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2 Kings 2:16

14 Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.

15 When the sons of the prophets who were facing him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.

17 But when they pressed him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

18 When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.
KJV
And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
WEB
They 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.”
ASV
And they said unto him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
DARBY
and said to him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty valiant men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest perhaps the Spirit of Jehovah have taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some ravine. And he said, Ye shall not send.
BLB
And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty men, sons of valor. Let them go, please, and search for your master, lest the Spirit of YHWH has taken him up and cast him upon one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys.” And he said, “You⁺ shall not send anyone.”
ÅB
Og de sa til ham: Der er her hos dine tjenere femti sterke menn; la dem gå avsted og lete etter din herre! Kanskje Herrens Ånd har tatt ham og kastet ham på et eller annet fjell eller i en eller annen dal. Han svarte: Dere skal ikke sende noen avsted.
OTB
De sa til ham, «Se, vi dine tjenere har femti sterke menn. La dem gå og lete etter din mester. Kanskje Herrens Ånd har løftet ham opp og satt ham ned på et fjell eller i en dal.» Men Elisja svarte, «Ikke send dem.»
B1930
Og de sa til ham: Der er her hos dine tjenere femti sterke menn; la dem gå avsted og lete efter din herre! Kanskje Herrens Ånd har tatt ham og kastet ham på et eller annet fjell eller i en eller annen dal. Han svarte: I skal ikke sende nogen avsted.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Kings 18:12

    I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.

    Read in context

  • Acts 8:39

    When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

    Read in context

  • Ezekiel 11:24

    And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me,

    Read in context

  • Ezekiel 3:14

    So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.

    Read in context

  • 2 Corinthians 12:2–3

    I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows.

    Read in context

  • Ezekiel 40:2

    In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.

    Read in context

  • Ezekiel 8:3

    He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.

    Read in context