2 Kings 2:1

Take up Elijah. The Lord had given to Elijah a revelation of the fact that he would be taken to heaven, but unknown to him, this fact had also been revealed to Elisha and to the sons of the prophets (see PK 225, 226). The ascension of Elijah took place after Jehoram had begun his reign in Judah (2 Chron. 21:5, 12).

Elijah went with Elisha. Literally, “Elijah and Elisha went.” It was Elisha who was accompanying Elijah. From the time of his call it seems that Elisha was in constant attendance on Elijah, for he “went after Elijah, and ministered unto him” (1 Kings 19:21). The younger prophet was accustomed to perform such daily ministrations for his master as pouring water on his hands (2 Kings 3:11) and doing all such offices of kindly personal ministry as a son might perform for an aged father.

Gilgal. Probably not the Gilgal in the Jordan valley near Jericho, where Israel encamped after crossing the Jordan and where Joshua set up the 12 stones (Joshua 4:19, 20). Commentators have pointed out two difficulties in this designation: (1) the order in which the centers for the three schools are mentioned, Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho (2 Kings 2:1-4; cf. PK 225); (2) the expression “went down” being used to describe the journey from Gilgal to Bethel (2 Kings 2:2). The Hebrew word yarad, from which the expression is translated, means to descend and is not the word that would normally be used to describe a journey from Gilgal in the Jordan valley, about 700 ft. (213 m.) below sea level, to Bethel about 3,000 ft. (914.4 m.) above sea level. There was a Gilgal near the oaks of Moreh, near Shechem (see on Gen. 12:6; Deut. 11:30). This has been identified as the village of Jiljilia, in southern Samaria, 7 1/4 mi. (11.8 km.) north by west from Bethel, and has been suggested as this Gilgal. Actually Jiljilia is on practically the same level as Bethel on the same central ridge of Palestine; but since it is on a high hill and Bethel is not, anyone would probably think of going “down” when he set out for Bethel.