What happens when Eliseus first strikes the Jordan with Elias’s fallen mantle?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The waters do not divide at his first strike. Eliseus asks where the God of Elias is, then strikes again. The waters divide to both sides and he crosses; the sons of the prophets at Jericho say Elias’s spirit rests upon him.

Chapter breakdown

When the Lord would take Elias up into heaven by a whirlwind, Elias and Eliseus are going from Galgal.

Challoner’s separate note explains heaven here as the air, the lowest of the heavenly regions.

Elias tells Eliseus to stay because the Lord has sent him as far as Bethel. Eliseus swears by the living Lord and Elias’s living soul that he will not leave him. They go down to Bethel. The sons of the prophets there come out to Eliseus and ask whether he knows that the Lord will take his master away from him this day. He says he also knows and tells them to hold their peace.

Challoner’s separate note calls the sons of the prophets their disciples. He says they seem to have had schools like colleges or communities at Bethel, Jericho and other places in the days of Elias and Eliseus.

Elias again tells Eliseus to stay, because the Lord has sent him to Jericho. Eliseus again swears by the living Lord and Elias’s living soul that he will not leave him. At Jericho, the sons of the prophets ask whether he knows the Lord will take his master from him this day. He again says he also knows and tells them to hold their peace. Elias then tells him to stay because the Lord has sent him as far as the Jordan. Eliseus repeats the same oath by the living Lord and Elias’s living soul, refusing to leave him. The two go on together.

Fifty men of the sons of the prophets follow and stand in sight at a distance, while Elias and Eliseus stand by the Jordan. Elias folds his mantle and strikes the waters. They divide to both sides, and both men cross on dry ground.

After they cross, Elias asks what Eliseus wants him to do for him before he is taken away. Eliseus begs that Elias’s double spirit may be in him.

Challoner’s separate note gives two explanations of double spirit: a double portion of Elias’s spirit, as the eldest son and heir, or Elias’s spirit which is double compared with what God usually gives his prophets.

Elias calls the request a hard thing. If Eliseus sees him when he is taken away, he will receive what he has asked; if he does not see him, he will not. As they walk and talk together, a fiery chariot and fiery horses separate them, and Elias goes up into heaven by a whirlwind. Eliseus sees him and cries out, calling him his father twice, the chariot of Israel and its driver. He sees Elias no more, takes his own garments and tears them into two pieces.

Eliseus picks up Elias’s mantle, which has fallen from him, returns and stands on the Jordan’s bank. He strikes the waters with the mantle, but they do not divide. He asks where the God of Elias is now. He strikes the waters again, they divide to both sides, and he crosses.

The sons of the prophets at Jericho, opposite him, see this and say that Elias’s spirit has rested upon Eliseus. They come to meet him and worship him, falling to the ground.

Challoner’s separate note explains their worship as an inferior, yet religious veneration for spiritual excellence rather than temporal excellence.

They tell Eliseus that fifty strong men are with his servants and can search for his master, lest perhaps the Lord’s spirit has taken him up and cast him upon a mountain or into a valley. Eliseus tells them not to send. They press him until he consents and tells them to send. Fifty men search for three days but do not find Elias. They return to Eliseus, who has remained at Jericho. He reminds them that he told them not to send.

The city’s men tell Eliseus that its location is very good, as he can see, but its waters are very bad and the ground barren. He tells them to bring a new vessel and put salt in it. They bring it. He goes to the spring, casts the salt into it and gives the Lord’s word that he has healed the waters and there will be no more death or barrenness in them. The waters remain healed unto this day, according to the word Eliseus spoke.

Eliseus goes up from there toward Bethel. Little boys come out of the city and mock him on the way, twice telling the bald head to go up. He looks back, sees them and curses them in the Lord’s name. Two bears come out of the forest and tear forty-two of the boys.

Challoner’s separate note says this curse, followed by a visible judgment of God, did not arise from passion or a wish for personal revenge. He explains it as zeal for religion, insulted in the prophet’s person, and divine inspiration. He says God thereby punished Bethel’s inhabitants, calls Bethel the chief seat of calf worship, and says they had trained their children in prejudice against true religion and its ministers.

From there Eliseus goes to mount Carmel, then returns to Samaria.

