Elijah goes up by a whirlwind into heaven, and Elisha takes up the mantle that fell from him and parts the Jordan; the waters of Jericho are healed with salt in a new cruse; the mockers of Beth-el meet the two bears.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And it came to pass, when Hashem would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
verse value 2451
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 53 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·it·was" (וַיְהִ֗י, 4 letters) and the longest is "Elijah" (אֶת־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "when·taking·up" (בְּהַעֲל֤וֹת), "Elijah" (אֶת־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ), "from·Gilgal" (מִן־הַגִּלְגָּֽל). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 119x in II Kings); "and·went" (root הלך, 98x in II Kings). First appearance of the root סער ("in·the·storm") in II Kings. First appearance of the root אלישע ("and·Elisha") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heaven', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֗י [and·it·was] (31) + בְּהַעֲל֤וֹת [when·taking·up] (513) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ [Elijah] (453) + בַּֽסְעָרָ֖ה [in·the·storm] (337) + הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם [heaven] (395) + וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + אֵלִיָּ֛הוּ [Elijah] (52) + וֶאֱלִישָׁ֖ע [and·Elisha] (417) + מִן־הַגִּלְגָּֽל [from·Gilgal] (161) = 2451.
Rashi
In a tempest. In the wind of a tempest:
Radak
"In a whirlwind." With a reduced kamatz (kamatz katan/chatuf, pronounced short) under the samekh, it says "ba-se'arah," and it does not say so below, but rather, "a chariot of fire and horses of fire." A wind of a whirlwind was with them, as it is said, "And Elijah went up in a whirlwind." Rather, what appeared to Elisha, it says, was "a chariot of fire and horses of fire," but the wind itself is not visible. And the wind of the whirlwind lifted him from the earth into the air; just as it lifts light things, so it lifted him, by the will of God, upon the sphere of fire. There his garments were burned, except for the mantle, and his flesh and bone were consumed. And the spirit returned to God who had given it. And the reason that a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared to Elisha was to inform him that, when he ascended, Israel's chariot and horsemen ascended from it, as Elisha said, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen." And the view of the multitude, and also of our Sages, is that God brought him into the Garden of Eden with his body, just as Adam, the first man, was before he sinned, and likewise He brought Enoch there. And in the midrash: there are ten who entered the Garden of Eden alive.
"And Elijah went." It was said to Elijah through the spirit of prophecy that on that day he would be taken up, but he did not reveal this matter to Elisha. However, it was also said to Elisha through the spirit of prophecy, for he said, "I also know; be silent." As for the other prophets, it was certainly said to them as well. And regarding the fact that they were going beyond the Jordan, it appears that this was told to Elijah in prophecy that he would be taken up beyond the Jordan. Perhaps his taking up was in the place where Moses our Teacher was gathered, in honor of him, for his stature was close to the stature of Moses our Teacher. And so the Divine Presence showed itself to him on Mount Horeb, just as it had shown itself to Moses our Teacher, and he fasted forty days and forty nights, just as Moses our Teacher fasted.
Ralbag
"When the Lord caused Elijah to ascend to heaven in a whirlwind." It cannot be understood that the heavens themselves lifted him up, for these physical bodies do not ascend there. Rather, the intent is that he was raised to the high atmosphere, as it is said, "Great cities, fortified, to the heavens" and "a tower whose top reaches to heaven." And behold, the spirit of the LORD carried him, on a mission from the LORD, to a place not yet known, and he is alive there, as we have explained.
Metzudat David
"When [the Lord] brought up [Elijah]." At the time that the appointed moment arrived when the Lord caused Elijah to ascend by means of a whirlwind to heaven, Elijah then went with Elisha from Gilgal.
And Elijah said to Elisha: ‘Tarry here, I pray you; for Hashem has sent me as far as Beth-el.’ And Elisha said: ‘As Hashem lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Beth-el.—
verse value 4156
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 81 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "here" (פֹ֗ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Elisha" (אֶל־אֱלִישָׁ֜ע, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "until·Beth-el" (עַד־בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "to·Elisha" (root איל, 153x in II Kings). First appearance of the root שבנא ("stay·now") in II Kings. First appearance of the root פה ("here") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'if·I·leave·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 2 words.
Rashi
Stay here, please. He desired to delay him on account of humility, that he not see when he is taken:
Radak
"As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives." Regarding the phrase "and as your soul lives," which was said after "as the LORD lives," he said this only to magnify [the oath], for the first oath was already great; rather, he swore by his own soul to demonstrate that his soul was great in his own eyes, and he placed "as the LORD lives" first out of respect.
Ralbag
“Stay here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” It is fitting that you know that Elijah did not do this with the intention of withholding from Elisha the portion of the spirit that rested upon him, for the Lord had commanded him to anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, as a prophet in his place. Rather, he said this to him so that Elisha would not be frightened by Elijah’s departure from him, if he were to see him taken up in a whirlwind to heaven.
Metzudat David
"Sit here, please." Out of his great humility, he wished to send him away, so that he [Elisha] would not see him [Elijah] being taken up to heaven.
Malbim
(2-19) The Questions: Why did Elijah strive that Elisha remain in Bethel or in Jericho, and not be found with him at the time of his taking up? And did he not know that he would be rewarded for his taking up? And why did he wish to withhold good from him? From where did all the sons of the prophets know that Elijah would be taken up on that day? And if a prophecy came to them regarding this from the Lord, besides the wonder of why He informed them of this, it is a wonder how they doubted whether Elisha knew of this. By what manner did the Spirit of the Lord depart from him to speak those words? And why did Elisha answer them, "I also know; keep silent"? What is the meaning of "keep silent"? Why should they keep silent? And was not the secret revealed to all, and no man was absent? Why did Elijah go to Bethel and to Jericho on that day? And it implies that he did not enter within the city of Bethel, as it is written, "The Lord sent me to Bethel," and it is written, "And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel went out"? And why? How did Elisha request from Elijah that he give him a double portion of what is in his power, and this is an impossible thing? And what was the answer, "If you see me taken up from you"? Was he not with him, and surely he would see him at the time that he would be taken up? And to what did the fire and the storm that separated between the two of them allude? And what did his mantle that fell indicate? Why did it fall? And why did he say, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah, even He?" The phrase "even He" has no meaning at all. And why did the sons of the prophets go to seek him, and they knew beforehand that he would be taken from them, and how did they now doubt the matter?
