John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee , etc.] At Bethel: for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho ; to the school of the prophets there, to strengthen, encourage, and advise them: and he said, as the lord liveth , etc; using the same form of oath as before: so they came to Jericho ; together, which, as the above writer says f9 , was four miles from Bethel.
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 ויאמר559 לו אליהו452 אלישׁע477 שׁב3427 נא4994 פה6311 כי3588 יהוה3068 שׁלחני7971 יריחו3405 ויאמר559 חי2416 יהוה3068 וחי2416 נפשׁך5315 אם518 אעזבך5800 ויבאו935 יריחו׃3405
