Bible Characters · Divided Kingdom

Elisha

Elijah's successor, who caught his falling cloak, received a double portion of his spirit, and did miracles for widows, a great lady of Shunem, and a Syrian general.

Divided Kingdom53 references in 3 booksIn theological review

The facts, as Scripture gives them

Lived
Dates not given in Scripture.
Region
Abel-meholah, his home; then Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, Samaria and Dothan in the northern kingdom. (1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 2:1-4; 2 Kings 6:13)
Work
A prophet of the LORD, successor to Elijah. (2 Kings 2:15)

Key verses

After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

2 Kings 2:9 (BSB)

Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.

2 Kings 2:14 (BSB)

What they did

  • Was found ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, slaughtered his own team, and followed Elijah. (1 Kings 19:19-21)
  • Refused to leave Elijah three times, asked for a double portion of his spirit, and saw him taken up. (2 Kings 2:2-12)
  • Struck the Jordan with Elijah's cloak: where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah? and the waters parted. (2 Kings 2:14)
  • Multiplied a widow's oil to pay her debts and keep her sons from slavery. (2 Kings 4:1-7)
  • Raised the Shunammite woman's son from the dead. (2 Kings 4:32-37)
  • Sent Naaman the Syrian to wash in the Jordan, and he was cleansed of leprosy. (2 Kings 5:10-14)
  • Made an iron axe head float, and prayed his servant's eyes open to the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:6; 2 Kings 6:17)
  • After his death, a dead man thrown into his tomb revived when he touched Elisha's bones. (2 Kings 13:21)

Family

Father
Shaphat (1 Kings 19:16)

Connected to

  • Elijah: His master, whose cloak and spirit he inherited (2 Kings 2:9-14)
  • Gehazi: His servant, struck with Naaman's leprosy for greed and lying (2 Kings 5:20-27)
  • Naaman: The Syrian commander healed of leprosy at his word (2 Kings 5:1-14)
  • The Shunammite woman: The wealthy woman who made him a room, whose son he raised (2 Kings 4:8-37)

Mentioned in

1 Kings, 2 Kings, Luke.

Every reference (53)

1 Kings 19:16 · 1 Kings 19:17 · 1 Kings 19:19 · 2 Kings 2:1 · 2 Kings 2:2 · 2 Kings 2:3 · 2 Kings 2:4 · 2 Kings 2:5 · 2 Kings 2:9 · 2 Kings 2:12 · 2 Kings 2:14 · 2 Kings 2:15 · 2 Kings 2:19 · 2 Kings 2:22 · 2 Kings 3:11 · 2 Kings 3:13 · 2 Kings 3:14 · 2 Kings 4:1 · 2 Kings 4:2 · 2 Kings 4:8 · 2 Kings 4:17 · 2 Kings 4:32 · 2 Kings 4:38 · 2 Kings 5:8 · 2 Kings 5:9 · 2 Kings 5:10 · 2 Kings 5:20 · 2 Kings 5:25 · 2 Kings 6:1 · 2 Kings 6:12 · 2 Kings 6:17 · 2 Kings 6:18 · 2 Kings 6:19 · 2 Kings 6:20 · 2 Kings 6:21 · 2 Kings 6:31 · 2 Kings 6:32 · 2 Kings 7:1 · 2 Kings 8:1 · 2 Kings 8:4 · 2 Kings 8:5 · 2 Kings 8:7 · 2 Kings 8:10 · 2 Kings 8:13 · 2 Kings 8:14 · 2 Kings 9:1 · 2 Kings 13:14 · 2 Kings 13:15 · 2 Kings 13:16 · 2 Kings 13:17 · 2 Kings 13:20 · 2 Kings 13:21 · Luke 4:27

Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.