He said that the way of the perfect [i.e., of those who are spiritually whole] and their desire is to bestow from their perfection upon others in the most complete manner. Now, while Elisha was with Elijah, the sons of the prophets, who were the students, could not receive from Elijah except through Elisha, for the way of the divine light is to refract through the greater luminaries onto the smaller ones, and wherever a greater light is found, the light refracts upon it, until it becomes a conduit and medium to pour through it onto the smaller stars, just as the earth receives the light of the sun at night through the moon. And Elijah desired that not only Elisha alone should remain as the recipient of the light and spirit of Elijah, but all the sons of the prophets, as his teacher said, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put His spirit upon them." For while Moses was alive, it was not possible for the prophets to receive the prophetic abundance from the Lord except through Moses. And after Moses bestowed from his spirit upon the seventy men of the elders, they received through the elders who were close to Moses, and they were the conduit for transmitting the abundance to the people, as it is stated regarding how the order of the Mishnah was arranged: "Moses taught Aaron, and afterward Aaron taught the elders, and afterward the elders taught Israel." And when Joshua complained that Eldad and Medad were receiving the abundance on their own, and he desired that Moses restrict the abundance from them, as it is stated, "My lord Moses, restrain them," meaning prevent them from receiving the abundance, Moses said, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets," not through me, but rather that the Lord would give His spirit upon them without any intermediary. With this intention, Elijah desired to go alone to Bethel and to Jericho, for in these two places the sons of the prophets were found (and perhaps these were the sons of the prophets whom Obadiah hid, fifty and fifty, in a cave, as it is stated afterward, "Behold, here are your servants, fifty men of valor"). Therefore, he said to him, "Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel" (and he said "to Bethel," for he did not desire to enter the city, which was the place of the Golden Calf, but only to the vicinity; therefore it is written, "And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha," which is not the case with Jericho, for he entered Jericho, and therefore he said, "The Lord has sent me to Jericho," and it is written, "And the sons of the prophets approached," etc., and not "came out"). And Elisha, who perceived what was in his mind, did not wish to leave him, for he harbored thoughts of attaining a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, which he would not attain if he left him at that time, which was the opportune moment for it.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said to him: ‘Do you know that Hashem will take away your master from your head to-day?’ And he said: ‘Indeed, I know it; hold you your peace.’—
verse value 5054
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·the·prophets" (בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִ֥ים, 10 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "that·Beth-el" (אֲשֶׁר־בֵּֽית־אֵל֮). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "that·Beth-el" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings). First appearance of the root יצא ("and·went·out") in II Kings. First appearance of the root נביא ("sons·of·the·prophets") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
Your master. And not our master, teaching that they were equal to Elijah (ibid., ibid., 5):
Radak
The sons of the prophets. As its Targum [renders it]: “Disciples of the prophets.”
"Which was [at] Beth-el." [This is] like "in Beth-el." And as for the fact that the sons of the prophets were in Beth-el and in Jericho — so too were they in other cities; but these are mentioned because it was their custom to pass through them. And the reason they were in most of the cities of Israel was in order to admonish Israel in every city. Their prophecy was for the moment, therefore their prophecy was not written down.
“החשו” – They interpreted it as an imperative, like the imperative form with a patach under the heh; and so too does the Targum of Jonathan render it: “Be silent.” And my master and father, of blessed memory, explained it according to its plain meaning: When he said to them, “I also know,” they fell silent and did not speak to him anymore.
Ralbag
“Today the Lord will take your master away from you.” Here they explained that he was taken only from above his head, and similarly Elijah said to Elisha, “Before I am taken from you.” This indicates that God did not take him absolutely, but rather took him away from Elisha.
"Be silent." Hush!
Metzudat David
“Which is Bethel.” “I.e., which is in Bethel”:
“Knowest thou?” They said this in the language of a question: “Have you known, etc.?”
“From the top of your head.” It is as though they said, “Behold, he [Elijah] was your crown, and the crown is removed from the top of your head.”
"Be silent!" [i.e.,] Be quiet, and do not speak of this — for he [Elisha] perceived about Elijah that he had no desire to reveal the matter, due to his great humility.
Metzudat Zion
They held silent. They remained silent, so too (there, 22:3): and we are holding silent:
Malbim
Did you know? The Sages of truth have already explained that the man of God is, among his disciples, like the heart that gives life to the body, and every limb that is closer to the heart receives more vitality and abundance. And at the time of his departure, the distant limbs will first feel the removal of the soul and the vitality, before the limbs close to the heart feel it. Therefore, the sons of the prophets first perceived that the heart and soul were departing from them, and they asked if he too already felt this, for this is a sign that the event is very near. And he answered, "I too knew."
There are yet more words to say about this: For when the man of spirit gathers himself from among the people, it sometimes occurs due to the sin of the generation, when they are not worthy for the divine sun to shine upon them, and He wishes to darken them and sink the light so that it will not shine. Then He conceals the matter from the sons of the prophets and from those who receive from Him, so that they will not prepare themselves to receive the light from Him at the time of his death, and He will take him suddenly, so that their feet will stumble on the mountains of twilight.
And sometimes this occurs because of the perfection of the prophet, for his time has already come to depart and ascend to his resting place, and for his disciples to inherit his crown. Then He informs the matter to the disciple who fills his place, so that he may lay his hands upon him. And this was the doubt of the sons of the prophets: whether Elijah's taking was because it was God's will to gather the abundance and darken the light. In that case, certainly, He concealed the matter from Elisha so as not to prepare him to fill his place, as indeed happened when He bestowed His spirit upon him. In this aspect, they needed to pray and plead regarding this, so that He might return from His fierce anger against them. And this is what is written, "Did you know?" and he answered, "I too knew." And this is the sign that it was for the perfection of Elijah, so that counsel would not be lost from his disciples. Therefore, [he told them,] "be silent," and do not pray, for it was not due to wrath and fierce anger. On the contrary, this departure is called "the joy of the feast," for he attains his perfection.
And Elijah said to him: ‘Elisha, tarry here, I pray you; for Hashem has sent me to Jericho.’ And he said: ‘As Hashem lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho.—
verse value 3057
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֨וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֨וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·as·your·soul·lives" (וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֖, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings). First appearance of the root יריחו ("Jericho") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'if·I·leave·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 2 words.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him: ‘Do you know that Hashem will take away your master from your head to-day?’ And he answered: ‘Indeed, I know it; hold you your peace.’—
verse value 5059
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 92 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·the·prophets" (בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִ֥ים, 10 letters). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "that·in·Jericho" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings). First appearance of the root נגש ("and·approached") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
And Elijah said to him: ‘Tarry here, I pray you; for Hashem has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he said: ‘As Hashem lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.’ And they two went on.
verse value 2904
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֨וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֨וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·as·your·soul·lives" (וְחֵֽי־נַפְשְׁךָ֖, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·they·went" (root הלך, 98x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'if·I·leave·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 2 words.
Malbim
He said, after he saw that he did not wish to leave him, he desired, in any case, not to be found alone with him at the time of his departure, so that he might bestow upon Elisha a portion of his spirit in the presence of the sons of the prophets, who would then also receive a share of Elijah’s spirit; this would not have been the case had he distanced himself from them and secluded himself with Elisha alone. (And it was not possible to take the sons of the prophets with him, for they were not worthy to be present at this great event.) And Elisha did not desire this either.
And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan.
verse value 2483
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 56 letters. Verse gematria: 2483 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "man" (אִ֜ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·prophets" (הַנְּבִיאִים֙, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "they·went" (הָֽלְכ֔וּ), "from·afar" (מֵרָח֑וֹק), "and·both·of·them" (וּשְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם). The root עמד appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings); "they·went" (root הלך, 98x in II Kings); "from·sons·of" (root בן, 66x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עמד ("and·they·stood") in II Kings. First appearance of the root רחוק ("from·afar") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·afar', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַחֲמִשִּׁ֨ים [and·fifty] (404) + אִ֜ישׁ [man] (311) + מִבְּנֵ֤י [from·sons·of] (102) + הַנְּבִיאִים֙ [the·prophets] (118) + הָֽלְכ֔וּ [they·went] (61) + וַיַּעַמְד֥וּ [and·they·stood] (136) + מִנֶּ֖גֶד [from·opposite] (97) + מֵרָח֑וֹק [from·afar] (354) + וּשְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם [and·both·of·them] (411) + עָמְד֥וּ [stood] (120) + עַל־הַיַּרְדֵּֽן [upon·Jordan] (369) = 2483.
