The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 27

command, "Swear not at all," had not yet the master once more yields. So they oame been given. I will not leave thee. The to lericho, resolve indicates strong attachment, deep Ver. 5.-And the ions of the prophets fidelity, oombiaed, perhaps, with a reason- that were at J'erioho came to Elisha, and able curiosity to see· how the end would be aaii unto him, Xnowest thou that the Lord brought about. Bo they went down to will take away thy master from thy head Bethel. The expression," weut down," shows to-day1 And he answered, Yea, I know it; that the Gilgal of ver. 1 is not that of the hold ye your peace. At Jericho, too, es well Jordan valley, but the mountain-city between as at Bethel, there was a school of the Sichem and Bethel. prophets, though the two places were not Ver. 3.-The sons of the prophets that more than about twenty miles apart. Thie were at Bethel. (On the expression, "sons would seem to imply the existence of e. large of the prophets," see the comment upon number of such seminaries at this period. 1 Kings xx. 35.) The institution of the No doubt, when the secular power was most "schools of the prophets," or theologioe.l strongly opposed to true religion, lhe pro- colleges where young prophets were brought phetical order had to me.ke increased efforts up, is usually assigned to Samuel, one of to raise its numbers and multiply its schools. whose habitual residences for a part of the The prophets of Israel, it mnst be remem- year was Bethel (1 Sam. vii. 16). Probably bered, were, after the withdrawal of the he had established 11 ••school" there which priests and Levites (2 Chron. xi. 13, 14), con1inued to--this time. Came forth to the sole teachers of the people in true Elisha, and said unto him. The student.a religion. did not venture to address the master him- Ver. 6.-And Elijah aaid lllltO him, Ta.rry, self, who was II person of too much dignity I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath aent me to be intruded on; but sought out the ser- to J'ordan. Elijah makes a third effort to vant, to give him II warning of what their detach his follower from him, or a third prophetic instinct e.ssured them was about trial of his fidelity. He is ordered, not to to happen. Xnowest thou that the Lord a town, where hie follower might find will take away thy master from thy head lodging and refreshment and companion- (i.e. from bis position as teacher and master) ship, but into the open country-to the to-day 1 There was, perhaps, something a Jordan. And then, who can say whither? little officious and eelf-e.ssertive in this Will it not be best for Elisha to leave him question. They might have felt sure, if now, and not continue a wandering which they had been properly modest, that Elisha three.tens to he end.Iese? But the follower would have at lee.et e.s much prophetio in- is staunch; nothing daunts him; and he stinct and foresight as themselves. Hence makes the same reply e.s before. And he he answers them with something of rebuke: said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul And he said, Yea, I know it-literally, I too liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two know it-hold ye your peaoe; or, "Hush-do went on. not chatter about what is so sacred; do not Ver. 7.-And fifty men of the sons of tba suppose thnt you are wiser than any one prophets went, and stood to view. It is e. else; be a little modest and a little reticent." harsh jndgment to blame the "sons of the Ver. 4.-And Elijah said unto him, Tarry prophets" for an idle and shallow curiosity here, I pre.y thee. '£he first trie.l of Elisha's in merely "standing" at a distance "to fidelity is followed by a second. The view" the wonderful event, which Elisha master suggests his tarrying at Bethel, the was determined to witness as closely, and sacred centre, where he will have the oom- associate himself with ae intimately, as p1my of the " sons of the prophets," and will possible. For the sons of the prophets to not be companiol)less, as perhaps he would ho.ve approached nearer, and bung on the ho.ve been e.t Gilgal. He himself is ordered skirts of Elijah, would have been an imper- to take a seoond journey, longer and rougher tinence. Elisha's persistence is only justi- lhan the first. For the Lord bath sent me fied by his strong affection, and the special to J'erioho. Will it not be better that Elisha office which he held, of attendant minister. shall spa.re himself the long and rugged The fifty students showed a courteous seuso descent from the high-hmd of Ephraim to of what was due to tho prophet's desire of the deep gulley of Jordan, and remain with seolueion by not pressing ou bis footsteps, the friends who have sought him out, while and at the snme time a real interest in him, his master accomplishes the reruainder of and a reasonable curiosity, by quitting their his journey alone? And he so.id, As the college and "standing to view" on some Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will eminence which commanded a prospect of not leave thee. Absolute unchangeableness the lower Jordan valley. There were runny of resolution is best shown by absolute un- such eminences within a short distance of che.ngiugnesa of speech. Elisha, therefore, Jericho. And they two stood by Jordan. Al aim ply repeats hie previous words. And length all other human companionship waa 20 THE SECOND BOOK OF TUE KINGS. [ou. n.1-26. --------------------------------- shaken off-" they