2 Kings 2:2

2 Kings 2:2

And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

a. ASV: And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for Jehovah hath sent me as far as Beth-el. And Elisha said, As Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el.

b. YLT: And Elijah saith unto Elisha, 'Abide, I pray thee, here, for Jehovah hath sent me unto Beth-El;' and Elisha saith, 'Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, if I leave thee;' and they go down to Beth-El.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha replied, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel.

d. Septuagint: And Eliu said to Elisaie, Stay here, I pray thee; for God has sent me to Baethel. And Elisaie said, [As] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, I will not leave thee; so they came to Baethel.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here , for HASHEM has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, [I swear] as HASHEM lives and by your life that I shall not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.

1. “And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel…”

a. [And] Elijah [Strong: 452 ʼÊlîyâh, ay-lee-yaw'; or prolonged אֵלִיָּהוּ ʼÊlîyâhûw; from H410 and H3050; God of Jehovah; Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of two other Israelites:—Elijah, Eliah.] [The KJV translates Strong's H452 in the following manner: Elijah (69x), Eliah (2x).]

b. said [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, ×expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.] [The KJV translates Strong's H559 in the following manner: said (4,874x), speak (179x), answer (99x), command (30x), tell (29x), call (7x), promised (6x), miscellaneous (84x).]

c. unto [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. Elisha [Strong: 477  ʼĔlîyshâʻ, el-ee-shaw'; contracted for H474.; Elisha, the famous prophet:—Elisha.] [The KJV translates Strong's H477 in the following manner: Elisha (58x).]

e. Tarry here [Strong: 3427 yâshab, yaw-shab'; a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:—(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, × fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, × marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3427 in the following manner: dwell (437x), inhabitant (221x), sit (172x), abide (70x), inhabit (39x), down (26x), remain (23x), in (22x), tarry (19x), set (14x), continue (5x), place (7x), still (5x), taken (5x), miscellaneous (23x).]

f. I pray thee [Strong: 4994 na' naw a primitive particle of incitement and entreaty, which may usually be rendered: "I pray," "now," or "then"; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction:--I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.]

g. for [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

h. [the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3068 in the following manner: LORD (6,510x), GOD (4x), JEHOVAH (4x), variant (1x).]

i. [hath] sent [me] [Strong: 7971 shâlach, shaw-lakh'; a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):—× any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, × earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).] [The KJV translates Strong's H7971 in the following manner: send (566x), go (73x), (send, put, ...) forth (54x), send away (48x), lay (14x), send out (12x), put (10x), put away (7x), cast out (7x), stretch out (5x), cast (5x), set (5x), put out (4x), depart (4x), soweth (3x), loose (3x), miscellaneous (22x).]

j. [to] Bethel [Strong: 1008 Bêyth-ʼÊl, bayth-ale'; from H1004 and H410; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine:—Beth-el.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1008 in the following manner: Bethel (66x), non translated variable (4x).]

2. “...And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.”

a. [And] Elisha [Strong: 477  ʼĔlîyshâʻ, el-ee-shaw'; contracted for H474.; Elisha, the famous prophet:—Elisha.] [The KJV translates Strong's H477 in the following manner: Elisha (58x).]

b. said [unto him] [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, ×expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.] [The KJV translates Strong's H559 in the following manner: said (4,874x), speak (179x), answer (99x), command (30x), tell (29x), call (7x), promised (6x), miscellaneous (84x).]

c. [As the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3068 in the following manner: LORD (6,510x), GOD (4x), JEHOVAH (4x), variant (1x).]

d. liveth [Strong: 2416 chay khah'-ee from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.]

e. [and as thy] soul [Strong: 5315 nephesh, neh'-fesh; from H5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):—any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (×in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, ×would have it.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5315 in the following manner: soul (475x), life (117x), person (29x), mind (15x), heart (15x), creature (9x), body (8x), himself (8x), yourselves (6x), dead (5x), will (4x), desire (4x), man (3x), themselves (3x), any (3x), appetite (2x), miscellaneous (47x).]

f. liveth [Strong: 2416 chay khah'-ee from 2421; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively:--+ age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude, + (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.]

g. [I will] not [Strong: 518 'im eem a primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrog., whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not:--(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), + but, either, + except, + more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, + save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, + surely (no more, none, not), though, + of a truth, + unless, + verily, when, whereas, whether, while, + yet.]

h. leave [thee] [Strong: 5800 ʻâzab, aw-zab'; a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.:—commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, × surely.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5800 in the following manner: forsake (129x), leave (72x), leave off (4x), faileth (2x), fortify (2x), help (2x), committeth (1x), destitute (1x), refuseth (1x), surely (1x).]

i. [so they] went down [Strong: 3318 yârad, yaw-rad'; a primitive root; to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications):—×abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, × indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3381 in the following manner: (come, go, etc) down (340x), descend (18x), variant (2x), fell (2x), let (1x), abundantly (1x), down by (1x), indeed (1x), put off (1x), light off (1x), out (1x), sank (1x), subdued (1x), take (1x).]

j. [to] Bethel [Strong: 1008 Bêyth-ʼÊl, bayth-ale'; from H1004 and H410; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine:—Beth-el.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1008 in the following manner: Bethel (66x), non translated variable (4x).]

1). From the passage 2 Kings 2:1-15 it is clear that Elisha knew that Elijah was going to be taken up. This why he refused to part with Elijah.

a). 2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

b). 2 Kings 2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.