Metzudat David
“From afar, opposite.” The doubling of the word serves to add further explanation:
And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.
verse value 2976
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הֵ֣נָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "glory" (אֶת־אַדַּרְתּ֤וֹ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "glory" (אֶת־אַדַּרְתּ֤וֹ), "in·the·dry·land" (בֶּחָרָבָֽה). The root הן appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·took" (root לקח, 72x in II Kings); "and·struck" (root נכה, 58x in II Kings); "two" (root שנים, 39x in II Kings). First appearance of the root אדרת ("glory") in II Kings. First appearance of the root נכה ("and·struck") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·behold', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּקַּח֩ [and·took] (124) + אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ [Elijah] (52) + אֶת־אַדַּרְתּ֤וֹ [glory] (1012) + וַיִּגְלֹם֙ [and·wrapped·up] (89) + וַיַּכֶּ֣ה [and·struck] (41) + אֶת־הַמַּ֔יִם [the·waters] (496) + וַיֵּחָצ֖וּ [and·they·were·divided] (120) + הֵ֣נָּה [they] (60) + וָהֵ֑נָּה [and·behold] (66) + וַיַּעַבְר֥וּ [and·they·passed·through] (294) + שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם [two] (405) + בֶּחָרָבָֽה [in·the·dry·land] (217) = 2976.
Rashi
And rolled it. He wound it, so that it should be easy to strike with it:
And rolled it. And not literally a rolling, but rather other manuscripts have the reading 'gathered,' which they call 'paygdu' in the vernacular:
Radak
"And he rolled it up." He wrapped it and struck the water with it. And likewise, "wrappings of blue wool," the explanation is: wrapped garments.
Ralbag
"And he rolled it up." This means that he had already rolled up his mantle and struck with it in the water.
Metzudat David
And he rolled it up. He rolled up his mantle, so that it would be convenient for him to strike the waters with it.
"And they divided them this way and that way." The waters split, and from this side they went away, and from that side they remained in their place and did not descend downward.
Metzudat Zion
His mantle. A garment of honor reserved for prophets, so too (there 19:19): and he threw his mantle:
And rolled it up. He wound it into one, so too (Ezekiel 27:24) wrapped in blue, and its meaning is wrapped in blue garments:
"On dry land." On dry ground:
Malbim
And he took [his mantle] in an allusive sense. Now, the Sages have already explained that Elijah's body was refined, and the two heavy elements, water and earth, were separated from him, leaving a body composed of fire and spirit, which is capable of ascending upward, as it is stated, "And behold, a chariot of fire," and "he ascended in a whirlwind," and his body remained in the upper realms. And I have already written that at the time the angel fed him cakes baked under the embers and gave him water to drink, the element of earth was separated from his body. And now he desired to separate also the element of water, which descends downward. For it is clear to me that the miracle which a person performs in his "small world" (i.e., his own body) increases his strength to perform it also in the "great world" (i.e., the external universe). For if he subdues the nature of his body for divine purposes, contrary to its natural inclination, so too the general nature of the universe will follow after him. And when Elijah desired to nullify the element of water from his small world, which is his body, he took his mantle, which is an allegory for his material covering, and he folded it, making it a lump, as it is stated, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance [golmi]" (Psalm 139:16), where "golmi" refers to the prepared matter, ready to be transformed and fashioned into a vessel as the Creator deems fit. And with this he struck the waters, thereby nullifying the element of water within his body. And likewise, the general nature of the universe followed after him, and the waters were divided here and there. For the nullification of nature in his small world necessitates the nullification of nature in the great world, like two musical instruments arranged opposite each other, as is well known.
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha: ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said: ‘I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’
verse value 3983
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 78 letters. The shortest word is "what?" (מָ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·Elisha" (אֶל־אֱלִישָׁע֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 31: and·it·was, and·let·it·be. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "as·they·crossed·over" (כְעׇבְרָ֗ם), "and·Elijah" (וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ), "ask" (שְׁאַל֙). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "to·Elisha" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "I·will·do·for·you" (root עשה, 142x in II Kings). First appearance of the root שאל ("ask") in II Kings. First appearance of the root עם ("with") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Radak
"Double the portion of your spirit upon me." Our Sages of blessed memory interpreted this as double what was with Elijah, namely that he revived two dead persons: one during his lifetime and one after his death. And for the one who said, "He stood on his feet and did not go to his house," it refers to the healing of Naaman's leprosy, for a leper is considered like a dead person, as it is stated, "Let her not, we pray, be as one dead." And my late father, of blessed and righteous memory, explained "double the portion" as two shares, that he asked that he should have two shares of the spirit of Elijah. And similarly it says, "A double portion in all that he has," meaning two shares of his property, for the firstborn takes two shares of the property, and the simple son takes the third share.
Ralbag
"And let it please You, let my portion be double of Your Spirit upon me." This means: In that which You have emanated of Your Spirit upon all the sons of the prophets, let that which is emanated to me of Your Spirit be double that of each one of them. This is of the same matter as that which is said: "He shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, to give him a double portion in all that he finds" (Deuteronomy 21:17).
Metzudat David
"Ask, etc." He means: Ask, before I am taken [from you], what good I shall do for you.
"A double portion." That the spirit of prophecy should rest upon me, to a degree double what rested upon you:
Metzudat Zion
Portion. A matter of share, so too (Deuteronomy 21:17): a double portion of all that he finds:
Malbim
And it came to pass when they had passed over, and then Elijah saw that the time of his departure was near. And he said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” According to the simple meaning, he requested that the spirit of Elijah rest upon him, as it is written, “The spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha,” and that nevertheless his previous attainment, which he had possessed until now, should remain with him. In this way, he would have a double portion: his own spirit, and the spirit of Elijah added to it. This is what is written, “Please let a double portion be upon me,” meaning that your spirit will be joined to me. And another interpretation is that he said, “Let the double portion that is found in your spirit be mine,” because Elijah’s spirit was a double portion compared to that of the other prophets, and he requested that he now reach this level. And the Kabbalists also follow this path in their statement that Elijah is Pinchas, into whom the souls of Nadav and Avihu were implanted. Their explanation is that Pinchas was consecrated as priest in place of Nadav and Avihu and took on their level. From this, he was given the covenant of peace and life, and thus he had a double portion in his spirit. And Elisha requested that this level pass over to him. However, the opinion of our Sages of blessed memory is that he requested a literal double portion. For even though it is impossible for a prophet to impart more than what is within his power, he reasoned that at the time Elijah would ascend to heaven and strip off the garment of matter from himself, then Elijah’s level would be exceedingly great compared to what it is now. And if he were to impart upon him then his light and abundance, what would flow from him would suffice so that Elisha’s level would be as great as twice Elijah’s level now, while he is still in matter. Therefore, he said to him as a condition that only if he sees him at the time of his taking up, that he will be at this level, and if he sees him, he will be able to impart his spirit upon him at that moment; and if not, it will not be so.
