Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 2:9
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
9. when they were gone over ] Or, with margin of R.V., ‘as they went over’. There was now no other place to visit, and the end was felt to be close at hand. Both probably thought how near they were coming to the spot where the earlier prophet Moses had been taken from the earth. In crossing the Jordan Elijah stood again on the slopes of his native Gilead. Was he impelled by that strong desire which so often makes men wish to die among the scenes of their childhood?
before I be taken away from thee ] R.V. omits ‘away’, rather inconsistently, for ‘take away’ is kept as the rendering of the same verb in verses 3 and 5.
The subject which had been filling both their hearts, the approaching separation, is at last mentioned. The master would help in whatever way he could the disciple who has been chosen to fill his place; and the question tests the character of Elisha. It shews that he felt that he must act with the same undaunted courage and boldness, and that he knew the needs of the times.
let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me ] The request is not, as some have thought, for twice the spirit of the departing master. And the attempts which have been made to shew that in some ways Elisha went beyond Elijah are utterly pointless. What Elisha wants is what a father may rightly give to a firstborn son. In Deu 21:17 it is prescribed that to the firstborn shall be given a double portion of all which the father possesses, so that he may have twice as much as each of the other sons. But we are not to think here of the whole of the schools of the prophets as sharing in the gift which Elijah was to bestow. Such slavery to the letter is absurd. What Elisha longs for is such a blessing as will shew that he is esteemed as the dearest member of that band whom Elijah had most trusted.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me – Like Solomon, Elisha asks for no worldly advantage, but for spiritual power to discharge his office aright. The double portion is that which denotes the proportion of a fathers property which was the right of an eldest son Deu 21:17. Elisha therefore asked for twice as much of Elijahs spirit as should be inherited by any other of the sons of the prophets. He simply claimed, i. e., to be acknowledged as Elijahs firstborn spiritual son.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ki 2:9
Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee.
A final interview between good men
The two names here mentioned represent two of the most remarkable men in the history of the world. Both stood faithful in a faithless age. Through both, heavenly wisdom announced its truths, and Almighty energy wrought its marvels. Both were valiant for truth. In this final interview of these illustrious men, we find something to lament, something to admire, something to study, and something to imitate.
I. Here is something to lament. The departure of a great and good man from this world is a subject for lamentation. There are two things that show this to be a lamentable occurrence,
1. The event involves a positive decrease in the amount of means for the worlds improvement. Heavens plan to raise the world is by the ministry of the good. Good men are Gods agents to improve the world.
2. The event involves a positive increase in the amount of the worlds responsibilities. The worlds responsibilities are proportioned to its means of improvement;–Unto whomsoever much is given, cf him shall be much required. The life of a good man adds to the worlds responsibility. Thus its mighty sum of accountability daily augments. The more good the life, the greater the addition to the amount. Christs life was the best, and hence He said, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin.
II. Here is something to admire. What do we see here to admire?
1. Sublime calmness in the most solemn crisis. Truly solemn was the position Elijah now occupied, for he stands on the line that separates time from eternity. On one side of the line there were many scenes on earth dear to memory, many persons precious to his heart, many works that he had wrought, and much that he had left unfinished. On the other side there was eternity.
2. A generous interest in friends in the last hour of earthly life. Ask me, he says, what I shall do for thee before I be taken from thee? Though in close approximation to eternity, his affection for his friend was unimpaired. Death does not quench our love.
3. A consciousness of power to confer benefit in the last hour, Ask what I shall do for thee, implying a consciousness of power to confer good. A good man has power at all times to confer good, even on his deathbed; on his expiring couch he can exhibit fortitude under suffering, resignation to the Divine will, intercessory sympathies for the living. Deathbeds have often proved signally useful to attendant friends.
III. Here is something to study. There are two important principles suggested in this text which demand our attention:–
1. That men can only benefit their race while they are living upon earth. Before I am taken away from thee, said Elijah; implying I shall do nothing for thee when I am gone. I shall be where I cannot communicate thought, or render one act of service. Our work on earth is done when we leave it. When we die we cannot return to discharge any neglected duty.
2. That our power to benefit men will depend upon their consent. Ask what I shall do for thee. If men resist we are powerless; our instrumentality is moral, our best thoughts, our purest sympathies, our devoted efforts will all go for nothing, if men will not consent to our influence.
IV. Here is something to imitate. In the conduct of Elisha we see two things worthy of imitation.
1. A perception of real worth. I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2. An aspiration after real worth. I pray thee let a double portion. Here is coveting earnestly the best gift. (Homilist.)
I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Elishas request
I. Its meaning.
1. A double portion.
(1) Not twice as much as thou. That might have been the prayer not of ambition to excel Elijah, but of humility. In myself so inferior that I need double portion to succeed thee.
(2) Better: the portion of first-born (Deu 21:17); twice as much as any other son of the prophets. All claim a portion. My work and responsibility greatest; to be head of the family in thy place. Give me right of the first-born-a double portion.
2. Thy spirit. Gods Spirit: who came upon Samson, Saul, David, Elijah himself (2Ki 2:16). But still Elijahs spirit (2Ki 2:15). In three senses his:–
(1) His own. Not separable, as property, friends, means of grace, etc. In him (Joh 4:14). Not hand without upholding, but cordial within, strengthening.
(2) His characteristically. One Spirit, but manifold gifts. Natural character remains, etc.
