2 Kings 2:8 - Exposition

And Elijah took his mantle (the LXX . have τὸν μηλωτήν ); the sheep-skin cape or capote, which covered his shoulders. And wrapped it together; rather, and rolled it up ( εἴλησε , LXX .); so that it resembled in some degree a rod or staff. And [with this he] smote the waters ; consciously imitating the act of Moses when he "stretched out his hand over the Red Sea" ( Exodus 14:21 ), and divided its waters asunder. And they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. The parallelism with the miraculous acts of Moses and Joshua ( Joshua 3:13 ) is obvious, and allowed even by those who view the acts themselves as having no historical foundation. It was intended that Israel should regard Elijah and Elisha as a second Moses and Joshua, and should therefore yield them a ready obedience. If miracles are impossible, cadit quaestio ; exegesis of Scripture, and even reading of Scripture, may as well be put aside. But if they are possible, and have a place in the Divine economy, here was a worthy occasion for them. The powers of the world were arrayed against the cause of true religion and so against God; the cause was about to lose its great champion and assertor, Elijah; a weaker successor was about to take his place;—without some manifest display of supernatural might the cause of religion would evidently have lost ground, perhaps have been ruined altogether. It pleased God, therefore, just at this time, to grant that signs and wonders of an extraordinary character should be done by the hands of his servants Elijah and Elisha, that a halo of mystic glory should encircle them, for the better sustentation of his own cause against his adversaries, for the exaltation and glorification of his faithful ones, and for the confusion and dismay of those who were opposed to them. Now, surely, if ever, was there a dignus vindice nodus , justifying a miraculous interposition.