2 Kings 2:2-6 - Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

It should seem that Elisha, as well as Elijah, had the knowledge of the great event about to be wrought. And indeed it was generally known, among the sons of the prophets. By what means the revelation was made is not said. But of what were the feelings of the school of the prophets, and of Elisha, on this departure of Elijah, we can only form conjectures. No doubt Elijah filled every hour, as the time drew on, in giving suitable instruction and consolation to those around him. There seems to have been a desire in the hoary prophet to have privacy, in that he so often requested Elisha to tarry behind him. Here, Reader! we may learn a lesson; how suited it is to dying men, and especially dying believers, to be free from much interruption. It is true, indeed, it becomes a most important office of the dying believer to leave a rich testimony behind him whose he is, and of his sure expectation of dying in the Lord. But this being done, the true believer in Jesus hath too much to say to Jesus himself to suffer interruption from the world, or the people of it. But here, dearest Lord Jesus, shall I not leave Elijah and his successor going from Gilgal to Bethel, and from Bethel to Jericho and Jordan, to contemplate thee in the garden of Gethsemane, and at the fare well supper? Oh! how sweet that discourse followed up and closed with prayer, in which thou didst commit thy people to thy Father before the awful night, when cold as it was, so as to compel the servants of the High Priests to make a fire to warm themselves, thy sweat and agony was so great as to induce great drops of blood falling to the ground from thy sacred body! Here, dearest Jesus! here is a subject enough to call up animation in the most lifeless heart. See Luke 22:39-44.