(3) His in its influence. Elishas request granted. Character moulded by Elijahs spirit, yet not obliterated. Still Elisha, not Elijah. Marked contrast between them. Elijah type of John Baptist, Elisha of Christ.
II. Its application.
1. To intercourse of friends. Elijah friend of Elisha.
2. To official relations. Elisha pupil of Elijah. Conclusion. Our intercourse with friends, our relations as teachers, parents, ministers, etc., are they such as, when the parting comes, to warrant the request, I pray thee, etc.? (Archdeacon Perowne.)
The spirit of Elijah
Elijah, with his clear-eyed vision, saw that Elisha and not himself was the man to be considered at this hour; the parting meant more to Elisha than it did to himself. Elijah knew that all was right between him and God. He had no doubts about his future. I do not suppose he had the slightest intimation as to the peculiar manner in which he would leave the earth, although his words indicate a premonition that he was not to die in the natural, usual way. But in whatever way God called him, Elijah was safe. His work was done. His record was made up. Heaven and immortal glory, with the crown of eternal life, remained for him. Elisha, however, was in the midst of the struggle of life. He was to remain in the warring and striving world. He was to stand before wicked kings and ungodly men as the messenger of God. He would need every possible help and blessing that he might not fall or faint by the day. Ah, it is not death that the good man needs to fear. Living is infinitely more serious than dying. If we live well, we shall die well. We are not for a moment to suppose that there was anything selfish or ambitious in the request of Elisha. He was not asking that he might be twice as great as Elijah. He was thinking of the great need of the people and how much the loss of Elijah would mean, and he felt how small were his own powers and gifts compared to those of the great man whom he had loved and followed. He is asking that upon his own gifts and powers, which seem to him so small, a double portion of the spirit that had made Elijah so great may rest and make him strong to do the work of God which was now to fall upon his shoulders. The response of Elijah was significant. He answered, Thou hast asked a hard thing: 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. Dr. William M. Taylor sees in this answer of Elijah this meaning: The sight of Elijahs ascension gave to Elisha a firmer and more vivid faith in the reality of the unseen life than he had ever had before and greater than even Elijah had ever known. It remains for us to find our message in considering what constituted this spirit of Elijah, a double portion of which Elisha desired as the greatest boon that could come to him. For every one of us who is striving to live the good life to-day will find it as valuable a possession as it was to Elisha.
1. It was a vital faith in the presence and power of God in the world. There was Elijahs power. He believed God. God was real to him. God was not lost to Elijahs sight by the creation which He had made. Elijah saw God present in the midst of His world with unlimited power and control. This gave him all his courage. It was the same force that made John Knox a greater terror to a wicked queen than all the armies of Scotland. It was the same force that made Luther the greatest man of Ms day.
2. The spirit of Elijah was the spirit of obedience. He obeyed God promptly, without questioning; we never should have heard of him but for that. He kept his ear open, listening to God, and he went swiftly to do the Divine bidding. That was what gave value to Elijahs conduct. Think of the millions of Christians in the world to-day. If they all had Elijahs spirit of obedience, what revolutions would come about. The gambling hell would be abolished for ever. War would die out of the earth, and the Gospel would speedily be preached to every creature, if only all the men and women who bear the name of Jesus Christ had Elijahs spirit of implicit obedience to God.
3. Elijahs spirit was a spirit of supreme courage born of this faith and obedience. (L. A. Banks, D. D.)
The noblest legacy of the departed good
I. The greatest need, the most solemn position, is not with those who are leaving the world, but with those who remain. Not Elijah, but Elisha requires strength and help. It was a perception of Elishas greater need that prompted the invitation.
II. Our power to bless others is limited by our lives. Before I be taken away from thee. Elijah cannot pledge himself to anything after his departure. While yet he lingers upon me earth he may help and mess his successor. We can only bless the world while we are present in it.
III. The noblest legacy of the departed good, and the measure in which we should ask to possess it. Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. This was the wisest request Elisha could have presented. What are we to understand by thy spirit? We think he must mean that which was the animating principle of Elijahs character, the master passion of his soul–his fidelity to God, and zeal for His name. This spirit of the great and good is their noblest legacy, our richest inheritance.
1. The spirit of Elijah was the secret of Elishas power. We are prone to place a mans power in natural gifts and external advantages. But all experience proves that, in the work of the Lord, a simple, earnest, soul-possessing faithfulness is superior to all beside. He who has it, whatever else he may have or have not, is a true Elijah, who shall bring down the sacred fire, not upon a slaughtered bullock, but upon the souls of men.
2. The spirit of the great and good alone can compensate for their departure and loss.
3. The spirit of the great and good is alone unchanging in its character, and meets the requirements of every age.
4. To catch and inherit the spirit of the good and great is to attain the deepest and truest resemblance to them. (W. Perkins.)
What is the best service I can render my fellows
The giving fact of life is a fact permanent and wonderful. Steadily each of us is giving his fellows somewhat.
I. Volitionally we may give–e.g., money, place, knowledge. Better than these, we may volitionally give a helping sympathy.
II. But unvolitionally, unconsciously, we are giving to our fellows; St. Peters shadow (Act 5:15). Every one of us is streaming upon his fellows an unconscious influence Our practical question is–What is the best gift any one can yield his fellows? I find the answer in our Scripture.