And he said: ‘You have asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so to you; but if not, it shall not be so.’
verse value 3410
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵ֔ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "if·you·see" (אִם־תִּרְאֶ֨ה, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "you·have·made·hard" (הִקְשִׁ֣יתָ), "to·Saul" (לִשְׁא֑וֹל), "if·you·see" (אִם־תִּרְאֶ֨ה). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "it·shall·be·to·you" (root היה, 119x in II Kings); "not" (root לא, 106x in II Kings). First appearance of the root ראה ("if·you·see") in II Kings. First appearance of the root לא ("not") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Saul', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֖אמֶר [and·said] (257) + הִקְשִׁ֣יתָ [you·have·made·hard] (815) + לִשְׁא֑וֹל [to·Saul] (367) + אִם־תִּרְאֶ֨ה [if·you·see] (647) + אֹתִ֜י [me] (411) + לֻקָּ֤ח [taken] (138) + מֵֽאִתָּךְ֙ [from·you] (461) + יְהִי־לְךָ֣ [it·shall·be·to·you] (75) + כֵ֔ן [so] (70) + וְאִם־אַ֖יִן [and·if·not] (108) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יִהְיֶֽה [it·will·be] (30) = 3410.
Rashi
You made it hard to ask. It is impossible to give you more than what I have in my hand:
If you see me being taken from you. Then I will be able to do for you more and more:
Let it be so for you, and if not, let it not be. That the ability is not in my hand:
Radak
You have asked a difficult question. It would have sufficed for you to ask for one part of my spirit, or for half of my spirit; but you have asked for a matter that is difficult, requesting twice as much. Nevertheless, if there will be in you the power of the spirit of God, such that you will be able to see me when I am taken from you, I will know that it is from God, and it will be for you as you have asked.
"[He is] taken." This is an intransitive verb, of a binyan whose agent is not stated; therefore it has a qamats.
Ralbag
"If you see me being taken from you." He said to him: This is in the manner of the new miracles that will occur, as if he were saying that if he sees him at the time he is taken from him, when he is lifted up in a whirlwind to the heavens, then a miracle will be renewed for him, in that a portion of the spirit that was upon Elijah will be bestowed upon him, with which he will fulfill what Elisha requested. And then Elijah left his mantle so that Elisha would grasp it, and it would serve as a vessel for the completion of this miracle. Do you not see that Elisha had commanded Gehazi to take Elisha's staff in his hand to revive the Shunammite's son with it? And likewise, you will find that a miracle was renewed through Elijah's mantle, in that it assisted Elisha in performing miracles. Others have already explained this in their statement, "If you see me being taken from you," as interpreted in other commentaries. And what we consider is what we have mentioned, which is appropriate to the language and the matter. This is because some said that "If you see me being taken from you" means that you will attain the perception of the separate intellect, namely Elijah's intellect after its separation from matter. And these agreed necessarily that this matter implies death for Elijah. And we have already explained that this is impossible. And some said that "If you see me being taken from you" means that you will investigate with me all the secrets in which you are perplexed, because you see that I am being taken from you, and you will not find this from me except at this time. And behold, it is difficult for this view, for we have not found that they stood together after all this in a manner that would allow for this matter. Nor was such a short time sufficient for this matter, according to my estimation.
Metzudat David
"You have asked a difficult thing." For how can I bestow upon you something that is not within me?
"If you see. But if you see me at the time when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you, for then the level of Elijah will be doubled from what it was previously, and he will be able to bestow upon others everything that is within him at that time:"
Metzudat Zion
You made it hard. From the word hard:
And if not. If not [so]:
Malbim
And he said: According to what I explained, that Elisha's request was that the spirit of Elijah would rest upon him, in such a way that he would be elevated from what he is now at the level of one who receives from Elijah, like the light of the moon, to now being like the light of the sun, whose light is intrinsic — he replied that this would not be so unless he were completely removed from the world. It would not be so if he were still connected in some way to this world afterward, as it is said, "Brothers, I was standing there at my own eulogy," meaning that in such a case it would not be so. And this is what is written: "If you see me when I am taken from you" — meaning, if I am completely separated, then you will no longer be at the level of one who receives. For similarly, after the death of Moses, the elders of the generation of Joshua said: "The face of Joshua is like the face of the moon," because until then he received from the image of Moses, which did not cease and did not depart even after his death, as is well known.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, which parted them both assunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
verse value 3164
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "fire" (אֵ֔שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·parted" (וַיַּפְרִ֖דוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "a team·fire" (רֶֽכֶב־אֵשׁ֙), "and·horses·of" (וְס֣וּסֵי), "and·they·parted" (וַיַּפְרִ֖דוּ). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·spoke" (root דבר, 147x in II Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 119x in II Kings); "between" (root בין, 106x in II Kings). First appearance of the root הם ("abundance") in II Kings. First appearance of the root רכב ("a team·fire") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'two', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 4 words.
Radak
"And Elijah went up by a whirlwind." As we have explained, the term "heavens" in reference to the corporeal sense denotes the atmospheric sphere, as in "that which flies in the heavens"; but in reference to the spiritual sense, "the heavens" denotes the upper heavens together with the angels, who are called "the heavens," as it is said, "Praise the Lord, [you angels] from the heavens." Elijah became spiritual, and his body was consumed by the upper fire, and every element returned to its source. Elisha saw his ascension from the earth, and while he was becoming air, Elisha perceived the likeness of chariots of fire and horses of fire that separated between the two of them. That is to say, upon seeing that he was separated from him from the moment he was taken up, and likewise his garments were consumed by fire, except for the mantle that fell from him, so that Elisha might take it and strike the waters with it. And if, according to the words of our Sages of blessed memory, Elisha possessed a double portion of spirit compared to what Elijah had, it is strange: what need did he have of the mantle to split the waters? Indeed, even with the mantle the waters were not split until he said, "Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" And if you were to say that the mantle did not fall for Elisha's sake, but rather because he became spiritual, the mantle fell from him, then why did his other garments not also fall?
Ralbag
And behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. Behold, this was a new occurrence, in the manner of a miracle, to carry Elijah to the place where the will of God, blessed be He, would be.
Metzudat David
And behold, a chariot of fire. And behold, a chariot of fire came, etc.
Malbim
And behold, a chariot of fire: this is a figurative expression for the fact that he was freed from materiality, and only the two light elements, fire and wind, remained. Corresponding to the fire, a chariot of fire appeared to him, and corresponding to the wind, he saw that he ascended in a whirlwind, for his two light elements carried his body to heaven. Now, as long as the body is composed of the four elements, the soul is attached to the body, and it cannot remove the garment except through death. But after the fire consumed the two heavy elements, earth and water—just as the fire from heaven consumed the earth and water on Mount Carmel (above, I Kings 18)—then both of them, namely the two adhering entities, the soul and the body, were separated. For then a separation occurred between them, until his body became like a garment which he could don at his will and remove at his will. And then he ascended to heaven in a whirlwind. And just as in the upper chariot, a whirlwind and a kindled fire surround the radiance, so too, before he ascended to the upper radiance, fire and a whirlwind surrounded him, and the great cloud had already departed from him, for he had already crossed the waters while he was in the Jordan.
