2 Kings 2:5 (WEB)

Passage

The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

Nearby Context

2 Kings 2:3 The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?” He said, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

2 Kings 2:4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.

2 Kings 2:5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from your head today?” He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”

2 Kings 2:6 Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” Then they both went on.

2 Kings 2:7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the Jordan.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sons", "prophets", "jericho", "came", "near", "elisha", "said", and "yahweh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sons" and "prophets", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Elijah said to him Elisha please wait..." into verse 6's "Elijah said to him Please wait here...", so "sons" and "prophets" 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 "sons" and "prophets" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.