1. The best gift one can yield his fellows is character–the double portion of a noble spirit.
2. This fact, that the best gift we can yield our fellows is character, that the best service we can render them is the imparting of a noble spirit, has important applications–
(1) To our friendships–noble friendships, as Elisha did with Elijah, we shall get nobleness.
(2) To marriage. For the associations of marriage are the closest possible. And if each were noble, what nobleness has not each to each imparted?
(3) To parenthood. The character of the parent is reproduced in the child.
(4) The great character-giver is Jesus Christ. There is no failure in Him, as there was, to some extent, in Elijah. (Homiletic Review.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. A double portion of thy spirit be upon me.] This in reference to the law, De 21:17: He shall acknowledge the first-born, by giving him a DOUBLE PORTION of all that he hath – the right of the first-born is his. Elisha considered himself the only child or first-born of Elijah, as the disciples of eminent teachers were called their children; so here he claims a double portion of his spiritual influence, any other disciples coming in for a single share only. Sons of the prophets means no more than the disciples or scholars of the prophets. The original words pi shenayim, mean rather two parts, than double the quantity.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Either,
1. Double to what is in thee; which it seems not probable that he had confidence either to ask, or to expect. Or rather,
2. Double to what the rest of the sons of the prophets may receive at thy request upon this occasion. He alludes to the double portion of the firstborn, Deu 21:17. But though Elisha desired no more, yet God gave him more than he desired or expected; and he seems to have had a greater portion of the prophetical and miraculous gifts of Gods Spirit than Elijah had.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask whatI shall do for theetrusting either that it would be in hispower to bequeath it, or that God, at his entreaty, would grant it.
let a double portion of thyspirit be upon meThis request was not, as is commonlysupposed, for the power of working miracles exceeding the magnitudeand number of his master’s, nor does it mean a higher endowment ofthe prophetic spirit; for Elisha was neither superior to, nor perhapsequally great with, his predecessor. But the phrase, “a doubleportion,” was applied to the first-born [De21:17], and therefore Elisha’s request was, simply, to be heir tothe prophetic office and gifts of his master.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it came to pass, when they were gone over,…. Had got on the other side Jordan:
that Elijah said unto Elisha, ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken from thee; for, having followed him so closely, he now made no more a secret of his assumption, and having had full trial of his attachment to him, and affection for him:
and Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me; the two parts of the gifts of the spirit he had, that of prophecy, and that of doing miracles, as some think; or two parts out of three of what Elijah was possessed of; or rather double as much, and which he might desire, not from a spirit of vanity and ambition to be greater than his master, but from an eagerness to promote the glory of God, and the interest of religion, to reclaim the Israelites from their idolatry, and establish the true religion, which he might observe Elijah was not able to do with that measure of grace and gifts he had; or however this phrase denotes an abundance, a large portion or measure, as it everywhere does. Many, after Ben Gersom, have thought it refers to the double portion of the firstborn, and that Elisha does not mean a double portion with respect to Elijah, but with respect to the junior prophets, with whom he might be considered as a firstborn, and so desired a double or greater portion than they, and which may be most correct m; and when he asked this, he did not suppose it was in Elijah’s power to give him it, only that he would pray to God, at parting with him, that he would bestow it on him.
m See Weemse of the Moral Law, l. 2. c. 7. p. 41.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
After crossing the Jordan, Elijah allowed his servant and companion to make one more request before he was taken away, in the full confidence that the Lord would fulfil it in answer to his prayer; and Elisha asked, “Let , , i.e., a double portion in (of) thy spirit be granted to me.” This request has been misunderstood by many translators, from Ephraem Syrus down to Kster and F. W. Krummacher, who have supposed that Elisha wished to have a double measure of Elijah’s spirit (“that thy spirit may be twofold in me:” Luther after the Vulgate, “ ut fiat in me duplex spiritus tuus ”); and some have taken it as referring to the fact that Elisha performed many more miracles and much greater ones than Elijah (Cler., Pfeiffer, dub. vex. p. 442), others to the gift of prophecy and miracles (Kster, die Proph. p. 82), whilst others, like Krummacher, have understood by it that the spirit of Elisha, as an evangelical spirit, was twice as great as the legal spirit of Elijah. But there is no such meaning implied in the words, nor can it be inferred from the answer of Elijah; whilst it is impossible to show that there was any such measure of the Spirit in the life and works of Elisha in comparison with the spirit of Elisha, although his request was fulfilled. The request of Elisha is evidently based upon Deu 21:17, where denotes the double portion which the first-born received in (of) the father’s inheritance, as R. Levi b. Gers., Seb. Mnst., Vatabl., Grot., and others have perceived, and as Hengstenberg ( Beitrr. ii. p. 133f.) in our days has once more proved. Elisha, resting his foot upon this law, requested of Elijah as a first-born son the double portion of his spirit for his inheritance. Elisha looked upon himself as the first-born son of Elijah in relation to the other “sons of the prophets,” inasmuch as Elijah by the command of God had called him to be his successor and to carry on his work. The answer of Elijah agrees with this: “Thou hast asked a hard thing,” he said, because the granting of this request was not in his power, but in the power of God. He therefore made its fulfilment dependent upon a condition, which did not rest with himself, but was under the control of God: “if thou shalt see me taken from thee ( , partic. Pual with the dropped, see Ges. 52, Anm. b; Ewald, 169, d.), let it be so to thee; but if not, it will not be so.” From his own personal inclination Elijah did not wish to have Elisha, who was so closely related to him, as an eye-witness of his translation from the earth; but from his persistent refusal to leave him he could already see that he would not be able to send him away. He therefore left the matter to the Lord, and made the guidance of God the sign for Elisha whether the Lord would fulfil his request or not. Moreover, the request itself even on the part of the petitioner presupposes a certain dependence, and for this reason Elisha could not possibly desire that the double measure of Elijah’s spirit should be bestowed upon him. A dying man cannot leave to his heir more than he has himself. And, lastly, even the ministry of Elisha, when compared with that of Elijah, has all the appearance of being subordinate to it. He lives and labours merely as the continuer of the work already begun by Elijah, both outwardly in relation to the worshippers of idols, and inwardly in relation to the disciples of the prophets. Elisha performs the anointing of Jehu and Hazael, with which Elijah was charged, and thereby prepares the way for the realization of that destruction of Ahab’s house which Elijah predicted to the king; and he merely receives and fosters those schools of the prophets which Elijah had already founded. And again, it is not Elisha but Elijah who appears as the Coryphaeus of prophecy along with Moses, the representative of the law, upon the mount of transfiguration (Mat 17:3). – It is only a thoroughly external mode of observation that can discover in the fact that Elisha performed a greater number of miracles than Elijah, a proof that the spirit of Elijah rested doubly upon him.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: 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. 11 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. 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
Here, I. Elijah makes his will, and leaves Elisha his heir, now anointing him to be prophet in his room, more than when he cast his mantle upon him, 1 Kings xix. 19.