And Elisha saw it, and he cried: ‘My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof! ’ And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
verse value 4095
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֤וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 4095 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "seeing" (רֹאֶ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Elisha" (וֶאֱלִישָׁ֣ע, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 13: my·father, my·father. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "crying·out" (מְצַעֵק֙), "saw·him" (רָאָ֖הוּ), "in·his·clothes" (בִּבְגָדָ֔יו). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 106x in II Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 101x in II Kings); "seeing" (root ראה, 66x in II Kings). First appearance of the root צעק ("crying·out") in II Kings. First appearance of the root אב ("my·father") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'anymore', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 5 words.
Rashi
My father, my father, the chariot of Israel. My master, my master, who benefited Israel more by his prayer than chariots and horsemen:
Radak
And Elisha saw. He saw him being taken up from the earth, but he did not see him anymore, for a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated between the two of them.
My father, my father. As its Targum [renders it]: “My master, my master.” And likewise, the disciples of the prophets were called “the sons of the prophets.”
"The chariots of Israel and its horsemen." As its Targum [renders it]: "It was better for Israel, through his [Elisha's] prayer, than chariots and horsemen."
"And he rent them into two pieces." From here, our Sages of blessed memory derived that a person is obligated to tear his garment for his teacher who taught him wisdom, and that tear never heals, as it is stated: "into two." From the implication of the verse, "And he rent them," I would not know that it was specifically into two; therefore, what does it mean when it says "into two"? That the tear should be visible in them forever.
Ralbag
“My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen.” Behold, just as the students are called “sons,” like the “sons of the prophets,” so too the teacher is called “father,” for he is the one who begets the intellect of every student. And He is called “the chariot of Israel and its horsemen,” as if to say that He is the might and strength of Israel in battle; and therefore, “the chariot and the horsemen” are those by means of which they prevail in war.
Metzudat David
And Elisha sees. At the time that he was taken:
"Father, my father; Rabbi, my Rabbi," who was for Israel a help against the enemy, like chariots and horsemen; so too did Jonathan [the Aramaic translator] render it:
“Torn into two pieces.” This means: into two separate fragments.
Malbim
And Elisha: the condition that he had stipulated, "If you see me at the time of the taking," was fulfilled, for Elisha was seeing him at the time that the chariot and the horses were taking him up. And he began to cry out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen," as if to say: Behold, in this chariot of fire and these horsemen of fire, all of Israel ride, for Elijah is equal in weight to all of them. Moreover, he attained to the understanding that this chariot and these horses were the chariot of Israel from the divine chariot, by means of which He guides and oversees Israel. And he did not see him, for then he was hidden from his eyes. And he tore his garments according to the law, as the words of our Sages of blessed memory in [Tractate] Moed Katan:
Cross-references: Deuteronomy 32:7; II Kings 13:14
He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
verse value 3733
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "glory" (אֶת־אַדֶּ֣רֶת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "fell" (נָפְלָ֖ה), "upon·lip" (עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת), "Jordan" (הַיַּרְדֵּֽן). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "from·upon·him" (root על, 116x in II Kings); "and·returned" (root שוב, 53x in II Kings). First appearance of the root רום ("and·took·up") in II Kings. First appearance of the root שפה ("upon·lip") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·upon·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֙רֶם֙ [and·took·up] (256) + אֶת־אַדֶּ֣רֶת [glory] (1006) + אֵלִיָּ֔הוּ [Elijah] (52) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + נָפְלָ֖ה [fell] (165) + מֵעָלָ֑יו [from·upon·him] (156) + וַיָּ֥שׇׁב [and·returned] (318) + וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד [and·stood] (130) + עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת [upon·lip] (880) + הַיַּרְדֵּֽן [Jordan] (269) = 3733.
Metzudat Zion
"And he lifted [it]." From the term for lifting and raising:
Malbim
And [Elisha] took up this mantle — with which [Elijah] had wrapped his face in the cave — and it was a symbol of the veil between him and the spiritual realm; and with it he performed the miracle of the Jordan; and now it fell from him, for he was stripped of the veils and garments, and put on holiness.
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said: ‘Where is Hashem, the God of Elijah?’ and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.
verse value 4513
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 95 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "where?" (אַיֵּ֕ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "that·fell" (אֲשֶׁר־נָפְלָ֤ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 496: the·waters, the·waters. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "that·fell" (אֲשֶׁר־נָפְלָ֤ה), "also·he" (אַף־ה֣וּא). The root אליהו appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "that·fell" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings). First appearance of the root אי ("where?") in II Kings. First appearance of the root אנתה ("also·he") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Elijah', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 8 words.
Rashi
Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah. For I was promised that twice his spirit shall rest upon me:
Even he, and he smote the waters. Even he, in Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosi Hagalili: great is the parting of Elisha, double that of Elijah, for at first the merit of both, and now his merit alone:
Radak
"Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" Targum Yonatan [renders] likewise, and says: "Accept my prayer, O LORD, God of Elijah." And according to its plain sense, "Where is He" [means] that He is not showing me the power of the sign, as He did for Elijah at the splitting of the water.
He too struck the waters. He too had a miracle performed for him, and he struck the waters a second time after saying, "Where is the Lord my God?" and they were split here and there. And some explain: "He too" refers to Elijah, who came, as he had become spiritual, and struck the waters, and they were split, and Elisha crossed over. And in the Midrash: "He too" teaches that more miracles were performed for Elisha at the splitting of the Jordan than for Elijah, for the first time the merit of both of them stood, and the second time, that of Elisha [alone], the merit of one righteous person stood. And so it says, "Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." From here you derive that there were eight miracles [wrought] through Elijah, sixteen through Elisha.
Ralbag
Similarly, he struck the water, and it divided this way and that. This means that when he struck the water, it immediately divided this way and that. I think that he struck it only once, and at that time he said, "Where is the God of Elijah?" The text relates that Elisha, too, attained the same level as Elijah, in that when he struck the water, it divided this way and that.
Metzudat David
"Where is the Lord?"—as if to say: Although Elijah has been taken, behold, [he asks] "Where is the Lord?"—for surely His providence and power have not ceased.
“Even he.” This means that even he remained in his existence at all times, and did not change. A parallel is found in Ezekiel 23:43: “Now let her commit her harlotries, and she.” This means that she still remains in her state as she was from then on. Alternatively, it refers back to “and he struck,” etc., meaning that even Elisha acted like Elijah’s deed, and when he struck the waters, they split this way and that, etc. [And from now on, he proceeds to enumerate together all the miracles that Elisha performed]:
Malbim
"And he took and struck": The measure of the verse is that Elijah had the power to subdue the element of water and split it when he crossed the Jordan. However, at that time, there were both Elijah and Elisha, and the merit of two is greater than that of one. But we have explained that he promised him that he would have a double portion of his spirit, meaning that Elisha's previous spirit would remain with him and Elijah's spirit would join with him. This is what is written: "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah, even He?" implying that He too should come to me, in addition to the Divinity that already dwells upon me. And it relates that indeed it was so, for he too was Elijah, and he struck the waters.
