2 Kings 2:14
Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.
Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him
The cloak, or mantle, of Elijah symbolizes the prophetic authority and power that Elijah held. In biblical times, a cloak was often a symbol of one's office or calling. Elijah's mantle falling to Elisha signifies the transfer of prophetic leadership. This act is reminiscent of Elijah's initial calling of Elisha when he threw his cloak over him (1 Kings 19:19), indicating the passing of his prophetic role.

and struck the waters.
Striking the waters with the cloak is an act of faith and a demonstration of the power of God working through His prophets. This action mirrors Moses' parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21) and Joshua's crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 3:14-17), both of which were significant events in Israel's history that demonstrated God's miraculous intervention and guidance.

“Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked.
Elisha's question is both a cry for divine presence and an acknowledgment of the source of Elijah's power. It reflects a desire for confirmation that the same God who empowered Elijah will now empower him. This invocation of the "God of Elijah" emphasizes the continuity of God's work through His chosen servants and highlights the importance of divine presence in fulfilling one's calling.

And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left,
The parting of the waters is a miraculous sign that confirms Elisha's succession as the prophet of Israel. It serves as a divine endorsement of Elisha's ministry, similar to how God confirmed Joshua's leadership after Moses by parting the Jordan River. This miracle also foreshadows the many signs and wonders that Elisha would perform, demonstrating God's power and presence with him.

and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha's crossing over the Jordan River marks the beginning of his prophetic ministry. It signifies a transition from being a disciple of Elijah to becoming the leading prophet in Israel. This crossing can be seen as a type of baptism, symbolizing a new beginning and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the tasks ahead. It also connects to the broader biblical theme of crossing over into new phases of God's redemptive plan, as seen in the Israelites' entrance into the Promised Land.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Elisha
A prophet and the successor of Elijah, who performed many miracles and was a significant figure in the history of Israel.

2. Elijah
A major prophet in Israel who was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, leaving his cloak behind for Elisha.

3. The Jordan River
A significant river in the biblical account, often symbolizing a place of transition and divine intervention.

4. The Cloak of Elijah
A symbol of prophetic authority and the transfer of Elijah's prophetic spirit to Elisha.

5. The Parting of the Waters
A miraculous event demonstrating God's power and the continuation of Elijah's ministry through Elisha.
Teaching Points
The Continuation of God's Work
God's work does not end with one person; it continues through those He calls and equips. Elisha's ministry is a continuation of Elijah's, showing that God's purposes transcend individual lifetimes.

The Importance of Spiritual Inheritance
Elisha's receipt of Elijah's cloak symbolizes the passing of spiritual authority and responsibility. We are called to pass on our faith and spiritual gifts to the next generation.

Faith in Action
Elisha's act of striking the waters demonstrates faith in God's power and presence. We are encouraged to act in faith, trusting that God will work through us.

God's Presence in Transition
The parting of the Jordan River signifies God's presence during times of change and transition. We can trust God to guide us through life's transitions.

Seeking God's Presence
Elisha's question, "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" reflects a desire for God's presence and power. We should continually seek God's presence in our lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Elisha's use of Elijah's cloak demonstrate the concept of spiritual inheritance, and how can we apply this in our own lives?

2. In what ways does the parting of the Jordan River parallel other biblical events, and what does this teach us about God's power and faithfulness?

3. How can we demonstrate faith in action in our daily lives, similar to Elisha's act of striking the waters?

4. What are some transitions in your life where you have seen or need to see God's presence and guidance?

5. How can we cultivate a deeper desire for God's presence, as Elisha did when he asked, "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?"
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 14
The parting of the Red Sea by Moses, which parallels the parting of the Jordan River by Elisha, both demonstrating God's power and presence.

Joshua 3
The crossing of the Jordan River by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership, symbolizing a new beginning and God's faithfulness.

1 Kings 19
The calling of Elisha by Elijah, where Elijah places his cloak on Elisha, foreshadowing the transfer of prophetic authority.

Acts 1
The ascension of Jesus and the empowerment of the apostles by the Holy Spirit, similar to the transfer of Elijah's spirit to Elisha.
Calling Upon the God of AnotherDaniel Baker.2 Kings 2:14
Elijah's GodCharles Cross.2 Kings 2:14
Elijah's GodHomilist2 Kings 2:14
God's Attractiveness as Seen in the Devout LifeJ. Robertson.2 Kings 2:14
Good Men, Witness of God2 Kings 2:14
Man's Cry and God's ResponseHomilist2 Kings 2:14
Power, or One's Might for DutyW. Hoyt, D. D.2 Kings 2:14
The Lord God of ElijahE. H. Evans.2 Kings 2:14
The Prophet as Incarnating the DivineJ. Matthews.2 Kings 2:14
Where is the Lord God of Elijah?Dinsdale T. Young.2 Kings 2:14
The Departure of Good MenD. Thomas 2 Kings 2:1-14
Elijah TranslatedH. Crosby, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah TranslatedMonday Club Sermons2 Kings 2:1-15
Elisha's Love for ElijahL. A. Banks, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
EvensongF. B. Meyer, B. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
Life's EventideF. S. Webster, M. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Ascension of ElijahCanon Hutchings, M. A.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Christian a Native of HeavenAlex. Maclaren, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
The Departure of Good MenHomilist2 Kings 2:1-15
The Translation of ElijahJ. Parker, D. D.2 Kings 2:1-15
Elijah Taken UpJ. Orr 2 Kings 2:7-15
The Mantle of ElijahL. A. Banks, D. D.2 Kings 2:13-14
The Prophet's MantleAlex. Whyte, D. D.2 Kings 2:13-14
The Beginning of Elisha's WorkC.H. Irwin 2 Kings 2:13-18
People
Elijah, Elisha
Places
Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho, Jordan River, Mount Carmel, Samaria
Topics
Blow, Crossed, Divided, Dropped, Elijah, Eli'jah, Elijah's, Elisha, Eli'sha, Fallen, Fell, Giving, Halved, Hither, Mantle, Parted, Passeth, Robe, Saying, Smiteth, Smitten, Smote, Struck, Taketh, Thither, Waters
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 2:14

