into two parts. (And Elisha saw it, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and its charioteer. And then he saw Elijah no more. And he took his own mantle, or his own cloak, and tore it in two.)

2 Kings 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 2:12

And Elisha saw it
The ascension of Elijah to heaven, the manner of it, and all relative to it, as the disciples saw the ascension of Christ, between which and this there is a great agreement, see ( Acts 1:9 Acts 1:10 ) , and so Elisha had the token by which he might expect to have the double portion, as the disciples after the ascension of Christ had an extraordinary effusion of the Spirit and gifts upon them:

and he cried, my father, my father;
or my master, my master, as the Targum; Elijah being a father to Elisha, and the rest of the prophets, in the same sense as disciples of the prophets are called sons:

the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof;
who was a greater defence to Israel, and was of more service to them by his instructions and prayers, than an army consisting of chariots and horsemen; so the Targum,

``he was better to Israel by his prayers than chariots and horsemen:''

and he saw him no more;
he was carried up in the above manner into the heaven of heavens, out of the sight of mortals, and never seen more, but at the transfiguration of Christ on the mount:

and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces;
not on account of Elijah's case and circumstances, who was now in a most happy and glorious state and condition, but as lamenting his own loss, and the loss of the public.

2 Kings 2:12 In-Context

10 Which Elijah answered, Thou askest an hard thing; nevertheless if thou shalt see me, when I shall be taken away from thee, that that thou askest shall be (so); soothly if thou shalt not see (me), (then) it shall not be (so).

11 And when they went, and spake going (And as they went forth, speaking as they went), lo! a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, parted ever either; and Elijah ascended by a whirlwind into heaven .

12 Forsooth Elisha saw, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and the charioteer thereof. And he saw no more Elijah. And he took his clothes, and rent those into two parts. (And Elisha saw it, and cried, My father! my father! the chariot of Israel, and its charioteer. And then he saw Elijah no more. And he took his own mantle, or his own cloak, and tore it in two.)

13 And he raised the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him; and he turned again, and stood over the river of Jordan (And he picked up Elijah's mantle, that fell down to him; and he returned, and stood by the Jordan River.)

14 And with the mantle of Elijah, that felled down to him, he smote the waters, which were not parted. And he said, Where is [the] God of Elijah also now? And (so) he smote the waters, and those were parted hither and thither; and Elisha passed [over]. (And using Elijah's mantle, that fell down to him, he struck the water, for it was not parted. And he said, Where is the God of Elijah? And after that he struck the water, it was again parted here and there; and Elisha crossed over again.)