1. Elijah, being greatly pleased with the constancy of Elisha’s affection and attendance, bade him ask what he should do for him, what blessing he should leave him at parting; he does not say (as bishop Hall observes), “Ask of me when I am gone, in heaven I shall be better able to befriend thee,” but, “Ask before I go.” Our friends on earth may be spoken to, and can give us an answer, but we know not that we can have access to any friend in heaven but Christ, and God in him. Abraham is ignorant of us.
2. Elisha, having this fair opportunity to enrich himself with the best riches, prays for a double portion of his spirit. He asks not for wealth, nor honour, nor exemption from trouble, but to be qualified for the service of God and his generation, he asks, (1.) For the Spirit, not that the gifts and graces of the Spirit were in Elijah’s power to give, therefore he says not, “Give me the Spirit” (he knew very well it was God’s gift), but “Let it be upon me, intercede with God for this for me.” Christ bade his disciples ask what they would, not one, but all, and promised to send the Spirit, with much more authority and assurance than Elijah could. (2.) For his spirit, because he was to be a prophet in his room, to carry on his work, to father the sons of the prophets and face their enemies, because he had the same perverse generation to deal with that he had, so that, if he have not his spirit, he has not strength according to the day. (3.) For a double portion of his spirit; he does not mean double to what Elijah had, but double to what the rest of the prophets had, from whom so much would not be expected as from Elisha, who had been brought up under Elijah. It is a holy ambition to covet earnestly the best gifts, and those which will render us most serviceable to God and our brethren. Note, We all ought, both ministers and people, to set before us the example of our predecessors, to labour after their spirit, and to be earnest with God for that grace which carried them through their work and enabled them to finish well.
3. Elijah promised him that which he asked, but under two provisos, v. 10. (1.) Provided he put a due value upon it and esteem it highly: this he teaches him to do by calling it a hard thing, not too hard for God to do, but too great for him to expect. Those are best prepared for spiritual blessings that are most sensible of their worth and their own unworthiness to receive them. (2.) Provided he kept close to his master, even to the last, and was observant of him: If thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so, otherwise not. A diligent attendance upon his master’s instructions, and a careful observance of his example, particularly now in his last scene, were the condition and would be a proper means of obtaining much of his spirit. Taking strict notice of the manner of his ascension would likewise be of great use to him. The comforts of departing saints, and their experiences, will mightily help both to gild our comforts and to steel our resolutions. Or, perhaps, this was intended only as a sign: “If God favour thee so far as to give thee a sight of me when I ascend, take that for a token that he will do this for thee, and depend upon it.” Christ’s disciples saw him ascend, and were thereupon assured that they should, in a little time, be filled with his Spirit, Acts i. 8. Elisha, we may suppose, hereupon prayed earnestly, Lord, show me this token for good.
II. Elijah is carried up to heaven in a fiery chariot, v. 11. Like Enoch, he was translated, that he should not see death; and was (as Mr. Cowley expresses it) the second man that leaped the ditch where all the rest of mankind fell, and went not downward to the sky. Many curious questions might be asked about this matter, which could not be answered. Let it suffice that we are here told,
1. What his Lord, when he came, found him doing. He was talking with Elisha, instructing and encouraging him, directing him in his work, and quickening him to it, for the good of those whom he left behind. He was not meditating nor praying, as one wholly taken up with the world he was going to, but engaged in edifying discourse, as one concerned about the kingdom of God among men. We mistake if we think our preparation for heaven is carried on only by contemplation and the acts of devotion. Usefulness to others will pass as well in our account as any thing. Thinking of divine things is good, but talking of them (if it come from the heart) is better, because for edification, 1 Cor. xiv. 4. Christ ascended as he was blessing his disciples.