     5092   Elijah

2 Kings 2:13-14

     1416   miracles, nature of

Library
The Translation of Elijah and the Ascension of Christ
'And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.'--2 KINGS ii. 11. 'And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.'--LUKE xxiv. 51. These two events, the translation of Elijah and the Ascension of our Lord, have sometimes been put side by side in order to show that the latter narrative is nothing
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Elijah's Translation and Elisha's Deathbed
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.'--2 KINGS ii. 12. '...And Joash, the King of Israel, came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said. O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof.'--2 KINGS xiii. U. The scenes and the speakers are strangely different in these two incidents. The one scene is that mysterious translation on the further bank of the Jordan, when a mortal was swept up to heaven in a
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Chariot of Fire
'And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. 80 they went down to Beth-el 3, And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Gentleness Succeeding Strength
'He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 15. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Preparing to Depart
"And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."--2 Kings 2:11. IT seems to me that the departure of Elijah from the world, though of course he did not "die" at all, may furnish us with a very good type of the decease of those saints who, although taken away on a sudden, are not without some previous intimation that in such a manner they will be
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 54: 1908

Whether Hope is a Help or a Hindrance to Action?
Objection 1: It would seem that hope is not a help but a hindrance to action. Because hope implies security. But security begets negligence which hinders action. Therefore hope is a hindrance to action. Objection 2: Further, sorrow hinders action, as stated above ([1361]Q[37], A[3]). But hope sometimes causes sorrow: for it is written (Prov. 13:12): "Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul." Therefore hope hinders action. Objection 3: Further, despair is contrary to hope, as stated above [1362](A[4]).
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Jericho Itself.
We read, that this city was not only wasted by Joshua with fire and sword, but cursed also. "Cursed be he before the Lord, who shall rise up and build that city Jericho," Joshua 6:26. "Nor was another city to be built (says the Talmudists), which was to be called by the name of Jericho: nor was Jericho itself to be built, although to be called by another name." And yet I know not by what chance this city crept out of dust and rubbish, lived again, and flourished, and became the second city to Jerusalem.
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Consolations against the Fear of Death.
If in the time of thy sickness thou findest thyself fearful to die, meditate-- 1. That it argueth a dastardly mind to fear that which is not; for in the church of Christ there is no death (Isa. xxv. 7, 8), and whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ, shall never die (John xi. 26). Let them fear death who live without Christ. Christians die not; but when they please God, they are like Enoch translated unto God (Gen. v. 24;) their pains are but Elijah's fiery chariot to carry them up to heaven (2
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City.
Here we will borrow Josephus' pencil, "Jericho is seated in a plain, yet a certain barren mountain hangs over it, narrow, indeed, but long; for it runs out northward to the country of Scythopolis,--and southward, to the country of Sodom, and the utmost coast of the Asphaltites." Of this mountain mention is made, Joshua 2:22, where the two spies, sent by Joshua, and received by Rahab, are said to "conceal themselves." "Opposite against this, lies a mountain on the other side Jordan, beginning from
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The Baptist's Testimony.
"There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.... John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. For of His fulness we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
1. The Greek word canon (originally a straight rod or pole, measuring-rod, then rule) denotes that collection of books which the churches receive as given by inspiration of God, and therefore as constituting for them a divine rule of faith and practice. To the books included in it the term canonical is applied. The Canon of the Old Testament, considered in reference to its constituent parts, was formed gradually; formed under divine superintendence by a process of growth extending through
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Epistle vii. To Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius.
To Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius. Gregory to Peter, Domitian, and Elpidius, Bishops [1688] . I rejoice exceedingly that you welcomed with great joy the ordination of the most holy Cyriacus, my brother and fellow-priest. And since we have learnt from the preaching of Paul the apostle that If one member rejoice, all the members rejoice with it (1 Cor. xii. 26), you must needs consider with how great exultation I rejoice with you in this thing, wherein not one member, but many members of Christ have
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8.
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to Christians to be Holy. By John Bunyan.
Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever.'--[Psalm 93:5] London, by B. W., for Benj. Alsop, at the Angel and Bible, in the Poultrey. 1684. THE EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. This is the most searching treatise that has ever fallen under our notice. It is an invaluable guide to those sincere Christians, who, under a sense of the infinite importance of the salvation of an immortal soul, and of the deceitfulness of their hearts, sigh and cry, "O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

That Upon the Conquest and Slaughter of vitellius Vespasian Hastened his Journey to Rome; but Titus his Son Returned to Jerusalem.
1. And now, when Vespasian had given answers to the embassages, and had disposed of the places of power justly, [25] and according to every one's deserts, he came to Antioch, and consulting which way he had best take, he preferred to go for Rome, rather than to march to Alexandria, because he saw that Alexandria was sure to him already, but that the affairs at Rome were put into disorder by Vitellius; so he sent Mucianus to Italy, and committed a considerable army both of horsemen and footmen to
Flavius Josephus—The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Paul's Departure and Crown;
OR, AN EXPOSITION UPON 2 TIM. IV. 6-8 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR How great and glorious is the Christian's ultimate destiny--a kingdom and a crown! Surely it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive what ear never heard, nor mortal eye ever saw? the mansions of the blest--the realms of glory--'a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' For whom can so precious an inheritance be intended? How are those treated in this world who are entitled to so glorious, so exalted, so eternal,
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.),
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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