2 Kings 2:16

“Look now,” they said to Elisha, “we your servants have fifty valiant men. Please let them go and search for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has taken him up and put him on one of the mountains or in one of the valleys.” “Do not send them,” Elisha replied.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The sons of the prophets address Elisha in Jericho immediately after Elijah’s departure, proposing a search party to locate their former master.

The words — הִנֵּה־ (hi.neh-) translates literally as “here!” or “look,” while נָא (na’) serves as the polite particle “please,” framing the servants’ urgent request.

The thread — The proposal that the Spirit of the Lord moved Elijah to an unknown location parallels the Spirit’s sovereign movement in 1 Kings 18:12, Acts 8:39, and Ezekiel 3:14.

Why it lands — The text records Elisha’s immediate refusal to authorize the search, requiring the reader to accept divine sovereignty over prophetic transitions without demanding physical proof.

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

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּva/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said אֵלָ֡יו'e.La/vto/ him הִנֵּה־hi.neh-here!נָ֣אna'please יֵֽשׁ־yesh-there אֶת־'et-with עֲבָדֶיךָ֩'a.va.dei./Khaservants/ your חֲמִשִּׁ֨יםcha.mi.Shim[are] fifty אֲנָשִׁ֜ים'a.na.Shimmen בְּנֵֽי־be.nei-sons of חַ֗יִלCha.yilability יֵ֣לְכוּYe.le.khulet them go נָא֮na'please וִיבַקְשׁ֣וּvi./vak.Shuso/ they may search for אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֲדֹנֶיךָ֒'a.do.nei./Khamaster<s>/ your פֶּן־pen-lest נְשָׂאוֹ֙ne.sa.'/Oit has carried off/ him ר֣וּחַRu.ach[the] spirit of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וַיַּשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙va/i.yash.li.Khe./huand/ it has cast/ him בְּאַחַ֣דbe./'a.Chadon/ one of הֶהָרִ֔יםhe./ha.Rimthe/ mountains א֖וֹ'oor בְּאַחַ֣תbe./'a.Chatin/ one of הַגֵּאָי֑וֹתha./ge.ya.'otthe/ valleys וַיֹּ֖אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said לֹ֥אlo'not תִשְׁלָֽחוּ׃tish.La.chuyou must send

King James Version

And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

Cross-references

1 Kings 18:12 I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
Acts 8:39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
Ezekiel 3:14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.
Ezekiel 8:3 He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.
Ezekiel 11:24 And the Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to Chaldea, to the exiles in the vision given by the Spirit of God. After the vision had gone up from me,
Ezekiel 40:2 In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows.