Favor · the best way to learn the Bible
2 Kings 2 Bible study: By a whirlwind into heaven
Elijah went up "by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:11); the chariot and horses of fire "separated them". Elisha's "double portion" (2:9) is, in Hebrew, the words the law uses for the firstborn's share (Deuteronomy 21:17). And the Elijah taken up here is the one Luke says "spoke of his departure" with Jesus on the mountain (Luke 9:31).
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the words behind the words, what most readers miss, and how it all leads to Jesus.
First week free, then $10 a month per person
“As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“In 2 Kings 2:11, the chariot of fire and horses of fire separated Elijah and Elisha, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
Is that in 2 Kings 2, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Everyone on the road knew
The chapter tells you the end before it begins: "When the LORD was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven, Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal" (2:1). It wasn't a secret on the road either. At Bethel the sons of the prophets asked Elisha, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" (2:3), and at Jericho they asked him the same (2:5). Both times he answered, "Yes, I know it. Hold your peace" (2:3, 2:5). Three times Elijah told him to "wait here" (2:2, 2:4, 2:6), and three times Elisha answered with the same oath: "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you" (2:2, 2:4, 2:6). The chapter doesn't say why Elijah asked him to stay. It tells what Elisha did: "Then they both went on" (2:6).
Where it leads to Jesus
Elijah speaks with Jesus
2 Kings 2:11leads toLuke 9:30-31
"Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:11). Luke tells of the day Jesus "went up onto the mountain to pray" (Luke 9:28): "Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:30-31). Luke doesn't cite 2 Kings 2; the link is the man himself. The Elijah whom this chapter sees taken up is the Elijah Luke names beside Jesus, speaking of what Jesus was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke doesn't say where Elijah had been, and these notes don't either.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about 2 Kings 2
That was a taste
The rest of 2 Kings 2 is waiting in Favor
- The Jordan, there and back
- "My father, my father"
- Taken, as Enoch was
- Healed to this day
- 10 questions as you read
- 11 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach 2 Kings 2 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
סְעָרָהse'arahsay se-a-RAH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "tempest, storm-wind". Strong's: "a hurricane storm(-y), tempest, whirlwind". The chapter uses it twice, once to say what will happen and once when it does: "When the LORD was about to take Elijah up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:1), and "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:11). These are its only two uses in 2 Kings. The chariot of fire and horses of fire "separated them" (2:11); it was by the whirlwind that Elijah went up. It is the word of Job 38:1: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind".
For your group
2 Kings 2 Bible study questions
- 1Three times Elijah told Elisha to wait, and three times Elisha said, "I will not leave you" (2:2, 2:4, 2:6). Who has God put in your life that you shouldn't leave, and what makes staying hard?
- 2Once Elijah was gone, Elisha had to strike the water himself and ask, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" (2:14). When have you had to take up for yourself a faith you first saw in someone else?
- 3The men of Jericho told Elisha plainly what was wrong: "the water is bad, and the land is barren" (2:19). What would it look like to name plainly to God what is wrong where you live, and ask him to heal it?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads 2 Kings 2 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
Start a Bible studyThe best way to learn the Bible
Favor opens up every chapter as you read.
Favor is a Bible study app for your phone or computer. It takes you through the Bible one chapter at a time, a few minutes a day, and shows you what's really there: the words behind the words, the moments most people miss, and how the whole story fits together. For you. For everyone.
Every chapter explains itself
As you read, short notes open up what's really going on, the details most readers walk past, and the honest questions people ask.
The Hebrew and Greek behind it
Tap a highlighted word to see the original, how to say it, and what it means, checked against the original-language texts.
Every page leads to Jesus
Watch promises made in Genesis kept in Jesus. Each line lights up on your map as you read.
Better together
Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together.
- 1
Start your free week
Sign up in a minute with your email.
- 2
Read a few minutes a day
Each chapter opens itself up as you go. Tap what you're curious about.
- 3
Bring your people, if you like
Send one link. Everyone reads the same chapter, then meets to talk.
First week free, then $10 a month per person
Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read 2 Kings 2 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach 2 Kings 2 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Start with 2 Kings 2
The best way to learn the Bible. For you. For everyone.
There's a seat for you at the table.
Start your free weekFirst week free, then $10 a month per person · Log in
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home