two" stood, side by side, chamctcr should be done by the hands of hi ■ on the banks of the sa.ored stream, which servants Elijah o.nd Elisha, that a halo of hod played so important a part, and was mystic glory should encirole them, for the still to piny so far more important a part, hi better sustentation of his own cause against the theocratic history. All the world, ex- his adversaries, for the eultn.tion n.nd glori- cept their two selves, was remote-was bo- fication of his faithful ones, and for the yond their ken; the master and the servan I, oonfusion 1md dismay of those who were the prophet of the past and the prophet opposed to them. Now, surely, if ever, was of the coming generation, were together, thru-o n dignus vindics nodus, justifying e. with none to disturb them, or interfere be- miraculous interposition. tween them, or separate them. Jordan rolled Ver. 9.-And it oame to pass, when they its wn ters before their eyes, a seeming barrier were gone over, that Elijah so.id unto Elisha, to furtl,er advance; and Elisha may n"tn- Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be rally ha 1·e looked to see the final scene taken away from thee. Elijah knows tho.t transncted in that " plain below n plain," the time is growing now very short. He the Jordan bed, sunk benenth the general will soon have left the earth. A yearning level of the Ghor, green with lush grass comes over him, before he goes, to leave his and aq 11atic plants, and with beds of reeds faithful follower, his trust,y, persevering nnd osiers, but squalid with long stretches adherent, some parting gift, some token of of mud and masses of decaying vegetation, his appreciation, some sign of his love. brought down from the upper river, and with What does his "minister" desire? Let him rotting trunks of trees torn from the banks ask what he will, and his mo.ster will, if it higher np. But the end was not yet. Jor- be possible, grant it. And Elisha said, I dan was to be crossed, and the ascension to pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit take place from the plain whence Moses, be upon me. Elisha's request has been when about to qnit earth, had made his variously explained. The older commenta- a.scent to Pisgah. tors regarded him as having asked for twice Ver. 8.-A.nd Elijah took his mantle (the as much spiritual aud prophetical power e.s LXX. have TOP µ.7171.wr/iv); the sheep-skin Elijah had possessed; and this interpreta- cape or capote, which covered his shonJders. tion is certainly favoured by the reply of And wrapped it together; rather, and rolled Elijah, as recorded m the next verse. But it up (,r>.110-,, LXX.); so that it resembled it is objected (1) that Elisha's modesty in some degree a rod or staff. And [ with would prevent him from o.sking so much; this heJ smote the waters; consciously imi- e.nd (2) that double the spirit and power tating the act of Moses when he "stretched of Elijah certainly did not rest upon him. out his hand over the Red See." (Exod. xiv. This latter fact is quite undeniable. As 21 ), and divided its waters a.sunder. And Keil says, "It is only a quite external aud they were divided hither and thither, so that superficial view of the career of lllisha that they two went over on dry ground. The can see in it a proof that double the spirit parallelism with the mi, e.culons acts of of Elijah rested upon him" (' Commentary Moses and Joshua(Josh. iii. 13) is obvious, on Kings,' ad loc.). To one who looks be- and allowed eTen by those who view the acts neath the surface, and regards something themselves as having no historical founda- besides length of life and number of miracles, tion (Ewald, 'Hi.story of Iarael,' vol. iv. Elioha is a very faint and feeble replico. of p. Ill, note, Eng. traDB.). It was intended Elijah. Ewald's judgment is here correct: that Israel should regard Elijah and Elisha. "Elisha is great only so for as he con- as a second Moses and Joshua, an,! should tinues and carries out with more force tho.n therefore Jield them a ready obedience. If any other man of his time the work wl!ioh miracles are impossible, cadit qUlllgtfo; exe- Elijah had begun witll new and wonderful gesis of Scripture, and even reading of power . . . he did not possess any such ocripture, may as well Le put aside. But if intensity of in ward power os his master" they arc possible, and have a place in the (' Hiiltory of Isrnel,' vol. iv. p. 82, Eng. Divine economy,herewas a worthyoccasion trans.). Accordingly, Ewald, rejecting th11 for them. The powers of the world were old explanation, suggests one of his owu- arrayed agaiDBt the cause of true religion that Elisha asked for "two-thirds of Elijnh's nnd so against God; the cause was about to spirit" (ibid., p. 81); but this would be e. lose its great champion and assertor, Elijah; very strange and unusual request, even if a weaker successor was about to take his the Hebrew could be mode to mean it. Who place ;-without some manifest display of ever asks for two-thirds of a thing? The supematura.l might the ea.use of religion third explanotion, to which most modem would evidently have lost ground, perhaps commentators incline (Keil, Theni us, Patriok, have been ruined altogether. It pleased Clarke, Pool, Bottcher), is that Elishu. God, therefore, j net at this time, to grant merely requested that he might receive the.t signs an<! wonders of an extre.ordine.ry twice as much of Elijo.h's spirit 11,s eho~ld OH. II, l-'.l8.J THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS, 21