King James Version

What Does 2 Kings 2:11 Mean?

“And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Context

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. Thou hast: Heb. Thou hast done hard in asking

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

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.

He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; bank: Heb. lip

Read full chapter →

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(11) **And it came to pass . . . talked.**—Literally, *And it came to pass, they* (emphatic) *were walking a walking and talking, i.e.*, were going on farther and farther, talking as they went. Whither they went is not told; probably some height of the mountains of Gilead, Elijah’s native country, was the scene of his departure. (Comp. Deuteronomy 34:5; Numbers 20:28.) **That, behold, there appeared . . . fire.**—Literally, *and, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire. Rèkeb* is generally collective; so the Targum here. (Comp. 2Kings 6:17 : “Horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”) **Parted them both asunder.**—Or, *made parting between them twain, i.e.*, the appearance of fiery chariots and horses came between Elijah and Elisha, surrounding the former as with a flaming war-host. (Comp. 2Kings 6:17.) **Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.**—Rather, *Elijah went up in the storm heavenward,* or, perhaps, *into the air.* *Sĕ‘ārāh*, properly *storm-blast;* and so *storm, thunderstorm*. (Comp. Ezekiel 1:4, *seq.,* where Jehovah appears in a “whirlwind,” which is described as a great fiery cloud; and Job 38:1, where He answers Job “out of the whirlwind;” and Nehemiah 1:3 : “The Lord hath His path in whirlwind and in storm (*sĕ‘ārāh*), and the clouds are the dust of His feet.”) The Hebrew mind recognised the presence and working of Jehovah in the terrific phenomena of nature; the thunder-cloud or storm-wind was His chariot, the thunder His voice, the lightning His arrow. (Comp. Psalm 18:6-15; Psalm 104:3.) We must therefore be cautious of taking the words before us in too literal a sense. The essential meaning of the passage is this, that God suddenly took Elijah to Himself, amid a grand display of His power in and through the forces of nature. The popular conception, which we see embodied in such pictures as William Blake’s Translation of Elijah, that the prophet ascended to heaven in a fiery car drawn by horses of fire, is plainly read into, rather than gathered from, the sacred text. **Went up.**—Bähr *may* be right in asserting that ‘*ālāh* here means “disappeared, was consumed” (like the German *aufgehen*). He compares Judges 20:40, “The whole city *went up heavenward*,” *i.e.*, was consumed, and the Hebrew name of the burnt offering (*‘ôlāh*). But the same phrase (“to go up to heaven”) is used in Psalm 107:26 of a ship rising heavenward on the stormy waves. As regards the miraculous removal of Elijah and Enoch (Genesis 5:24), Von Gerlach remarks: “All such questions as whither they were removed, and where they now are, and what changes they underwent in translation, are left unanswered by the Scriptures.” It may be added, that the ascension of Elijah into heaven is nowhere alluded to in the rest of the Bible.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

2 Kings 2:11 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.