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2 Kings 2

YHWH takes Elijah into heaven and establishes Elisha as his successor through signs of authority, healing, and judgment.

Elisha refuses to leave Elijah as they travel from Gilgal through Bethel and Jericho to the Jordan. Prophetic communities know that YHWH is about to take Elijah away. After the two cross the river on dry ground, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah is taken into heaven, and Elisha returns with his mantle. The river parts again, confirming his succession. Healing at Jericho and a severe judgment near Bethel follow.

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1When the LORD was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
5The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
6Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.
7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.
8Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters; and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.
9When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
10He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be so for you; but if not, it will not be so.”
11As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13He also took up Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the waters, they were divided apart, and Elisha went over.
15When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho facing him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
16They said to him, “See now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. Perhaps the LORD’s Spirit has taken him up, and put him on some mountain or into some valley.” He said, “Don’t send them.”
17When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t find him.
19The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is barren.”
20He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” Then they brought it to him.
21He went out to the spring of the waters, and threw salt into it, and said, “The LORD says, ‘I have healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more death or barren wasteland.’”
23He went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldy!”
24He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the LORD’s name. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of those youths.
25He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
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Key verses
2 Kings 2:11The fiery chariot separates the prophets, while the whirlwind carries Elijah into heaven and ends their time together.
2 Kings 2:2Elisha’s refusal to leave Elijah begins a repeated exchange that carries them together toward the final separation.
2 Kings 2:9Elisha’s request places the question of prophetic succession at the center of his last conversation with Elijah.
Where this chapter reaches

The mantle connects Elisha’s succession with his earlier call in 1 Kings, while the dry crossing shares the water-parting sign found in Exodus. Elisha’s request for a double portion echoes the inheritance language of Deuteronomy, where that share belongs to the firstborn son.

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After reading the whole chapter

What do Elisha’s repeated refusal to leave and his torn clothes reveal about this parting?

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How do the healed spring and the bear attack shape your understanding of Elisha’s authority?

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Questions people ask about 2 Kings 2

Did Elijah go to heaven in a chariot of fire?

Verse 11 says the chariot and horses of fire separated Elijah and Elisha. It then says Elijah went into heaven by a whirlwind. The text does not describe Elijah riding in the chariot. Its stated role is to separate the two prophets as YHWH takes Elijah away.

What does Elisha mean by a double portion of Elijah’s spirit?

The phrase echoes the firstborn son’s inheritance share in Deuteronomy and likely expresses Elisha’s desire to inherit Elijah’s prophetic role. The chapter does not define it as twice Elijah’s power or twice his miracles. Elijah calls the request hard, and the later river crossing confirms that his spirit rests on Elisha.

Why did bears attack the youths who mocked Elisha?

The account presents the attack as judgment following mockery of YHWH’s prophet and Elisha’s curse in YHWH’s name. It does not give the youths’ exact ages or explain their motives beyond the taunt. Two bears maul forty-two youths; the text does not state how many died.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).