2 Kings 2:10

10 Elijah replied, "You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won't."

2 Kings 2:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 2:10

And he said, thou hast asked a hard thing
Not a common privilege, but what is rarely enjoyed, and difficult to obtain, few are so favoured of God:

nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so
unto thee,
but if not, it shall not be so; meaning, that if his rapture was visible to Elisha, and he was favoured with a sight of his assumption, and be an eyewitness of it, this would be a token both to Elijah that it was agreeable to the Lord to ask of him this favour for him, and to Elisha to expect it, otherwise not.

2 Kings 2:10 In-Context

8 Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and left. Then the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell [me] what I can do for you before I am taken from you." So Elisha answered, "Please, let there be a double portion of your spirit on me."

10 Elijah replied, "You have asked for something difficult. If you see me being taken from you, you will have it. If not, you won't."

11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire with horses of fire suddenly appeared and separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up into heaven in the whirlwind.

12 As Elisha watched, he kept crying out, "My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Then he never saw Elijah again. He took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.