Discovery Box2 Kings 2:12 
Context2:12 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.
2 Kings 6:30
Context6:30 When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he was passing by on the wall, the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes. 2
2 Kings 17:21
Context17:21 He tore Israel away from David’s dynasty, and Jeroboam son of Nebat became their king. 3 Jeroboam drove Israel away 4 from the Lord and encouraged them to commit a serious sin. 5
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.
2 tn Heb “the people saw, and look, [there was] sackcloth against his skin underneath.”
3 tn Heb “and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king.”
4 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) assumes the verb is נָדָא (nada’), an alternate form of נָדָה (nadah), “push away.” The marginal reading (Qere) assumes the verb נָדָח (nadakh), “drive away.”
5 tn Heb “a great sin.”
