And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
He picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him, and struck the water with it, saying, 'Where is the LORD God of Elijah?' When he hit the water, it divided to both sides, and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha takes up Elijah's mantle and calls on God, who demonstrates His power by parting the waters just as He did for Elijah.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs immediately after Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, leaving his successor Elisha alone by the Jordan River. Elisha is testing whether God's power that worked through Elijah will now work through him. The parting of waters would have reminded witnesses of Moses parting the Red Sea and Joshua crossing the Jordan, establishing Elisha's divine authority as a prophet.
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