2 Kings 2 17

2 Kings 2:17 kjv

And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.

2 Kings 2:17 nkjv

But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send them!" Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him.

2 Kings 2:17 niv

But they persisted until he was too embarrassed to refuse. So he said, "Send them." And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him.

2 Kings 2:17 esv

But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him.

2 Kings 2:17 nlt

But they kept urging him until they shamed him into agreeing, and he finally said, "All right, send them." So fifty men searched for three days but did not find Elijah.

2 Kings 2 verses

2 Kings 2 17 Meaning

The verse details how the "sons of the prophets," skeptical of Elijah's extraordinary departure, persistently pressured Elisha to permit a search for Elijah's body. Yielding to their insistent appeals, Elisha allowed fifty men to search for three days. The definitive outcome, however, was that they did not find Elijah, serving as an undeniable confirmation of his miraculous ascension to heaven, rather than a mere disappearance or death.

2 Kings 2 17 Context

This verse is set immediately after Elijah's miraculous ascension to heaven in a whirlwind, observed by Elisha. The "sons of the prophets" were a group of disciples who followed and learned from Elijah and now Elisha. Having witnessed Elijah's ascent from a distance or heard of it, their human understanding struggled to reconcile such an extraordinary event. The preceding verses highlight their immediate pursuit of Elisha to inquire about Elijah's whereabouts, indicating a degree of disbelief or a desire for definitive, tangible proof of his absence rather than spiritual assurance. Their insistence underscores the profound and unique nature of Elijah's departure, a phenomenon without a common precedent in their lived experience.

2 Kings 2 17 Word analysis

• And when they urged him: The Hebrew term for "urged" is לָחַץ (laḥats), meaning "to press," "to squeeze," or "to constrain." This conveys their strong, insistent pressure on Elisha, indicating their skepticism and determination to pursue a physical search, despite Elisha's understanding of the divine event.
• till he was ashamed: The Hebrew בוֹשׁ (bôsh) often means "to be put to shame," "disappointed," or "confused." Here, it likely implies that Elisha conceded due to their persistent, almost embarrassing, badgering, perhaps to silence their doubt or allow them to witness the truth for themselves rather than to continue debating a clear divine act. It's Elisha being "put out" by their importunity, not shamed by a wrongdoing.
• he said, "Send.": Elisha's brief and decisive response reflects his ultimate yielding, yet without agreement with their underlying premise. His brevity conveys a resignation to their lack of spiritual insight but also his confidence that their search would be fruitless, thus providing undeniable evidence of Elijah's translation.
• Therefore they sent fifty men: The number fifty suggests a significant and substantial group, indicating a serious and thorough effort to locate Elijah. This was not a cursory look, but a well-resourced search, emphasizing the lengths to which they went for physical confirmation.
• and they searched for three days: The Hebrew for "searched" is בָּקַשׁ (bāqash), meaning "to seek," "to desire," "to search diligently." "Three days" is a common biblical period often associated with resolution, significant transition, or divine action (e.g., resurrection). Here, it signifies a complete and exhaustive search, a time for certainty to be established regarding the non-finding of Elijah.
• but did not find him: The Hebrew מָצָא (mātsāʾ) means "to find," "to discover." The emphatic "did not find him" serves as the critical outcome and direct answer to their skepticism. It conclusively negates the possibility of Elijah merely having been dropped by the Spirit in some remote place, affirming his unique and total removal from the earth, solidifying the miraculous nature of his ascension.
• Words-group analysis:
  • "Urged him till he was ashamed": This phrase encapsulates the tension between human logic/skepticism and spiritual reality. It highlights Elisha's patience and strategic permission, allowing others to verify God's mighty acts through their own physical effort and ultimate failure.
  • "Fifty men; and they searched for three days": This depicts the intensity and comprehensiveness of the human endeavor. It represents the limit of what physical effort and investigation can achieve when confronted with a supernatural, divine event, showcasing the futility of human searching in God's miraculous realm.
  • "but did not find him": This serves as the pivotal point, confirming the unique nature of Elijah's departure. It solidifies the truth of his ascension to the "sons of the prophets" and to readers, emphasizing that Elijah was truly "not," like Enoch (Gen 5:24), because God took him. This confirmed divine agency over human comprehension.

2 Kings 2 17 Bonus section

The account in 2 Kings 2:17 serves as a practical lesson on trusting in spiritual truths despite the lack of immediate physical evidence. It illustrates that God sometimes allows us to pursue a path that seems logical to us, even if futile, in order to deepen our faith and confirm a spiritual reality. This narrative effectively contrasts the carnal desire for physical validation with spiritual discernment. It foreshadows future events where absence (like Christ's body from the tomb) signifies a triumphant, supernatural event, not a problem. Furthermore, it validates Elisha's position as the rightful successor to Elijah, as he accurately understood the situation, unlike his peers.

2 Kings 2 17 Commentary

2 Kings 2:17 stands as a powerful testament to the supernatural reality of Elijah's ascension and the limits of human understanding and empirical investigation when confronting divine acts. The persistent demands of the "sons of the prophets" reveal a common human inclination to seek tangible proof even after a prophetic declaration. Elisha, understanding the spiritual truth, strategically allows their fruitless search. This incident functions as a pedagogical event, settling any lingering doubt among the prophetic community. Their exhaustive three-day search with fifty men, culminating in the complete absence of Elijah's body, leaves no room for naturalistic explanations. It underscores the unparalleled power of God to transcend physical laws, making it a foundational narrative for future understandings of bodily resurrection and translation, as exemplified by Enoch and later by Jesus Christ. The event firmly establishes Elisha's prophetic authority, demonstrating his clear discernment of God's will against the prevailing skepticism.