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2 Kings 2:6-8

Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.

Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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2 Kings 2:6-8 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.

Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground. When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.

    Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.

    Elijah took his mantle, and rolled it up, and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that they both went over on dry ground.

  • KJV King James Version

    And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

    And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

    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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And Elijah said unto him: 'Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to the Jordan.' And he said: 'As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.' And they two went on.

    And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood over against them afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan.

    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.

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Cross-references (14)

  • 1 Kings 19:19 (v8) So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the…
  • Exodus 14:21-22 (v8) Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land,…
  • Joshua 3:14-17 (v8) When the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people, and…
  • 2 Kings 2:14 (v8) He took Elijah’s mantle that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck…
  • 1 Kings 19:13 (v8) When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and…
Show all 14 cross-references
  • 2 Kings 2:2 (v6) Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel.” Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives,…
  • Psalms 114:5-7 (v8) What was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back? You mountains, that you skipped like rams; you little hills, like…
  • Isaiah 11:15 (v8) Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will…
  • Hebrews 11:29 (v8) By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up.
  • Joshua 3:15 (v6) and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water…
  • 1 Kings 18:4 (v7) for when Jezebel cut off Yahweh’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and…
  • 1 Kings 18:13 (v7) Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed Yahweh’s prophets, how I hid one hundred men of Yahweh’s prophets with fifty to a…
  • 2 Kings 2:17 (v7) When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” Therefore they sent fifty men; and they searched for three days, but didn’t…
  • Revelation 16:12 (v8) The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings that…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v8 To wit, of Jordan.

To wit, of Jordan.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv6–8 2Ki 2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v7 Stood to view; to observe this great event, Elijah’s…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv6–8 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv7–8 To view - To observe this great event, Elijah's…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Verse 7. Fifty men of the sons of the…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv7–8 2Ki 2:7. Fifty men stood to view — To…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv7–8 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets -…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv6, 8 Thee. Elias had tried the constancy of his disciple…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v8 Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv7–8 7. Fifty men… stood to view afar off —…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–8 6. to Jordan] The journey tends across the river…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–8 (6) Said unto him.—Syriac adds, “unto Elisha;” Arabic, as…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv6–8 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee,…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 fifty of the sons
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v8 2:8 Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the…
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