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who was staying in Jericho
Jericho, known as the "City of Palms," is significant in biblical history as the first city conquered by the Israelites under Joshua. It symbolizes new beginnings and divine intervention. Elisha's presence in Jericho may indicate a continuation of God's work and blessing in the land. Jericho's location near the Jordan River also connects to the earlier miraculous crossing by Elijah and Elisha, emphasizing the continuity of God's power and presence.

he said to them
Elisha's role as a prophet is underscored here. His words carry the authority of God, and his communication with the sons of the prophets is a teaching moment. Prophets in the Old Testament often served as God's mouthpiece, providing guidance, correction, and revelation to the people.

“Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
This rhetorical question highlights Elisha's earlier warning and the futility of the search for Elijah. It serves as a reminder of the importance of faith and obedience to God's word. The phrase also reflects a common biblical theme where human understanding is limited, and trust in God's revelation is paramount. This moment can be seen as a test of faith for the sons of the prophets, illustrating the need to rely on divine wisdom rather than human effort.

The fifty sons of the prophets spent three weary days combing the hills for Elijah, fully expecting to find a body hidden somewhere in the ravines. Their arrival back in Jericho underscores the futility of relying on sight when God has already spoken.

• The scene mirrors the women who searched for Jesus’ body only to hear, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5).

• Like Abraham’s servants waiting at the foot of Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:5), these men miss the greater reality because they cannot yet imagine it.

• Their empty-handed return verifies the truth of Elisha’s earlier word, reinforcing that God’s word never fails (Isaiah 55:11).

Jericho, once cursed (Joshua 6:26) yet now hosting God’s prophet, becomes a fitting backdrop for a lesson on believing revelation over human reasoning.

• Elisha’s presence redeems a place formerly associated with judgment, hinting at God’s power to reverse curses (2 Kings 2:19-22).

• Just as Jesus chose despised places like Nazareth and Samaria to unveil divine truth (John 4:4-26), God plants His spokesman in Jericho to declare that His plans override human expectation.

• The phrase “staying in Jericho” shows Elisha is stationary, resting in God’s word, while the search party exhausted themselves—echoing Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet while Martha was “worried and upset about many things” (Luke 10:38-42).

Elisha speaks with calm, measured authority. His voice carries weight because it echoes the Lord’s.

• Prophets in Scripture do not merely predict; they interpret events (1 Kings 17:24). Elisha now interprets the fruitlessness of the search.

• Paul later urges, “Do not despise prophecies, but test all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). These men had tested Elisha’s prophecy the hard way; experience confirmed it.

• The prophet’s first words after their return are corrective rather than punitive—like Jesus with the Emmaus disciples: “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25).

Elisha’s gentle rebuke crystallizes the lesson: obedience is better than exploration when God has already spoken.

• His question recalls Samuel confronting Saul, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the LORD?” (1 Samuel 15:22).

• The spirit of the age says, “See for yourself.” Faith says, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

• Elijah’s translation foreshadows the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9-11). Searching for a body dishonored the heavenly reality God had just unveiled.

• Elisha’s successively performed miracles (2 Kings 2:14, 21, 24) prove that the mantle—both physical and spiritual—truly rests on him. The failed search thus spotlights the new prophet’s legitimacy.

2 Kings 2:18 records more than a mild “I told you so.” It celebrates God’s unfailing word, contrasts faith-rest with restless doubt, and publicly authenticates Elisha as Elijah’s successor. The empty-handed prophets stand as living testimonies that when the Lord speaks, no further investigation is required; obedience and trust are the rightful response.

Did I not say.--Or, command. Elisha could now fairly remind them of his authority. So the phrase "Go not" is, in the Hebrew, imperative. (Comp. "Ye shall not send,"2Kings 2:16.) With these words, the history of Elijah significantly closes. "Elias resembled Moses in courage and eloquence, and no other prophet was his equal. But when he withdrew from the world, that Providence which guided the destinies of Israel did not, therefore, forsake His people. A portion of Elijah's spirit passed to his disciples; and they are forbidden to seek their departed master in the desert: they must find among themselves the means of carrying on his work" (Reuss).

Thenius considers the entire section (2Kings 1:2 to2Kings 2:18) to be a distinct fragment of a lost history of Elijah. Its contents, he says, betray the same poetical(?) spirit as 1 Kings 17-19.