And when the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho some way off saw him, they said: ‘The spirit of Elijah does rest on Elisha.’ And they came to meet him, and bowed down to the ground before him.
verse value 4175
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "restsed" (נָ֛חָה, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·the·prophets" (בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִ֤ים, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 737: that·in·Jericho, to·meet·him. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "restsed" (נָ֛חָה), "upon·Elisha" (עַל־אֱלִישָׁ֑ע), "and·they·bowed·down·to·him" (וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֖וֹ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "that·in·Jericho" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "and·they·came" (root בוא, 146x in II Kings). First appearance of the root נוח ("restsed") in II Kings. First appearance of the root ארץ ("land") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·Elisha', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיִּרְאֻ֨הוּ [and·they·saw·him] (228) + בְנֵי־הַנְּבִיאִ֤ים [sons·of·the·prophets] (180) + אֲשֶׁר־בִּֽירִיחוֹ֙ [that·in·Jericho] (737) + מִנֶּ֔גֶד [from·opposite] (97) + וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ [and·they·said] (263) + נָ֛חָה [restsed] (63) + ר֥וּחַ [spirit·of] (214) + אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ [Elijah] (52) + עַל־אֱלִישָׁ֑ע [upon·Elisha] (511) + וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ [and·they·came] (25) + לִקְרָאת֔וֹ [to·meet·him] (737) + וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֖וֹ [and·they·bowed·down·to·him] (772) + אָֽרְצָה [land] (296) = 4175.
Radak
The spirit of Elijah rested upon him. As soon as they saw him cross the waters and pass over the Jordan, they knew that the spirit of Elijah had rested upon him.
Ralbag
The spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha. This means that he had already imparted from his spirit that which would be drawn from him, so that Elisha would perform miracles similar to those performed by Elijah. For this reason, they accorded him great honor and bowed down to him to the ground.
Metzudat David
And they saw him. When he was splitting the waters of the Jordan:
Metzudat Zion
"It rested." A matter of encampment:
Malbim
And by this, the sons of the prophets recognized that the spirit of Elijah had rested upon him.
And they said to him: ‘Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray you, and seek your master; lest perhaps the spirit of Hashem has taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.’ And he said: ‘You shall not send.’
verse value 6863
Insights
Verse structure: 24 words, 119 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "please" (נָא֮, 2 letters) and the longest is "being·with·your·servants" (יֵֽשׁ־אֶת־עֲבָדֶ֩יךָ֩, 9 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "being·with·your·servants" (יֵֽשׁ־אֶת־עֲבָדֶ֩יךָ֩), "sons·of·valor" (בְּנֵי־חַ֗יִל), "let·them·go" (יֵ֣לְכוּ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 21 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings). First appearance of the root חיל ("sons·of·valor") in II Kings. First appearance of the root בקש ("and·they·shall·seek") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·valleys', dividing the verse into phrases of 21 and 3 words.
Rashi
Lest the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up. Perhaps last night they said to him, do you know that today the Lord takes your master, and now he is hidden from them where he is, teaching from the day Elijah was hidden, the Holy Spirit departed from the prophets, and again the Holy Spirit was not abundant in Israel (there):
Radak
“Fifty men, men of valor.” Why did they need men of valor? Was it because they had to wage war? Rather, the explanation of “men of valor” is “men of strength,” that they had the strength to go here and there in a short amount of time. And how did they say to him that they should seek him, whereas they had said to him, “Today the Lord will take away your master from your head”? Rather, they thought: perhaps he did not ascend to heaven, but rather the Spirit of the Lord lifted him and separated him from human beings, as they had seen that he was separated from human beings for forty days and forty nights. And perhaps this happened to him many times, that he was separated from human beings and they could not find him. For Obadiah said to him, “The Spirit of the Lord may carry you away to a place that I do not know.”
Ralbag
And he cast him into one of the mountains, or into one of the valleys. The meaning is: to hide there, for Elijah was accustomed to doing so, as Obadiah said, "And the Spirit of the Lord shall carry you away to a place that I know not."
Metzudat David
"Men of valor." Men of valor and sons of strength, to go here and there in a short time.
And it cast him. They thought that the spirit had returned to God, and his body was cast down dead, and they wanted to seek him and bury him.
"You shall not send." For he saw that he [Elijah] had ascended together with the body, and out of his great humility he did not tell them what he had seen.
Metzudat Zion
The ravines. From the word ravine and valley:
Malbim
Behold, they thought that his body too had fallen from him, as his mantle had fallen, and that the wind had carried it to some place, and they wished to bury him, for they did not envision for themselves that the body would also ascend to heaven.
And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said: ‘Send.’ They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
verse value 3784
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 57 letters. Verse gematria: 3784 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "man" (אִ֔ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·urged·him" (וַיִּפְצְרוּ־ב֥וֹ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·they·urged·him" (וַיִּפְצְרוּ־ב֥וֹ), "three·days" (שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־יָמִ֖ים), "found·him" (מְצָאֻֽהוּ). The root שלח appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "man" (root איש, 119x in II Kings); "and·not" (root לא, 106x in II Kings). First appearance of the root בוש ("until·he·was·ashamed") in II Kings. First appearance of the root שלוש ("three·days") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'send', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּפְצְרוּ־ב֥וֹ [and·they·urged·him] (400) + עַד־בֹּ֖שׁ [until·he·was·ashamed] (376) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + שְׁלָ֑חוּ [send] (344) + וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ [and·they·sent] (360) + חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים [fifty] (398) + אִ֔ישׁ [man] (311) + וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ [and·they·sought] (424) + שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־יָמִ֖ים [three·days] (735) + וְלֹ֥א [and·not] (37) + מְצָאֻֽהוּ [found·him] (142) = 3784.
Rashi
Until he was ashamed. He was ashamed of them, that they should not say he does not wish to greet the face of his master, for since he took his greatness he does not wish that he should return, all this I saw in the Tosefta of Sotah (there):
Radak
“And they entreated him.” They spoke many words to him until he heeded them.
"Until shame." Until he delayed greatly in saying to them, "Send them away," and its Targum renders it: "ad saggi" ("until much").
Ralbag
And they pressed him until he was ashamed. This means that they spoke so many words that he felt ashamed to continually dispute their matter. Therefore, he said to them, “Send them,” from the perspective of moral instruction, to let them do their will. However, his words were phrased in such a way that when he said “Send them,” it was fitting to understand from his statement that they should not be sent, on account of his speech, for sometimes “yes” is equivalent to “no.” Therefore, he said, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” For Elisha knew that Elijah would not be seen by a person at this time, because God had concealed him.
Metzudat David
"Until he was ashamed." Until a long time had passed, during which they urged him to grant them permission to send.
Metzudat Zion
And they pressed him. A matter of multiplying words, to turn a person from his resolve, so too (Genesis 33:11): and he pressed him and he took:
Too long. A matter of delay, so too (Judges 3:25): they lingered until it was too late:
And they came back to him, while he tarried at Jericho; and he said to them: ‘Did I not say to you: Go not?’
verse value 2545
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 50 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֖וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "dwelling" (יֹשֵׁ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·utterance" (הֲלֹֽא־אָמַ֥רְתִּי, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "in·Jericho" (בִּירִיח֑וֹ), "not·utterance" (הֲלֹֽא־אָמַ֥רְתִּי), "not·go" (אַל־תֵּלֵֽכוּ). The root אל appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "not·go" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "to·him" (root אל, 113x in II Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Jericho', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיָּשֻׁ֣בוּ [and·they·returned] (324) + אֵלָ֔יו [to·him] (47) + וְה֖וּא [and·he] (18) + יֹשֵׁ֣ב [dwelling] (312) + בִּירִיח֑וֹ [in·Jericho] (236) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + אֲלֵהֶ֔ם [to·them] (76) + הֲלֹֽא־אָמַ֥רְתִּי [not·utterance] (687) + אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם [to·you] (101) + אַל־תֵּלֵֽכוּ [not·go] (487) = 2545.
