2 Kings 2:4
in 2 Kings 2And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for Jehovah hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
KJV
And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
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This verse in 2 Kings 2
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee,.... At Bethel: for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho; to the school of the prophets there, to strengthen, encourage, and advise them: and he said, as the lord liveth, &c; using the same form of oath as before: so they came to Jericho; together, which, as the above writer says (i), was four miles from Bethel. (i) Travels, &c. p. 205.
This site's exposition
the LORD has sent me on to Jericho
on 2 Kings 2:4-6
The scene plays twice more, at Jericho and at the Jordan, with Elisha swearing the same oath, “I will not leave you”. The sons of the prophets at Jericho know what those at Bethel knew, so two companies of prophets confirm the departure before it happens.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Elijah, who now lived with Elisha, whom he had also consecrated as prophet according to a divine oracle, as has been said already, was with him every day, inseparably sharing with him the same way of life. When he was about to ascend into the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Note, Those that are going to heaven themselves ought to be concerned for those they leave behind them on earth, and to leave with them their experiences, testimonies, counsels, and prayers, 2 Pet. i. When Christ said, with triumph, Now I am no more in the world, he added, with tenderness, But these are.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The revelation of this striking event to so many was a necessary part of the dispensation; for it was designed to be under the law, like that of Enoch in the patriarchal age, a visible proof of another state, and a type of the resurrection of Christ.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֨וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ | ʾeliyahu | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| אֱלִישָׁ֣ע׀ | ʾelisha' | O Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| שֵֽׁב־ | shev- | remain | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| נָ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| פֹ֗ה | foh | here | H6311 → | 82 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| שְׁלָחַ֣נִי | shelachani | he has sent me | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יְרִיח֔וֹ | yericho | Jericho | H3405 → | 57 times |
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | of Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְחֵֽי־ | vechei- | and [by] [the] life of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| נַפְשְׁךָ֖ | nafshekha | self your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶעֶזְבֶ֑ךָּ | ʾeezveka | I will leave you | H5800 → | 215 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ | vaiyavou | and they went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְרִיחֽוֹ׃ | yericho | Jericho | H3405 → | 57 times |
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֨וֹto him
lo
אֵלִיָּ֜הוּElijah
ʾeliyahuH452 →71 times
אֱלִישָׁ֣ע׀O Elisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 times
שֵֽׁב־remain
shev-H3427 →1079 times
נָ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
פֹ֗הhere
fohH6311 →82 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
שְׁלָחַ֣נִיhe has sent me
shelachaniH7971 →845 times
יְרִיח֔וֹJericho
yerichoH3405 →57 times
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָ֥הof Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְחֵֽי־and [by] [the] life of
vechei-H2416 →498 times
נַפְשְׁךָ֖self your
nafshekhaH5315 →754 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אֶעֶזְבֶ֑ךָּI will leave you
ʾeezvekaH5800 →215 times
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּand they went
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
יְרִיחֽוֹ׃Jericho
yerichoH3405 →57 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 6:26At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations;…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 16:34
In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 19:13
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
- 1 Kings 16:34
Through
1 Kings 16:34In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to…
it leads to
- Joshua 6:26
At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations;…
- Joshua 6:26
Through
Luke 19:1Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
it leads to
- Joshua 6:1–27
Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
- Luke 18:35
As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.
- Joshua 6:1–27
Through
2 Kings 2:2and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 2:6
And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will…
- 2 Kings 4:30
And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
- 2 Kings 2:6
Through
2 Kings 4:30And the mother of the boy said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 2:2
and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not…
- 2 Kings 2:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Kings
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomElijahThe Tishbite who shut heaven for three years and a half, called down fire on Carmel, heard the still small voice at Horeb, and wen…
- PersonDivided kingdomElishaElijah's successor with the firstborn's double portion; the prophet of the healed spring, the widow's oil, the Shunammite's son, N…
- PlaceJordan valleyJerichoThe city of palms whose walls fell flat at the seventh trumpet-circuit; Rahab's city, later rebuilt under a curse, and the road do…
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS 2:2-5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.