2 Kings 2:3

3 the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Bethel, went out to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) Which answered, And I know; be ye still.

2 Kings 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 2:3

And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel
Or the disciples of them, as the Targum; here, though a place where one of Jeroboam's calves was set up, was a school of the prophets, perhaps founded by Elijah as a nursery for religion, and a check upon the idolatry of the times:

came forth to Elisha; out of their college: and said unto him, knowest
thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?
who was, as Abarbinel observes, the crown and glory of his head; or else this is said, as generally thought, in allusion to disciples sitting at the feet of their masters, and so they at the head of them; the rapture of Elijah was by a spirit of prophecy revealed unto them:

and he said, yea, I know it;
being revealed to him in the same way:

hold your peace:
not caring to continue any discourse with them on the subject, that his thoughts, which were intent upon it, might not be interrupted, and that his master might not know that he knew of it, and lest he should be snatched away from him, and he not see him, while discoursing with them.

2 Kings 2:3 In-Context

1 Forsooth it was done, when the Lord would raise (up) Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah and Elisha went from Gilgal.
2 And Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me till into Bethel. To whom Elisha said, The Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee (To whom Elisha said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I shall not desert thee). And when they had come down to Bethel,
3 the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Bethel, went out to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) Which answered, And I know; be ye still.
4 Forsooth Elijah said to Elisha, Sit thou here, for the Lord [hath] sent me into Jericho. And he said, (As) The Lord liveth, and (as) thy soul liveth, for I shall not forsake thee. And when they had come to Jericho,
5 the sons of (the) prophets, that were in Jericho, nighed to Elisha, and said to him, Whether thou knowest, that the Lord shall take away thy lord today from thee? (Knowest thou, that the Lord shall take away thy lord from thee today?) And he said, I know; be ye still.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.