2. What convoy his Lord sent for him–a chariot of fire and horses of fire, which appeared either descending upon them from the clouds or (as bishop Patrick thinks) running towards them upon the ground: in this form the angels appeared. The souls of all the faithful are carried by an invisible guard of angels into the bosom of Abraham; but, Elijah being to carry his body with him, this heavenly guard was visible, not in a human shape, as usual, though they might so have borne him up in their arms, or carried him as on eagles’ wings, but that would have been to carry him like a child, like a lamp (Isa 40:11; Isa 40:31); they appear in the form of a chariot and horses, that he may ride in state, may ride in triumph, like a prince, like a conqueror, yea, more than a conqueror. The angels are called in scripture cherubim and seraphim, and their appearance here, though it may seem below their dignity, answers to both those names; for (1.) Seraphim signifies fiery, and God is said to make them a flame of fire, Ps. civ. 4. (2.) Cherubim (as many think) signifies chariots, and they are called the chariots of God (Ps. lxviii. 17), and he is said to ride upon a cherub (Ps. xviii. 10), to which perhaps there is an allusion in Ezekiel’s vision of four living creatures, and wheels, like horses and chariots; in Zechariah’s vision, they are so represented, Zec 1:8; Zec 6:1; Rev 6:2, c. See the readiness of the angels to do the will go God, even in the meanest services, for the good of those that shall be heirs of salvation. Elijah must remove to the world of angels, and therefore, to show how desirous they were of his company, some of them would come to fetch him. The chariot and horses appeared like fire, not for burning, but brightness, not to torture or consume him, but to render his ascension conspicuous and illustrious in the eyes of those that stood afar off to view it. Elijah had burned with holy zeal for God and his honour, and now with a heavenly fire he was refined and translated.
3. How he was separated from Elisha. This chariot parted them both asunder. Note, The dearest friends must part. Elisha had protested he would not leave him, yet now is left behind by him.
4. Whither he was carried. He went up by a whirlwind into heaven. The fire tends upward the whirlwind helped to carry him through the atmosphere, out of the reach of the magnetic virtue of this earth, and then how swiftly he ascended through the pure ether to the world of holy and blessed spirits we cannot conceive.
| “But where he stopped will ne’er be known, ‘Till Phenix-nature, aged grown, To a better being shall aspire, Mounting herself, like him, to eternity in fire.” |
| COWLEY. |
Elijah had once, in a passion, wished he might die; yet God was so gracious to him as not only not to take him at his word then, but to honour him with this singular privilege, that he should never see death; and by this instance, and that of Enoch, (1.) God showed how men should have left the world if they had not sinned, not by death, but by a translation. (2.) He gave a glimpse of that life and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel, of the glory reserved for the bodies of the saints, and the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers, as then to Elijah. It was also a figure of Christ’s ascension.
III. Elisha pathetically laments the loss of that great prophet, but attends him with an encomium, v. 12. 1. He saw it; thus he received the sign by which he was assured of the grant of his request for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. He looked stedfastly towards heaven, whence he was to expect that gift, as the disciples did, Acts i. 10. He saw it awhile, but the vision was presently out of his sight; and he saw him no more. 2. He rent his own clothes, in token of the sense he had of his own and the public loss. Though Elijah had gone triumphantly to heaven, yet this world could ill spare him, and therefore his removal ought to be much regretted by the survivors. Surely their hearts are hard whose eyes are dry when God, by taking away faithful useful men, calls for weeping and mourning. Though Elijah’s departure made way for Elisha’s eminency, especially since he was now sure of a double portion of his spirit, yet he lamented the loss of him, for he loved him, and could have served him for ever. 3. He gave him a very honourable character, as the reason why he thus lamented the loss of him. (1.) He himself had lost the guide of his youth: My father, my father. He saw his own condition like that of a fatherless child thrown upon the world, and lamented it accordingly. Christ, when he left his disciples, did not leave them orphans (John xiv. 15), but Elijah must. (2.) The public had lost its best guard; he was the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. He would have brought them all to heaven, as in this chariot, if it had not been their own fault; they used not chariots and horses in their wars, but Elijah was to them, by his counsels, reproofs, and prayers, better than the strongest force of chariot and horse, and kept off the judgments of God. His departure was like the routing of an army, an irreparable loss. “Better have lost all our men of war than this man of God.”
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
(9) I pray thee, let . . .Literally, And (i.e., well, then) let there fall, I pray thee, a portion of two in thy spirit, unto me.
A double portion.The expression used in Deu. 21:7 of the share of the firstborn son, who by the Mosaic law inherited two parts of his fathers property.
Elisha asks to be treated as the firstborn among the sons of the prophets, and so to receive twice as great a share of the spirit and power of his master as any of the rest. Let me be the firstborn among thy spiritual sons; Make me thy true spiritual heir; not Give me twice as great a share of the spirit of prophecy as thou possessest thyself, as many have wrongly interpreted. The phrase, a mouth of two, seems to be a metaphor derived from the custom of serving honoured guests with double, and even greater, messes (Gen. 43:34).
Ask what I shall do for thee . . . from thee.As a dying father, Elijah might wish to bless his spiritual son ere his departure (Gen. 27:4). (Comp. 2Ki. 2:12 infra, My father, my father.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Ask what I shall do for thee One last request Elisha is permitted to make, and at a moment when his emotions might have made it a difficult thing for him to present an appropriate request.
