PERSON · PROPHET

Elisha

Elisha was called by Elijah at God's direction and received a double portion of Elijah's spirit, confirmed by the other prophets who witnessed him part the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:9–15). He directed the anointing of Jehu as king over Israel, which fulfilled the LORD's earlier word of judgment against the house of Ahab (2 Kings 9:1–3; 1 Kings 19:16–17). Jesus cited Elisha's healing of Naaman the Syrian as an example of a prophet's ministry extending to a foreigner (Luke 4:27).

1 Kings 19:19–21

Ministry: Northern Kingdom of Israel, reigns of Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash (approximately 850–800 BC)

The Story

He was plowing — twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him and the twelfth yoke under his own hand — when a man he had likely heard of but perhaps never met threw a mantle over his shoulders and walked on. That single gesture, recorded in the closing verses of 1 Kings 19, was Elisha's call. No thunderclap, no burning bush, no angelic visitation that Scripture records. Just a cloak, and a man walking away. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, asked only to kiss his father and mother farewell, and then arose and followed him. The text adds one quiet detail: he slaughtered the oxen, burned the plowing instruments, and gave the meat to the people. He left nothing to return to.

For some years after that, Scripture tells us, Elisha ministered to Elijah — a servant before he was a master, an apprentice before he was the voice of God to a generation. The precise length of that season the text does not measure, but when Elijah's end drew near and the two of them traveled from Gilgal toward the Jordan, Elisha clung to his teacher with a tenacity that reads almost like defiance. Three times Elijah told him to remain behind. Three times Elisha refused. The sons of the prophets — the companies of men who recognized these two figures — watched from a distance as they reached the Jordan, and they watched as Elijah struck the waters with his mantle and the river parted and they crossed over on dry ground.

What Elisha asked for in those final moments before Elijah was taken from him was not fame or long life or safety. He asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit.

⁹And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
2 Kings 2:9·KJV

It was, Elijah told him, a hard thing — yet if he saw him taken, it would be granted. He did see it. The chariot of fire and the horses of fire, the whirlwind — and Elijah gone. Elisha took up the mantle that had fallen from him, struck the Jordan with it, and called on the God of Elijah. The waters parted again. The sons of the prophets who had kept watch from across the river saw it and said, simply, that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha.

¹⁵And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
2 Kings 2:15·KJV

The succession was confirmed not by institution but by the same power that had marked the first.

Life & Legacy

Death

Scripture

Elisha fell ill with the sickness of which he would die, and King Joash of Israel came down to him and wept over him (2 Kings 13:14). He died and was buried, and later a dead man was revived when his body touched Elisha's bones in the tomb (2 Kings 13:20–21).

2 Kings 13:14–21

Legacy

Scripture

Elisha performed more recorded miracles than any other Old Testament prophet, including multiplying a widow's oil, raising the Shunammite woman's son, healing Naaman of leprosy, making an iron axe head float, and feeding a hundred men with twenty loaves (2 Kings 4–6). Even after his death, contact with his bones restored a dead man to life (2 Kings 13:21). He was mourned by King Joash, who called him 'the chariots of Israel and its horsemen' (2 Kings 13:14).

2 Kings 2–13

Character

Scripture

Scripture records Elisha as a man who ministered to individuals across social strata, from a poor widow (2 Kings 4:1–7) to the Syrian commander Naaman (2 Kings 5:1–14). He refused gifts for himself (2 Kings 5:16) and pronounced judgment on his servant Gehazi for accepting them deceitfully (2 Kings 5:20–27). He also demonstrated awareness of events and conversations happening at a distance (2 Kings 6:12).

2 Kings 4–6

Significance

Scripture

2 Kings 2:9–15; 2 Kings 9:1–3; Luke 4:27

DeathScripture

2 Kings 13:14–21

LegacyScripture

2 Kings 2–13

CharacterScripture

2 Kings 4–6

SignificanceScripture

2 Kings 2:9–15; 2 Kings 9:1–3; Luke 4:27

Roles

Prophet

In Scripture

1 Kings 19:19–21key

¹⁹So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. ²⁰And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? ²¹And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

KJV

2 Kings 2:1–18key

¹And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. ²And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth–el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth–el. ³And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth–el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. ⁴And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. ⁵And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. ⁶And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. … (12 more)

KJV

2 Kings 13:14–21key

¹⁴Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. ¹⁵And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. ¹⁶And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. ¹⁷And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. ¹⁸And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. ¹⁹And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. … (2 more)

KJV

2 Kings 4:1–44

¹Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. ²And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. ³Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. ⁴And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. ⁵So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. ⁶And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. … (38 more)

KJV

2 Kings 5:1–27

¹Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. ²And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. ³And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. ⁴And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. ⁵And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. ⁶And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. … (21 more)

KJV

2 Kings 6:1–33

¹And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. ²Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. ³And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. ⁴So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. ⁵But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. ⁶And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. … (27 more)

KJV

2 Kings 7:1–20

¹Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. ²Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. ³And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? ⁴If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. ⁵And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. ⁶For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. … (14 more)

KJV

2 Kings 8:1–15

¹Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. ²And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. ³And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. ⁴And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. ⁵And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. ⁶And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now. … (9 more)

KJV

2 Kings 9:1–3

¹And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramoth–gilead: ²And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber; ³Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

KJV

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