2 Kings 2:14

and smote the waters He acts upon the faith that he would receive from God the power which he had desired. He is in a degree to represent Elijah and therefore he acts as Elijah had done. After these words the Complutensian text of the LXX. gives καὶ οὐ διῃρέθη, -and they were not divided". This is represented also in the Vulgate -percussit aquas et non sunt divisæ". To explain this it has been said that at first Elisha took the mantle, and wrapping it together smote the waters, without any words, expecting the virtue to make itself apparent at once. When no effect was thus produced he then called upon Jehovah and the waters parted asunder. As there is no warrant in any Hebrew text for the words added in the Greek and Latin it is needless to point out that the above explanation is of no authority.

Whereis the Lord God[R.V. the God] of Elijah? The question does not imply any doubt of God's presence, of which Elisha had so lately seen a manifestation; but should rather be explained as an entreaty for His power to shew itself and give a foretaste of the spirit of Elijah which had been promised. -As if he had said: Lord God, it was thy promise to me by my departed master, that if I should see him in his last passage, a double portion of his spirit should be upon me. I followed him with my eyes in that fire and whirlwind; now therefore, O God, make good thy gracious word unto thy servant: make this the first proof of the miraculous power wherewith thou shalt endow me. Let Jordan give the same way to me as it gave to my master" (Bp Hall).

But at this point there is a difficulty in the Hebrew text. Immediately following the question just noticed come two words אַף־הוּא which the Massoretic pointing connects with what follows, and which the A.V. (and many later authorities) renders by -he also". The next word in the Hebrew=-and he smote". It is apparent at once that the collocation -he also and he smote" can only by an act of some violence be rendered -and when he also had smitten". But if the Massoretic text be adhered to, this is the only solution, and it has been retained in the text of the R.V. by the rule which fixed the accepted text as that which was to be translated. On the margin however the Revisers give -the God of Elijah, even He?" thus combining the two Hebrew words which cause the difficulty with the first portion of the sentence, and continuing -And when he had smitten &c." This, though not without some awkwardness, for אַף־הוּא nowhere else is found in the sense of -even he", yet seems better than the solution of the A.V. The LXX. merely transliterated the difficult words by ἀφφώ, and some interpreters of the Greek have treated this as a mysterious name of Jehovah, placed in apposition with -the God of Elijah". There is another Hebrew word אֵפוֹא = now, which in 2 Kings 10:10 the LXX. represents in the same way by ἀφφώ. Hence some have proposed that that word should be read here, and so the Massoretic pointing preserved. This would be rendered -Where is nowthe Lord God of Elijah?" The margin of R.V. though not free from difficulty seems the rendering to be preferred.

they parted[R.V. were divided] hither and thither The word is the same as in verse 8. By this the Lord confirmed the promise made to Elisha by Elijah, and shewed that the spirit of the master had been bestowed on the disciple.