Before I be taken away The departing Elijah consciously carries with him into heaven the sympathies and memories of earth. After his departure he will be no less Elijah than before, and he will remember and think of Elisha no less than Elisha will of him; but there will be no more personal communion between them; and so what Elisha has to ask must be asked before Elijah departs, for there may be no requests made of the saints after they are gone from earth.
A double portion of thy spirit This is the sense of the Hebrew, which literally reads, A mouth of two in thy spirit; that is, a mouthful for two persons, a twofold portion. It has an allusion to the law of Deu 21:17, which provides that a double portion of an inheritance shall be given to the firstborn son; that is, a portion double that given to any other heir. Elisha, as the first and chief spiritual son of Elijah, wisely asks, not that he may become greater than his spiritual father, but that an unusually large endowment of the same spirit that dwelt in Elijah may also rest on him, and thus qualify him to be at least a somewhat worthy successor of Elijah. He wished that he might have more of Elijah’s spirit than any other of the sons of the prophets, and thus be honoured as the first one among them.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 2:9. Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me Elisha speaks to Elijah as a son to his father, from whom he requests that he would esteem him as a first-born son, to whom a double portion of goods was assigned. Nor does he ask a double quantity of that spirit which Elijah had, but only so much of that spirit, as a father leaves of his inheritance to his first-born son. This is the meaning of the expression, pi shenayim, which is usually applied in the dividing of an inheritance. So Houbigant. Some, however, think, that as Elijah had no other successor, upon whom he was to bestow any prophetic gift, but Elisha, there can be no objection to our understanding the expression in the simple sense of a double portion of the prophetic spirit; since it is evident that he did many more miracles than Elijah, and even after his death exerted a divine power, in raising the dead man, ch. 2Ki 13:21. Had he desired this double portion, indeed, out of a principle of vain-glory, there might then be something said against his request; but since he did it with a pure intent to become thereby more serviceable in his generation, we cannot perceive why he was to blame in requesting what our blessed Saviour granted to his apostles; viz. the power of working greater miracles than he himself performed. See Calmet and Le Clerc, and 2Ki 2:15.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 357
ELIJAHS TRANSLATION TO HEAVEN
2Ki 2:9-12. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: 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. 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. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
RELIGION, however despised by men, has invariably been honoured by God. He has said, Them that honour me, I will honour: and he has fulfilled his word to all his servants in all ages. The tokens of his love and the communications of his grace have in different measures been vouchsafed unto them; and for the most part some visible manifestations of his favour have been given them, in proportion as they have visibly displayed their regard for him. On some occasions the honour conferred upon his servants has been exceeding great. Noah, Abraham, and many others, have been so distinguished by him, as to be set, as it were, above all the rest of the human race that existed in their day: and in two instances, the one before the deluge, and the other since, he has condescended to exempt from death frail mortals like ourselves; and to exalt them in their embodied state to the celestial Paradise. Of Enoch we have spoken in another place: we are now to speak of the other instance, the Prophet Elijah
We propose to consider,
I.
The translation of Elijah
In order to get a just view of this subject, we must notice,
1.
How he was occupied
[This eminent servant of Jehovah was indefatigable in his Masters work: nor, when informed of Gods gracious purpose respecting him, did he relax it, but rather abounded in it more and more.
He laboured for the public good. There were schools of the prophets, which he had established for the preservation of true religion (amidst the general defection to idolatry) in the land of Israel. These he visited at Gilgal, at Beth-el, and at Jericho, to strengthen and encourage all the students previous to his final departure from them How blessed, how suitable an employment! Thus did Paul go about confirming the churches, and exert himself with all fidelity for the good of the Ephesian church, when he knew that they were about to see his face no more [Note: Act 20:17-38.]. Thus did Peter also, when he knew that his departure was at hand [Note: 2Pe 1:12-15.]: and thus did our blessed Lord himself just previous to his crucifixion. What encouraging discourses were those which he delivered to his disciples [Note: John 14; John 15; John 16.]: and how wonderfully sublime his parting prayer [Note: John 17.]! Thus too should every servant of God exert himself as long as his Divine Master shall see fit to continue him on earth. To train up others for the same glorious service is the most acceptable office he can perform for God, and the most profitable work he can execute for man.
Nor was the prophet inattentive to the welfare of his private friends. What shall I do for thee before I go? was the question which he put to his servant Elisha. He knew that after his departure he could benefit his friends no longer; and therefore he would improve the present moment to the utmost of his power. How worthy of his high character was such conduct as this! How carefully should every minister, yea and every private Christian, put to himself this question, What more can I do, for my country? for my friends? for my very enemies? What can I do as a parent, for my children? as a master, for my family? as a friend, for my most endeared companions? as a minister, for the people committed to my charge? Is there no one who particularly needs from me a word of reproof, of consolation, of encouragement?
The Lord grant that at whatever hour we shall be called hence, we may be found thus labouring in the way most suited to our respective spheres, and our several capacities!]
2.
How he was removed
[A fiery chariot and horses of fire, that is, angels under that appearance, were sent to convey him to heaven, without his ever tasting the bitterness of death. What a blessed change did he then experience! But such is indeed the change which every saint experiences at his departure hence. The body, it is true, must die, and be consigned to the grave; but the soul shall be carried by angels into Abrahams bosom: and the body itself, after returning to its native dust, shall at the last day be re-united to the soul, and enjoy all that Elijah now enjoys, in the presence of its God This was by the exaltation of Elijah assured to men: for the honour conferred on him was not that he alone should have a glorified body, but that he should possess it now, whilst others must wait for it till the resurrection of the just.]
