The Meaning of 2 Kings 2:16 Explained

2 Kings 2:16

KJV: 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.

YLT: and say unto him, 'Lo, we pray thee, there are with thy servants fifty men, sons of valour: let them go, we pray thee, and they seek thy lord, lest the Spirit of Jehovah hath taken him up, and doth cast him on one of the hills, or into one of the valleys;' and he saith, 'Ye do not send.'

Darby: and said to him, Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty valiant men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest perhaps the Spirit of Jehovah have taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some ravine. And he said, Ye shall not send.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 2:16 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 2:13-25 - Elijah's Spirit On Elisha
We, too, may have a double portion of Elijah's spirit, but everything depends on the purity of our hearts. Only the pure in heart can see, and if we can see into the spiritual, it is proof that our hearts are pure enough to become the residence of the Holy Spirit. Had Elisha been unable to see the translation of his friend, his nature would have been shown to be gross and sensual, and how should such a one have God's supreme gift?
When we receive this power, we must begin to use it at once. Whether we feel possessed of a fresh accession of spiritual dynamic or not, is immaterial. We must reckon that we have received, and must proceed to use; and as we make the attempt, the parting water will prove not only to ourselves, but to others, the reality of our experience. The reception of spiritual power is a quiet, secret act, known only to God and the soul; but the results are manifest to all. Hear these young men talk! Has God ever been known to take up a man and then cast him away on valley or mountain? That is not His way of dealing with those whom He loves and would honor. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 2

1  Elijah, taking his leave of Elisha, with his mantle divides Jordan
9  and, granting Elisha his request, is taken up by a fiery chariot into heaven
12  Elisha, dividing Jordan with Elijah's mantle, is acknowledged his successor
16  The young prophets, hardly obtaining leave to seek Elijah, cannot find him
19  Elisha with salt heals the unwholesome waters
23  Bears destroy the children that mocked Elisha

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 2:16 mean?

And they said to him Look now there are with your servants fifty men strong strong let them go please and search for - your master lest perhaps has taken him up the Spirit of Yahweh and cast him upon one of the mountains or into one of the valleys the valleys And he said not You shall send anyone
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֡יו הִנֵּה־ נָ֣א יֵֽשׁ־ אֶת־ עֲבָדֶיךָ֩ חֲמִשִּׁ֨ים אֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּנֵֽי־ חַ֗יִל יֵ֣לְכוּ נָא֮ וִיבַקְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־ אֲדֹנֶיךָ֒ פֶּן־ נְשָׂאוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הֶהָרִ֔ים א֖וֹ בְּאַחַ֣ת [הגיאות] (הַגֵּאָי֑וֹת) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֥א תִשְׁלָֽחוּ

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  And  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֡יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הִנֵּה־  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נָ֣א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
יֵֽשׁ־  there  are 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
עֲבָדֶיךָ֩  your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
חֲמִשִּׁ֨ים  fifty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
אֲנָשִׁ֜ים  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בְּנֵֽי־  strong 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
חַ֗יִל  strong 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
יֵ֣לְכוּ  let  them  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נָא֮  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
וִיבַקְשׁ֣וּ  and  search  for 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲדֹנֶיךָ֒  your  master 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
פֶּן־  lest  perhaps 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
נְשָׂאוֹ֙  has  taken  him  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
ר֣וּחַ  the  Spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיַּשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙  and  cast  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
בְּאַחַ֣ד  upon  one 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
הֶהָרִ֔ים  of  the  mountains 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
בְּאַחַ֣ת  into  one 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
[הגיאות]  of  the  valleys 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
(הַגֵּאָי֑וֹת)  the  valleys 
Parse: Article, Noun, common plural
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תִשְׁלָֽחוּ  You  shall  send  anyone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.