Bible Strands
2 Kings 2:12
As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Elisha speaks at the moment Elijah is taken up into heaven, witnessing the transition before Elijah disappears from sight.
The words — The Hebrew term רֶכֶב (Re.khev) denotes the chariotry or military strength that Elisha identifies as Israel’s true protection.
The thread — The act of tearing garments in mourning appears in Job 1:20, while the theme of heavenly ascent is noted in Proverbs 30:4.
Why it lands — The text records Elisha’s immediate reaction to losing his mentor and the sudden absence of Elijah, prompting a physical sign of grief. It requires the reader to observe how leadership transitions are marked by visible mourning rather than theological explanation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot 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.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 13:14 When Elisha had fallen sick with the illness from which he would die, Jehoash king of Israel came down to him and wept over him, saying, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
- Job 1:20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
- Proverbs 30:4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!
- Isaiah 37:15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD:
- Isaiah 37:21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to Me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,
- Isaiah 57:1 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil.
- Mark 16:19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Luke 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
- Luke 24:51 While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven.
- John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.