2 Kings 2:14

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. 'Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?' he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּקַּח֩ אֶת־אַדֶּ֨רֶת אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֲשֶׁר־נָפְלָ֤ה מֵֽעָלָיו֙ וַיַּכֶּ֣ה אֶת־הַמַּ֔יִם וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אַיֵּ֕ה יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ אַף־ה֣וּא ׀ וַיַּכֶּ֣ה אֶת־הַמַּ֗יִם וַיֵּֽחָצוּ֙ הֵ֣נָּה וָהֵ֔נָּה וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר אֱלִישָֽׁע׃

Transliteration

And wayyiqqaḥ 'et-'adderet 'ēlîyāhû which-nāpəlâ from-upon-him and wayyakkeh 'et-the-mayim, and wayyō'mar, where [is] YHWH 'ĕlōhê 'ēlîyāhû? 'ap-he. And wayyakkeh 'et-the-mayim, and wayyēḥāṣû hēnnâ and-hēnnâ; and wayya'ăbōr 'ĕlîšā'.

Grammar Details

• *wayyiqqaḥ*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *lāqaḥ* - and he took
• *'adderet*: feminine singular construct of *'adderet* - mantle/cloak of
• *nāpəlâ*: qal perfect 3rd feminine singular of *nāpal* - it fell
• *wayyakkeh*: waw-consecutive + hiphil imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *nākâ* - and he struck
• *mayim*: masculine plural noun - waters
• *wayyō'mar*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *'āmar* - and he said
• *'ĕlōhê*: masculine plural construct of *'ĕlōhîm* - God of
• *'ap*: conjunction - also/even/indeed
• *wayyēḥāṣû*: waw-consecutive + niphal imperfect 3rd masculine plural of *ḥāṣâ* - and they were divided
• *hēnnâ*: adverb - here/to this side
• *wayya'ăbōr*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular of *'ābar* - and he crossed over

Word Meanings

• *'adderet*: mantle/cloak/robe
• *wayyakkeh*: he struck/hit/smote
• *'ayyēh*: where is
• *'ĕlōhê*: God of (plural form with singular meaning)
• *'ap*-he: even he/also himself/indeed he too
• *hēnnâ wāhēnnâ*: here and there/to this side and that side
• *wayya'ăbōr*: he crossed over/passed through

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? And when he also had struck the waters, they divided here and there: and Elisha went over.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  and toke the same cloke of Elias which was fallen from him, and smote it in the water, and saide: Where is now the LORDE God of Elias? And he smote it in to the water, and then parted it asunder on both the sydes, and Eliseus wente thorow.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  After, he tooke the cloke of Eliiah, that fell from him, and smote the waters, and sayde, Where is the Lord God of Eliiah? And so he also, after he had striken the waters, so that they were deuided this way and that way, went ouer, euen Elisha.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And toke the mantel of Elias that fel from him, and smote the waters, & he said: Where is the Lord God of Elias, & he him selfe? And when he had smitten the waters, they parted this waye and that waye: and Elisa went ouer.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where [is] the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah? and when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he taketh the robe of Elijah that fell from off him, and smiteth the waters, and saith, `Where `is' Jehovah, God of Elijah -- even He?' and he smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and Elisha passeth over.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he took Elijah's robe, which had been dropped from him, and giving the water a blow with it, said, Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? and at his blow the waters were parted this way and that; and Elisha went over.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?" When he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and said,“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water, it divided and Elisha crossed over.

Referenced Verses

• Ps 42:10 : 10 I say to God, my rock: 'Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?'
• Ps 115:2 : 2 Why should the nations say, 'Where is their God?
• John 14:12 : 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
• Acts 2:33 : 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
• Acts 3:12-13 : 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: "Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release Him.
• Joel 2:17 : 17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your heritage an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, “Where is their God?”'
• Mark 16:20 : 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the accompanying signs. Amen.
• Josh 1:1-9 : 1 After the death of Moses, the servant of the LORD, the LORD spoke to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, cross over this Jordan—you and all the people—into the land that I am giving to them, to the children of Israel. 3 Every place the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 Your territory will stretch from the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates River—all the land of the Hittites—and westward to the Great Sea, where the sun sets. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor abandon you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to obey all the law that my servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Judg 6:13 : 13 Gideon said to him, 'Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about, saying, ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.'
• 1 Kgs 18:36-39 : 36 At the time of the evening offering, Elijah the prophet approached and said, "LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel, that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your command. 37 Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people will know that You, LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back to Yourself. 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
• 2 Kgs 2:8-9 : 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" Elisha replied, "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit." 10 Elijah said, "You have asked for a difficult thing. If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not."
• Ps 42:2 : 2 As a deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.