The story inside

The journey moves from Galgal through Bethel and Jericho to the Jordan. Eliseus refuses each instruction to stay, while the two groups of prophets ask about his master’s departure that day. Elias divides the Jordan and invites a request after the crossing. Eliseus asks for the double spirit; Elias makes seeing his departure the condition. The fiery chariot and horses separate them, and Elias rises by a whirlwind. Eliseus sees him, cries out, tears his garments and retrieves the fallen mantle. Back at the Jordan, the first strike does not divide the waters. His question and second strike follow, and he crosses. The prophets at Jericho recognize Elias’s spirit upon him but press for a search despite his refusal. Fifty men return after three days without finding Elias. The account then follows the city’s request about bad waters, the salt cast into the spring and the stated healing. On the way to Bethel, mockery precedes Eliseus’s curse and the two bears tearing forty-two boys. His route ends at Carmel and Samaria. Challoner’s five notes explain particular terms and events separately, with the schools qualified as seeming to exist and the double spirit given two possible meanings.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The two Jordan crossings are not identical in their details. Elias folds his mantle, strikes once and both men cross on dry ground. Eliseus’s first strike with the fallen mantle does not divide the waters; he asks where the God of Elias is, strikes again and crosses. The prophets’ statement follows what they see. Leaving out the first strike changes this sequence.
2
The search begins with a possibility proposed by the prophets, not a reported landing place for Elias. They suggest that the Lord’s spirit might have cast him on a mountain or into a valley. Eliseus first refuses, then consents after their pressure. Fifty men search for three days and find nothing; his reminder on their return points back to the instruction they pressed him to change.
3
The chapter and its notes must be read with their different voices intact. The verses report the salt, the Lord’s healing word, the mockery, the curse and the bears. Challoner supplies an explanation of the curse’s purpose and Bethel’s religious background. His schools note preserves uncertainty, and his double-spirit note gives alternatives. Turning these explanations into unqualified Scripture statements loses those distinctions.

Test your recall

How do Elias’s condition, Eliseus’s seeing his departure, the two strikes at the Jordan and the prophets’ observation lead to their statement that Elias’s spirit rests upon Eliseus?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 38061–38070
4 Kings Chapter 2 Eliseus will not part from Elias. The water of the Jordan is divided by Elias’ cloak. Elias is taken up in a fiery chariot, and his double spirit is given to Eliseus. Eliseus healeth the waters by casting in salt. Boys are torn by bears for mocking Eliseus. 2:1. And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias, into heaven, by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal.
Lines 38071–38073
Heaven.... By heaven here is meant the air, the lowest of the heavenly regions.
Lines 38074–38083
2:2. And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel, 2:3. The sons of the prophets, that were at Bethel, came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that, this day, the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it: hold your peace.
Lines 38084–38087
The sons of the prophets.... That is, the disciples of the prophets; who seem to have had their schools, like colleges or communities, in Bethel, Jericho, and other places in the days of Elias and Eliseus.
Lines 38088–38099
2:4. And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come to Jericho, 2:5. The sons of the prophets, that were at Jericho, came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that, this day, the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace. 2:6. And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on together.
Lines 38100–38106
2:7. And fifty men, of the sons of the prophets, followed them, and stood in sight, at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan. 2:8. And Elias took his mantle, and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground.
Lines 38107–38110
2:9. And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee, that in me may be thy double spirit.
Lines 38111–38114
Double spirit.... A double portion of thy spirit, as the eldest son and heir: or thy spirit which is double in comparison of that which God usually imparteth to his prophets.
Lines 38115–38126
2:10. And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it. 2:11. And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold, a fiery chariot and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2:12. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces.
Lines 38127–38134
2:13. And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood on the bank of the Jordan; 2:14. And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over.
Lines 38135–38138
2:15. And the sons of the prophets, at Jericho, who were over against him, seeing it, said: The spirit of Elias hath rested upon Eliseus. And coming to meet him, they worshipped him, falling to the ground.
Lines 38139–38141
They worshipped him.... viz., with an inferior, yet religious veneration, not for any temporal, but spiritual excellency.
Lines 38142–38152
2:16. And they said to him: Behold, there are with thy servants, fifty strong men, that can go, and seek thy master, lest, perhaps, the spirit of the Lord, hath taken him up and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said: Do not send. 2:17. But they pressed him, till he consented, and said: Send. And they sent fifty men: and they sought three days, but found him not. 2:18. And they came back to him: for he abode at Jericho, and he said to them: Did I not say to you? Do not send.
Lines 38153–38166
2:19. And the men of the city, said to Eliseus: Behold the situation of this city is very good, as thou, my lord, seest: but the waters are very bad, and the ground barren. 2:20. And he said: Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into it. And when they had brought it, 2:21. He went out to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it, and said: Thus saith the Lord: I have healed these waters, and there shall be no more in them death or barrenness. 2:22. And the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Eliseus, which he spoke.
Lines 38167–38174
2:23. And he went up from thence to Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, little boys came out of the city and mocked him, saying: Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head. 2:24. And looking back, he saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord: and there came forth two bears out of the forest, and tore of them, two and forty boys.
Lines 38175–38182
Cursed them.... This curse, which was followed by so visible a judgment of God, was not the effect of passion, or of a desire of revenging himself; but of zeal for religion, which was insulted by these boys, in the person of the prophet; and of a divine inspiration: God punishing in this manner the inhabitants of Bethel, (the chief seat of the calf worship,) who had trained up their children in a prejudice against the true religion and its ministers.
Lines 38183–38186
2:25. And from thence he went to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.