Prophet
Elisha
Son of Shaphat; Successor to Elijah
c. 890-800 BC
Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire — Gustave Doré, The Holy Bible (1866), public domain
Biography
Elisha was called in 1 Kings 19 when Elijah threw his mantle over him as he plowed with twelve yoke of oxen. He burned his plow and yoke as a sacrifice of complete commitment, kissed his parents goodbye, and followed Elijah. He served as attendant until Elijah's ascension, then received the double portion he had requested. Elisha's miracles pattern and amplify Elijah's: cleansing bitter waters, multiplying oil for a widow, raising a dead child, feeding one hundred with twenty loaves (prefiguring Jesus's miraculous feedings), healing Naaman the Syrian leper, striking the Syrian army with blindness, and — uniquely — after his death, a corpse touched to his bones came back to life (2 Kgs 13:21). Elisha's ministry extended YHWH's grace beyond Israel's borders (Naaman was a Syrian general; the widow of Zarephath foreshadows this Gentile reach). Jesus cites both Elijah and Elisha at his rejection in Nazareth (Luke 4:25-27) as evidence that prophetic grace was always destined to include Gentiles. Elisha's ministry, parallel to Elijah's but more extensive, is the OT template for apostolic ministry after Christ's ascension.
Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me
Key events
- 1Called by Elijah at the plow
c. 850 BCE
- 2Receives Elijah's mantle at Jordan crossing
c. 848
- 3Raises the Shunammite's son
c. 845
- 4Heals Naaman the Syrian
c. 840
- 5Death; posthumous resurrection of corpse touching his bones
c. 800
More key verses
“The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha”
“his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child”
“there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian”
What they got right, and what they got wrong
Strengths
Faithfulness to his master; pastoral tenderness (especially to the Shunammite); miraculous discernment; boldness before foreign royalty.
Weaknesses
Periodic sternness (calling bears on the mocking boys at Bethel); had to discipline the unfaithful Gehazi.
Lessons
Receiving the double portion requires witnessing the master's translation. Successor ministry extends and amplifies rather than merely replicates. Grace reaches beyond ethnic boundaries.
Spiritual significance
Elisha models the successor prophet who does greater works because his master has gone. His Gentile-inclusive miracles (Naaman) foreshadow the apostolic Gentile mission.
How Elisha points to Jesus
Elisha's miracles (especially feeding a hundred with a small amount of bread) prefigure Jesus's miraculous feedings. The double-portion Spirit parallels Pentecost. The Gentile-inclusion pattern is the OT type of the post-Pentecost mission.
Elisha in Scripture
93 verses use this name, in 3 books. Open a book to read its mentions here. Text: Berean Standard Bible. Names repeat in Scripture, some of these verses may speak of another person called Elisha.
Old TestamentNew Testamentsegment width = share of mentions
Old Testament2 books · 92 mentions
1 Kings5 mentions
- 1 Kings 19:16You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.
- 1 Kings 19:17Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.
- 1 Kings 19:19So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.
- 1 Kings 19:20So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”
- 1 Kings 19:21So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s equipment, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.
2 Kings87 mentions
- 2 Kings 2:1Shortly before the LORD took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal,
- 2 Kings 2:2and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
- 2 Kings 2:3Then the sons of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
- 2 Kings 2:4And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
- 2 Kings 2:5Then the sons of the prophets at Jericho came up to Elisha and said, “Do you know that the LORD will take your master away from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied. “Do not speak of it.”
82 further mentions in 2 Kings — read them in the book.
New Testament1 book · 1 mention
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