We cannot wonder that the removal of such a man should call forth,
II.
The lamentation of Elisha
So deep and unfeigned was his grief, that he rent his clothes as the accustomed expression of it. He lamented the departure of Elijah,
1.
As a private loss
[My father, my father! cried this afflicted saint. He regarded the departed prophet with all the reverence and affection due to a beloved parent. Indeed the prophet was his spiritual father; for it was by him that Elisha was first called to the service of his God: and to such there is an affection due, as much as to a natural parent: for to our natural parent we owe the existence of our bodies only; but to our spiritual parent, the salvation of our souls [Note: Philem. ver. 19]. And how great is the loss of one who has opened our eyes to eternal things, and by his watchful care and salutary advice has led us forward toward the possession of everlasting bliss!
It might have seemed indeed, that, as Elisha expected to receive the benefit he had asked, he needed not to have laid so much to heart the loss he had sustained: but no considerations of personal benefit ought to divest us of the finer feelings of our nature. The benefit, it is true, was exceeding great: he had asked for a double portion of Elijahs spirit; that is, (regarding Elijah as his father,) he desired to have the portion of his eldest son, which was double that of the younger children [Note: Deu 21:17 with Num 11:17; Num 11:25. As for his asking for twice as much as Elijah himself possessed, and actually doing by virtue of it twice as much good as Elijah did, it is all fanciful and absurd.]: but still he had been ungrateful in the extreme, if he had not bewailed the loss of so faithful a master, and so dear a friend.] .
2.
As a public loss
[Horses and chariots composed the chief strength of armies in that day: hence Elisha, judging that now the best friend and most efficient protector of his country was gone, exclaims, The chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof! And true indeed it is, that the faithful servants of God do deserve the character here given them. Look at Moses, and see how often he preserved the whole nation of Israel from ruin. Had there been ten pious men found in Sodom, all the cities of the plain should have been spared for their sake. Little do the world imagine how much they are indebted to the very men whom they revile and persecute: but God has declared that even one single individual who humbly intercedes for his country, may be the means of preserving it from utter destruction [Note: Jer 5:1; Eze 22:30.]. Well then may such persons be honoured while they live, and deeply deplored when removed to a better world.]
Address,
1.
Those who are more advanced in life
[The time is shortly coming when you must be taken into the presence of your God. Should you not then inquire, Whether the good work be yet begun in you; or, if begun, whether it be proceeding towards its perfect accomplishment? Should you not ask, What is there more that I can do for God, my neighbour, or myself? O work while it is day, because the night cometh wherein no man can work. There is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither ye go; and therefore whatever your hand findeth to do, ye should do it with all your might.
To ministers who are drawing near the close of their labours, this subject applies itself with peculiar force. If you see young Elishas coming forward to enter into your labours, be thankful for it; and labour, whilst yet an opportunity is afforded you, to raise up a succession of faithful ministers, who shall continue after your decease to advance the Redeemers interests in the world.]
2.
To those who are entering into life
[Learn of Elisha to appreciate rightly the privileges you enjoy. The world will often endeavour to draw you from Christ and his faithful servants; and will say, Tarry here, I pray thee: but let your answer always be, As the Lord liveth, I will not leave either my God himself, or the ministry of his word: in all places, and under all circumstances, I will cleave unto my Lord with full purpose of heart. If you have the light, then believe in the light, and walk in it, that ye may be the children of the light. Above all, take care that your eye be single, and that spiritual blessings have their due preponderance in your hearts. If God should say to you, as in truth he does, What shall I do for thee [Note: Joh 14:13-14.]? then let your soul be ever ready to reply, Grant that a double portion of thy Spirit be given to me. Yes; let spiritual blessings be the one object of your desires; and covet earnestly the best gifts.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Elijah’s question differs from Elisha’s answer. What shall I do for thee! Whereas what Elisha desired, was not what Elijah could do. He had not the gifts of the spirit at his disposal. The departing prophet therefore seems to have referred it to the Lord, and to leave the decision of it in its being known by a sign. The greatest beauty in this passage, as it strikes me is, to notice wherein the servant Elijah differs from his master Jesus. The prophet Elijah desires to know what he should do for Elisha before he left him, conscious that he could do nothing for him after. But our Jesus, as if to teach his people that his departure was that he might enter more especially upon his glorious office of intercessor, bade them ask whatsoever they needed in his name, and promised it should be done for them. Reader! mark this in the memorandums of your heart, for it is a precious view of the Lord Jesus. Joh 15:16 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Ver. 9. Ask what I shall do for thee before. ] Not after I am gone, but before I go up. We have a communion with the saints departed, not a commerce.
Let a double portion,
“ Sacra docente Pareo,
Vividus Ursini spiritus ora movet. ”
double portion. See note on 2Ki 2:15.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the gifts and operations of the Spirit of God.
