John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel , etc.] Or the disciples of them, as the Targum; here, though a place where one of Jeroboam’s calves was set up, was a school of the prophets, perhaps founded by Elijah as a nursery for religion, and a check upon the idolatry of the times: came forth to Elisha; out of their college: and said unto him, knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today ? who was, as Abarbinel observes, the crown and glory of his head; or else this is said, as generally thought, in allusion to disciples sitting at the feet of their masters, and so they at the head of them; the rapture of Elijah was by a spirit of prophecy revealed unto them: and he said, yea, I know it ; being revealed to him in the same way: hold your peace : not caring to continue any discourse with them on the subject, that his thoughts, which were intent upon it, might not be interrupted, and that his master might not know that he knew of it, and lest he should be snatched away from him, and he not see him, while discoursing with them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The Lord had let Elijah know that his time was at hand. He therefor went to the different schools of the prophets to give them his las exhortations and blessing. The removal of Elijah was a type and figur of the ascension of Christ, and the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Elisha had long followed Elijah, and he would not leav him now when he hoped for the parting blessing. Let not those wh follow Christ come short by tiring at last. The waters of Jordan, or old, yielded to the ark; now, to the prophet's mantle, as a token of God's presence. When God will take up his faithful ones to heaven death is the Jordan which they must pass through, and they find a wa through it. The death of Christ has divided those waters, that the ransomed of the Lord may pass over. O death, where is thy sting, the hurt, thy terror!
Original Hebrew ויצאו3318 בני1121 הנביאים5030 אשׁר834 בית אל1008 אל413 אלישׁע477 ויאמרו559 אליו413 הידעת3045 כי3588 היום3117 יהוה3068 לקח3947 את853 אדניך113 מעל5921 ראשׁך7218 ויאמר559 גם1571 אני589 ידעתי3045 החשׁו׃2814