And the men of the city said to Elisha: ‘Behold, we pray you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land miscarries.
verse value 4417
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֔וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Elisha" (אֶל־אֱלִישָׁ֔ע, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 285: the·city, the·city. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "seat" (מוֹשַׁ֤ב), "and·the·waters" (וְהַמַּ֥יִם), "and·the·land" (וְהָאָ֥רֶץ). The root עיר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "as" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "to·Elisha" (root איל, 153x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עיר ("the·city") in II Kings. First appearance of the root טוב ("good") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seeing', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
And the waters were bad. And on account of the waters, the land destroys its inhabitants to bury them, if so what is 'and the seat of the city is good', from here they said: the grace of a place is upon its inhabitants (Sotah 47a):
Radak
Behold, the situation of the city is good. Until now, we have not seen that Jericho had bad water, nor that the city was deadly; for if so, they would not have coveted it, nor would they have transgressed the ban to rebuild it. And Elijah too—how did he not heal it? And if it had been deadly, from the many years that they dwelt in it, they would have abandoned it and not dwelt in it. Rather, it appears that this evil of the waters was recent, due to the wickedness of its inhabitants, and because of the badness of the waters, the land too was deadly, for the people drank the waters and died in great numbers. And in the midrash, it is said that Jericho was deadly and accursed, on account of the curse that Joshua placed upon it. And Elijah came and added to the curse through the deed of Chiel, when his sons died. And both of them, he and Ahab, went and visited him, and the entire matter is mentioned above. And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: "The situation of the city is good, and the waters are bad, and the land is deadly." What is its goodness? Rabbi Yochanan said: The charm of a place is due to its inhabitants.
Ralbag
“And the waters were bad, and the land was barren.” Because it is stated afterward, “I healed those waters; there shall be no more death or barrenness from there,” we know that the land was barren due to the waters that were bad. And behold, even though Joshua cursed whoever would rebuild it, he did not prevent people from dwelling there after it was rebuilt; for if he had, the prophets would not have dwelt there. And the intention here is that the city’s dwelling place is good, as my Lord sees, and therefore the air of the city is not the cause of the land being barren; rather, it is truly the bad waters, and from this aspect it happened that the land became barren.
Metzudat David
Good. “In fields and vineyards,” etc.
“And the land causes bereavement.” Because of the water, it causes bereavement to its inhabitants.
Metzudat Zion
Seat. From the word sit:
Destroyer. Kills its inhabitants, so too (Ezekiel 36:13): and has destroyed your nations:
Malbim
(19-22) "And the waters were bad." The bad waters are those in which foreign elements, namely salts, have become mixed until they are unfit for drinking, like the waters of the sea. Their remedy is if they are purified and the salt is removed. Elisha took a bowl of salt and threw it in, demonstrating that this very salt, which is the cause of the waters' corruption, was transformed into their cure. This is analogous to how Moses our teacher, of blessed memory, threw in oleander wood and sweetened the waters, and how Isaiah applied a poultice of figs to the boil. For the miracle is the opposite of nature: naturally, salt makes waters bitter, but miraculously it sweetens them. According to the allegorical interpretation, the waters allude to foreign teachings, for there were heresies and alien opinions present. As it is stated, "Lest you disclose [it] to the place of bad waters, and the disciples drink and die," which refers to the death of the soul. From this perspective, the sickness of the waters and the death of the body also came as a measure-for-measure punishment. Elisha threw in salt, which alludes to the enduring intellectual matter, namely the study of Torah, for which "a covenant of salt" was established. He cast it into the source of these teachings, so that their foundation would be upon the mountains of holiness, upon Torah and faith, and the waters were healed.
And he said: ‘Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein.’ And they brought it to him.
verse value 2223
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. Verse gematria: 2223 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֖ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֗אמֶר, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "jar" (צְלֹחִ֣ית), "new" (חֲדָשָׁ֔ה), "and·lay!" (וְשִׂ֥ימוּ). The root לקח appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "to·him" (root אל, 113x in II Kings); "take·for·me" (root לקח, 72x in II Kings). First appearance of the root חדש ("new") in II Kings. First appearance of the root שום ("and·lay!") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'salt', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֗אמֶר [and·said] (257) + קְחוּ־לִי֙ [take·for·me] (154) + צְלֹחִ֣ית [jar] (538) + חֲדָשָׁ֔ה [new] (317) + וְשִׂ֥ימוּ [and·lay!] (362) + שָׁ֖ם [there] (340) + מֶ֑לַח [salt] (78) + וַיִּקְח֖וּ [and·took] (130) + אֵלָֽיו [to·him] (47) = 2223.
Radak
Salt. It was a miracle within a miracle, for salt makes water bad. And likewise, regarding the verse "And the Lord showed him a tree," our Sages said that it was a bitter tree; thus, it was a miracle within a miracle.
Metzudat Zion
A cruse. The Targum of jar (Exodus 16:33), it is a cruse:
And he went forth to the spring of the waters, and cast salt therein, and said: ‘Thus says Hashem: I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or miscarrying.’
verse value 4318
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 72 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "salt" (מֶ֑לַח, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·cast·there" (וַיַּשְׁלֶךְ־שָׁ֖ם, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "to·act or place of going out or forth" (אֶל־מוֹצָ֣א), "and·cast·there" (וַיַּשְׁלֶךְ־שָׁ֖ם), "I·have·healed" (רִפִּ֙אתִי֙). The root מים appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "not·shall·be" (root היה, 119x in II Kings). First appearance of the root רפא ("I·have·healed") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'salt', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Rashi
To the source of the waters. That they were springing from there:
And he threw there salt. But salt is a thing that spoils the waters, but a miracle within a miracle:
Radak
"To the source of the waters." To the source of the waters, the place from which the waters were issuing forth.
“I healed.” With a chirik under the pe, like the form with a he:
"And bereavement." And the land shall not cause bereavement, for its bereavement came from the waters.
Metzudat David
“to the source of the waters”: to the place from which the waters spring forth.
"I healed the waters." Our Sages of blessed memory stated (Mekhilta, Beshalach 15) that the miracle was twofold, for it is the nature of salt to spoil the waters.
"There shall be no more from there." This means that bereavement [miscarriage] will no longer come as a result of the waters.
Metzudat Zion
Source. The place of gushing:
Death and destruction. It is the same thing, and the matter is repeated in different words:
So the waters were healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
verse value 1893
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֖ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·were·healed" (וַיֵּרָפ֣וּ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·were·healed" (וַיֵּרָפ֣וּ). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 318x in II Kings); "as·word·of" (root דבר, 147x in II Kings); "day" (root יום, 79x in II Kings). First appearance of the root עד ("until") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'this', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּרָפ֣וּ [and·were·healed] (302) + הַמַּ֔יִם [water] (95) + עַ֖ד [until] (74) + הַיּ֣וֹם [day] (61) + הַזֶּ֑ה [this] (17) + כִּדְבַ֥ר [as·word·of] (226) + אֱלִישָׁ֖ע [Elisha] (411) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + דִּבֵּֽר [he·spoke] (206) = 1893.
Radak
"And the waters were healed." The aleph is dropped, and it is like those [verbs] that have a heh.
Ralbag
And behold, Elisha healed those waters by way of a miracle, when he cast salt into the spring of the waters—salt from a new jar. And I suppose that Elisha had already chosen that the jar be new, so that people would not think that something had been cooked in it, whereby the salt would absorb its strength and bear an imprint, in the manner of healing through the rectification of the waters. Rather, he chose to rectify them by means of something that bears no imprint for their rectification. For we see that salty waters are bad for drinking, yet it is impossible for a small amount of salt to leave an imprint in a spring of water whose waters never cease, unless this was done by way of a miracle.
And he went up from thence to Beth-el; and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said to him: ‘Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead.’
verse value 4100
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 73 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֣וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 4100 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "to·him" (ל֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·mocked·him" (וַיִּתְקַלְּסוּ־בוֹ֙, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 308: bald·one, bald·one. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·boys" (וּנְעָרִ֤ים), "young" (קְטַנִּים֙), "and·mocked·him" (וַיִּתְקַלְּסוּ־בוֹ֙). The root עלה appears 4 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·they·said" (root אמר, 342x in II Kings); "Beth-el" (root בית, 141x in II Kings); "and·went·up" (root עלה, 67x in II Kings). First appearance of the root דרך ("way") in II Kings. First appearance of the root נער ("and·boys") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Beth-el', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 14 words.
Rashi
And little boys. Those who are devoid of the commandments:
Up, bald head. Up from here, for you have made this place bald/barren for us, for until now we were earning a living bringing sweet waters from afar, and sustaining ourselves thereby, and once he sweetened them, their livelihood was lost, so it is explained in Sotah (46b):
Radak
"And young lads." For there are grown men who are also called "lads"; thus it states that these lads were young. Likewise it is written, "and a young lad was with him." And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "lads" — because they were "shaken off" (i.e., exempted) from the commandments, and "small" — because they were of little faith.
"And they mocked him." They ridiculed him and disgraced him with their words, saying to him as he went up the road, "Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!" — for Elisha was indeed bald. And in the Midrash: "You are bald [Korach], for you have made the Place bald for us" [i.e., you have caused the Divine Presence to depart from us].
Ralbag
And they mocked him. This means that they ridiculed him and despised him.
Metzudat David
"Go up, bald head!" Since Elijah his teacher was a hairy man, and Elisha was bald, they mocked and jested, saying, "Go up, bald head, to the heavens, like Elijah your teacher!" It was as if they said, "You are not on the same level as he was, for he was hairy, whereas you are bald."
Metzudat Zion
And mocked him. And jeered at him, so too (Jeremiah 20:8): to a reproach and to a mocking:
A bald man. So is called one who has no hair on his head, so too (Leviticus 13:40): he is bald:
Malbim
And they mocked him. They knew that he had been anointed in place of Elijah, and in their contempt for prophecy and the prophets, they reviled him, saying, "How can you take your teacher's place, when he was a man of hair and you are bald?" This is what is written: "Go up, you bald one," meaning, "How can you ascend to his rank, when your nature is the opposite of his nature?" For the nature of baldness is the opposite of the nature of a man of hair. And our Sages of blessed memory spoke well when they said that they were devoid of the commandments and of little faith; therefore they scorned him. And it can also be said that they said in mockery, "Go up to heaven, you bald one, just as your teacher, the man of hair, went up to heaven." And because Bethel was the place of the calves, their fathers taught them to mock the prophets of the LORD. Therefore he cursed them, to uproot "a root bearing gall and wormwood" — "the LORD of Hosts has sold them."
And he looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of Hashem. And there came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them.
verse value 4446
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 72 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 4446 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·name·of" (בְּשֵׁ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·tore" (וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in II Kings. Unique to this verse in II Kings (hapax): "and·cursed·them" (וַֽיְקַלְלֵ֖ם), "in·name·of" (בְּשֵׁ֣ם), "and·they·went·out" (וַתֵּצֶ֜אנָה). The root שנים appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 276x in II Kings); "and·saw·them" (root ראה, 66x in II Kings); "in·name·of" (root שם, 61x in II Kings). First appearance of the root פנה ("and·turned") in II Kings. First appearance of the root קלל ("and·cursed·them") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
And he saw them. He saw that there is in them and in their seed no moisture of goodness (there):
Radak
"And he saw them, and he cursed them." Our Sages of blessed memory disagreed about this, for it was difficult for them to understand how he caused death to come upon them for this. Some of them said that because they disrespected him, he set his eyes upon them and they were punished, as they said: "In every place the Sages set their eyes, there is either death or poverty." And some of them said: he saw that all of them — their mothers had conceived them on Yom Kippur; that is to say, he saw that they came from a transgression and were fit for death, and therefore they gave themselves over to disrespecting him, and therefore he cursed them — not because they disrespected him. And some of them said: he saw on them a forelock, like [that worn by] idol worshippers. And some of them said that he did not see in them any moisture of a mitzvah, nor would there ever be [any] in them or in their seed; therefore he cursed them, to remove them from the world. And it says that he was punished for this matter, for having caused the death of these youths. And they said: three illnesses afflicted Elisha — one because he set bears upon the children, one because he pushed Gehazi away with both his hands, and one from which he died. And they based this on the verse that states, "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he was to die": "was fallen sick" — that is one; "his sickness" — two; "whereof he was to die" — three.
“Two bears.” They were females, and I say that the plural is indicated by the mem, as in “nursing camels.” And in the words of our Sages of blessed memory, some said that it was a miracle, for in that forest there were no accustomed evil beasts; and some said that it was a miracle within a miracle, for there was neither forest nor bears there. And they said: On account of the forty-two offerings that Balak, king of Moab, offered, forty-two children were broken from Israel.
Ralbag
"And he turned behind him and saw them." Behold, he did not curse them until he saw them, and he knew and perceived, in the manner of prophecy, that they were deserving of a curse on account of the evil of their deeds.
Metzudat David
"And he saw them." Our Sages of blessed memory said that he saw through the Holy Spirit that there was no good moisture in them, and therefore he cursed them.
And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.
verse value 2261
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "returned" (שָׁ֥ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "Carmel" (הַכַּרְמֶ֑ל, 5 letters). The root שם appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·hill" (root איל, 153x in II Kings); "and·went" (root הלך, 98x in II Kings); "from·there" (root שם, 61x in II Kings). First appearance of the root כרמל ("Carmel") in II Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Carmel', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + מִשָּׁ֖ם [from·there] (380) + אֶל־הַ֣ר [to·hill] (236) + הַכַּרְמֶ֑ל [Carmel] (295) + וּמִשָּׁ֖ם [and·from·there] (386) + שָׁ֥ב [returned] (302) + שֹׁמְרֽוֹן [Samaria] (596) = 2261.
Rashi
Radak
Ralbag
Metzudat David