2 Kings 2:12 
Context| NET © | While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” 1 Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. |
| NIV © | Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. |
| NASB © | Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. |
| NLT © | Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and charioteers of Israel!" And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his robe in two. |
| MSG © | Elisha saw it all and shouted, "My father, my father! You--the chariot and cavalry of Israel!" When he could no longer see anything, he grabbed his robe and ripped it to pieces. |
| BBE © | And when Elisha saw it he gave a cry, My father, my father, the carriages of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no longer; and he was full of grief. |
| NRSV © | Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. |
| NKJV © | And Elisha saw it , and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | While Elisha <0477> was watching <07200> , he <01931> was crying out <06817> , “My father <01> , my father <01> ! The chariot <07393> and horsemen <06571> of Israel <03478> !” Then he could no <03808> longer <05750> see <07200> him. He grabbed <02388> his clothes <0899> and tore <07167> them in two .<08147> |
| NET © | While Elisha was watching, he was crying out, “My father, my father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” 1 Then he could no longer see him. He grabbed his clothes and tore them in two. |
| NET © Notes |
1 sn Elisha may be referring to the fiery chariot(s) and horses as the Lord’s spiritual army that fights on behalf of Israel (see 2 Kgs 6:15-17; 7:6). However, the juxtaposition with “my father” (clearly a reference to Elijah as Elisha’s mentor), and the parallel in 2 Kgs 13:14 (where the king addresses Elisha with these words), suggest that Elisha is referring to Elijah. In this case Elijah is viewed as a one man army, as it were. When the Lord spoke through him, his prophetic word was as powerful as an army of chariots and horses. See M. A. Beek, “The Meaning of the Expression ‘The Chariots and Horsemen of Israel’ (II Kings ii 12),” The Witness of Tradition (OTS 17), 1-10. |