Ask what: 2Ki 13:14-19, Num 27:16-23, Deu 34:9, 1Ch 29:18, 1Ch 29:19, Psa 72:1, Psa 72:20, Luk 24:45-51, Joh 17:9-13, Act 1:8, Act 8:17, Act 20:25-36
Elisha said: Num 11:17, Num 11:25, 1Ki 3:9, 2Ch 1:9, 2Ch 1:10, Joh 14:12-14, Joh 16:7, 1Co 12:31
a double portion: This probably refers to the law respecting the first-born, who had a double portion of the property of his father. As Elisha may have considered himself as the first-born of Elijah, so he requested a double portion of his spiritual influence. Num 27:20, Deu 21:17, Zec 9:12, Zec 12:8, 1Ti 5:17
Reciprocal: 1Ki 1:37 – and make 2Ki 4:2 – What shall I Pro 30:7 – have Isa 61:7 – your shame Joh 3:34 – for God
ELIJAHS FAREWELL TO ELISHA
Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2Ki 2:9
I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. Elishas words to his master are a noble expression of the ideal relationship which ought to exist not only between teacher and taught, but between young and old, between the waning and the rising generation. Could there be a finer statement of the true principle of progress?a more excellent motto for the guidance of human affairs? The transmission of spiritual heritage is a concern of our individual lives: the relationship of father to son, of young to old, of those who are passing away to those who are to take their place. A relationship of some kind there must be; and it concerns us all. The next generation will consist of the children of this generation; and these children will largely owe their characters to their parents example and precepts. Elijah might be conscious of his failures, but Elisha could carry on his work.
I. The duty is one of general and universal application.All of us, in our respective stations, are influencing the character of the next generation. There is nothing which more entirely brings its own reward than sympathy with the young. Old age divides men sharply into two strongly contrasted classes. Amongst some we find isolation and querulousness; amongst others, geniality and contentment. Strive so to walk that the last wish of others towards you may be, I pray that a double portion of thy spirit may be upon me.
II. The following practical hints will enable us to use our influence aright in the most intimate relationships of life, especially in connection with the young.
(1) Beware of beginning to treat a young man with a sympathy which you are not prepared to carry beyond a certain point. In dealing with the young, try to recognise all the good that is in them. Do not be intolerant of enthusiasms which once appealed to yourself, and which you reluctantly abandoned. Be willing to think that what you were not strong enough to do another may accomplish. You cannot really influence another, unless you are ready to deal with him as an equal.
(2) Beware of demanding gratitude from the young. It is selfish to expect it; it is useless to demand it. Take it thankfully when it is proffered. The young are always ungrateful on account of their inexperience. They do not know, and so they cannot appreciate, the acts of self-sacrifice of which they have been the objects from their earliest days. Let the sincerity of your own efforts for their good be its own reward; let the motive of your action be the sense of duty that you owe to the future of your race.
(3) Do not aim at making the young mere copies of yourself. Years are rolling on, and opinions are changing. The world is not the same as it was in the old mans youth; its problems are different in many ways; new difficulties require new armour; new dangers, new precautions. Do not try to alter, try rather to direct, the development of a young heart. The pessimism of old age is proverbial: Things are not as they used to be when I was young, says every old man; but he has not thereby proved that they are worse. Let him set himself to understand these differences, and remember that his duty is to increase the good and to combat the evil in the world. Let us see that we are not possessed by an exclusive wish that nothing be done save in our own way, but hope and pray and work that those who come after us may have a double portion of our spirit, and be better and wiser than ourselves.
No subject so much repays our study as the development of the young mind. We see in it the germs of the future, and the sight strengthens us to look more trustfully, more hopefully on the present. Think of the last thanksgiving of Jesus: Of those whom Thou gavest Me have I lost none. How beautiful! And God commits others to our charge. Let us accept the gift for the Givers sake, and try to realise its greatness. Let us set ourselves to illumine by our example the path of those who are to come; to aid them by our precepts; to strengthen them by our love; striving to hand on to sturdier runners in the race of life the torch which we have borne with too unequal steps.
Bishop Creighton.
Illustrations
(1) Elisha, being bidden to ask a boon, craves a double portion of Elijahs spirit (v. 9). He does not ask twice as much power as Elijah had. That would have been a dishonouring request. But he asks that he might be like Elijahs first-born, and get the two parts of the inheritance that fell, by the law of Moses, to the first-born son (Deu 21:17).
(2) Frequently we find a wall of separation between the old and young. The young complain that the old are hard, unsympathetic, unreasonable, interfering, exacting. The old complain that the young are ungrateful, arrogant, disrespectful: too often the father complains that he does not understand his son; the son, that he can find no sympathy from his father. A gulf once formed soon widens, and the natural link between generations is unnaturally severed. Much might be said in either case in excuse of one or the other. The duties of children to parents are perhaps sufficiently emphasised; let us not forget the duties of the old towards the young. The old are masters of the situation; if the young break away from them, the fault must be largely theirs.
2Ki 2:9. Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee Elijah, undoubtedly, had an inward assurance that God would grant him his last request that he should make; but we may observe here, that he expressly confines it to its being made before he was taken away, and gives no manner of hope to his disciple, that his asking any thing of him after he was removed would be of any avail, or that he could then render him any service. I pray, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me Double to what the rest of the sons of the prophets receive at thy request. He alludes to the double portion of the firstborn, Deu 21:17. But though Elisha desired no more, yet God gave him more than he desired or expected; and he seems to have had a greater portion of the gifts of Gods Spirit than even Elijah had.
2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, {g} let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
(g) Let your spirit have double force in me, because of these dangerous times: or let me have twice as much as the rest of the prophets: or if your spirit were to be divided into three parts, let me have two.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes