2 Kings 2:5
in 2 Kings 2Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that Jehovah will take away thy master from thy head to-day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
KJV
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
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This verse in 2 Kings 2
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho,.... For though this place was lately rebuilt under a curse to the builder, yet was blessed with a school of the prophets: whose disciples came to Elisha, and said unto him; as in 2Ki 2:3 and to whom he made the same reply.
This site's exposition
the Lord hath sent me to Jericho
on 2 Kings 2:4-6
The same scene plays twice more, at Jericho and then at Jordan, Elijah sending Elisha away and Elisha swearing the same oath both times: as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. The sons of the prophets at Jericho independently know what Bethel's school already knew, so the coming departure is confirmed by two separate prophetic communities before it happens. By the time the pair reach Jordan every human witness has been offered a door out and every one has been refused, and the last stretch of the road is walked by two men alone.
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
): Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? This they said, not as upbraiding him with his loss, or expecting that when his master was gone he would be upon the level with them, but to show how full they were of the thoughts of this matter and big with expectation of the event, and to admonish Elisha to prepare for the loss.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּגְּשׁ֨וּ | vaiyigeshu | and they drew near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| בְנֵֽי־ | venei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַנְּבִיאִ֥ים | haneviim | the prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בִּֽירִיחוֹ֮ | biricho | [were] at Jericho | H3405 → | 57 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֱלִישָׁע֒ | ʾelisha' | Elisha | H477 → | 58 times |
| וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הֲיָדַ֕עְתָּ | hayada'ta | ¿ do you know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לֹקֵ֥חַ | lokeach | [is] about to take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲדֹנֶ֖יךָ | ʾadoneikha | master<s> your | H113 → | 333 times |
| מֵעַ֣ל | meal | from over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ | roshekha | head your | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וַיֹּ֛אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יָדַ֖עְתִּי | yada'ti | I know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| הֶחֱשֽׁוּ׃ | hecheshu | be silent | H2814 → | 16 times |
וַיִּגְּשׁ֨וּand they drew near
vaiyigeshuH5066 →125 times
בְנֵֽי־[the] sons of
venei-H1121 →4930 times
הַנְּבִיאִ֥יםthe prophets
haneviimH5030 →314 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בִּֽירִיחוֹ֮[were] at Jericho
birichoH3405 →57 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֱלִישָׁע֒Elisha
ʾelisha'H477 →58 times
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הֲיָדַ֕עְתָּ¿ do you know
hayada'taH3045 →945 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
הַיּ֗וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לֹקֵ֥חַ[is] about to take
lokeachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲדֹנֶ֖יךָmaster<s> your
ʾadoneikhaH113 →333 times
מֵעַ֣לfrom over
mealH5921 →5755 times
רֹאשֶׁ֑ךָhead your
roshekhaH7218 →599 times
וַיֹּ֛אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
גַּם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יָדַ֖עְתִּיI know
yada'tiH3045 →945 times
הֶחֱשֽׁוּ׃be silent
hecheshuH2814 →16 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
Habakkuk 2:20But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
it leads to
- Zechariah 2:13
Be silent before the LORD, all people, for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
- Zephaniah 1:7
Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
- Psalms 46:10
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
- Psalms 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
- Isaiah 6:1
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.
- Zechariah 2:13
Through
Ecclesiastes 3:7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
it leads to
Through
Acts 1:2until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.
it leads to
- Acts 1:9
After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
- Acts 1:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
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About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- 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.