2 Kings 2:7 (DRB)

Passage

And fifty men, of the sons of the prophets, followed them, and stood in sight, at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan.

Nearby Context

2 Kings 2:5 The sons of the prophets, that were at Jericho, came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that, this day, the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace.

2 Kings 2:6 And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on together.

2 Kings 2:7 And fifty men, of the sons of the prophets, followed them, and stood in sight, at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan.

2 Kings 2:8 And Elias took his mantle, and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground.

2 Kings 2:9 And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee, that in me may be thy double spirit.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fifty", "sons", "prophets", "followed", "stood", "sight", and "distance". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fifty" and "sons", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And Elias said to him Stay here..." into verse 8's "And Elias took his mantle and folded...", so "fifty" and "sons" belong inside that flow. In 2 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fifty" and "sons" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.