Lectionary Calendar
Friday, April 25th, 2025
Friday in Easter Week
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

1 Kings 19:19

Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Agriculture;   Bullock;   Elijah;   Elisha;   Excuses;   Mantle;   Minister, Christian;   Obedience;   Plow;   Shaphat;   Thompson Chain Reference - Agriculture;   Agriculture-Horticulture;   Call, Divine;   Divine;   Elijah;   Elisha;   God;   God's;   Invitations, Divine;   Invitations-Warnings;   Leadership;   Ministers;   Plowing;   Silence-Speech;   Voice;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Agriculture or Husbandry;   Ox, the;   Ploughing;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jezebel;   Ox;   Sinai;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Elijah;   Elisha;   Farming;   Yoke;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Elijah;   Elisha;   Farm;   Mantle;   Shaphat;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dress;   Mantle;   Mulberry Trees;   Shaphat;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Discipline;   Economic Life;   Elisha;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Elisha;   Ox, Oxen, Herd, Cattle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - False Prophets;   Proverbs ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Shaphat ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Elisha;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'bel-Meho'lah;   Mantle,;   Sha'phat;   Yoke;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Husbandry;   Ox;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elisha;   Mantle;   Plow;   Prophecy;   Skin;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Adoption;   Agriculture;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 28;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.
Hebrew Names Version
So he departed there, and found Elisha the son of Shafat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke [of oxen] before him, and he with the twelfth: and Eliyah passed over to him, and cast his mantle on him.
King James Version
So 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.
English Standard Version
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.
New Century Version
So Elijah left that place and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field with a team of oxen. He owned twelve teams of oxen and was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah came up to Elisha, took off his coat, and put it on Elisha.
Amplified Bible
So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his mantle (coat) on him.
New American Standard Bible
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat while he was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah came over to him and threw his cloak on him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing wt twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: & Eliiah went towards him, and cast his mantel vpon him.
Legacy Standard Bible
So he went from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.
Contemporary English Version
Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.
Complete Jewish Bible
So he left and found Elisha the son of Shafat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he himself was behind the twelfth. Eliyahu went over to him and threw his cloak on him.
Darby Translation
And he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing [with] twelve yokes before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah went over to him, and cast his mantle on him.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Elijah left that place and went to find Elisha son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing 12 acres of land and was working on the last acre when Elijah came. Elijah went to Elisha and put his coat on Elisha.
George Lamsa Translation
So he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, and twelve ploughs were ahead of him, and he was one of the twelve; and Elijah came up to him and cast his mantle upon him.
Good News Translation
Elijah left and found Elisha plowing with a team of oxen; there were eleven teams ahead of him, and he was plowing with the last one. Elijah took off his cloak and put it on Elisha.
Lexham English Bible
So he went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him. When he and the twelve passed Elijah, he threw his cloak on him.
Literal Translation
And he left there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat; and he was plowing; twelve pairs were before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him, and threw his mantle upon him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he departed thence, & founde Elizeus ye sonne of Saphat, plowinge wt twolue yocke of oxen before him, & he him selfe was amoge the twolue. And Elias wete vnto him, & cast his cloke vpon him.
American Standard Version
So 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 over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him.
Bible in Basic English
So he went away from there and came across Elisha, the son of Shaphat, ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, he himself walking with the twelfth; and Elijah went up to him and put his robe on him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So he departed thence, & found Elisa the sonne of Saphat plowing, & hauing twelue yocke of oxen before him, and he with the twelue: And Elias went by him, and cast his mantle vpon him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So 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 over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him.
King James Version (1611)
So hee departed thence and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and hee with the twelfth: and Eliiah passed by him, and cast his mantle vpon him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he departed thence, and finds Elisaie the son of Saphat, and he was ploughing with oxen; there were twelve yoke before him, and he with the twelve, and he passed by to him, and cast his mantle upon him.
English Revised Version
So 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 over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him.
Berean Standard Bible
So 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Elie yede forth fro thennus, and foond Elise, sone of Saphat, erynge in twelue yockis of oxis; and he was oon in the twelue yockis of oxys, erynge. And whanne Elie hadde come to hym, Elie castide his mentil on hym.
Young's Literal Translation
And he goeth thence, and findeth Elisha son of Shaphat, and he is plowing; twelve yoke [are] before him, and he [is] with the twelfth; and Elijah passeth over unto him, and casteth his robe upon him,
Update Bible Version
So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke [of oxen] before him, and he [was] with the twelfth: and Elijah passed over to him, and cast his mantle on him.
Webster's Bible Translation
So 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.
World English Bible
So he departed there, 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 over to him, and cast his mantle on him.
New King James Version
So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
New Living Translation
So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.
New Life Bible
So Elijah left there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat. Elisha was plowing with twenty-four bulls, and was with the last two. Elijah passed by him and threw his coat on him.
New Revised Standard
So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he departed from thence, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, as he was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, he being with the twelfth, - so Elijah crossed over unto him, and cast his mantle towards him;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Elias departing from thence, found Eliseus, the son of Saphat, ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen: and he was one of them that were ploughing with, twelve yoke of oxen: and when Elias came up to him, he cast his mantle upon him.
Revised Standard Version
So he departed from there, and found Eli'sha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Eli'jah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him.
THE MESSAGE
Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.

Contextual Overview

19 Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you." Elijah said to him, "Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?" 21 Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He cooked the meat over a fire that he made by burning the harness and yoke. He gave the people meat and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and became his assistant.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Elisha: 1 Kings 19:16

he with: Exodus 3:1, Judges 6:11, Psalms 78:70-72, Amos 7:14, Zechariah 13:5, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:19

his mantle: 1 Kings 19:13, 1 Samuel 28:14, 2 Kings 2:8, 2 Kings 2:13, 2 Kings 2:14

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 11:5 - after the herd 1 Samuel 16:19 - with the sheep Amos 1:1 - who Matthew 9:9 - Follow Luke 4:27 - Eliseus Luke 5:28 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you."
Genesis 19:1
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while Lot was sitting in the city's gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
Genesis 19:7
He said, "No, my brothers! Don't act so wickedly!
Genesis 19:11
Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, with blindness. The men outside wore themselves out trying to find the door.
Genesis 19:14
Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. He said, "Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them.
Genesis 19:16
When Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. They led them away and placed them outside the city.
Genesis 19:17
When they had brought them outside, they said, "Run for your lives! Don't look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!"
Genesis 19:19
Your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness by sparing my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because this disaster will overtake me and I'll die.
Genesis 19:22
Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.)
Genesis 19:25
So he overthrew those cities and all that region, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew from the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So he departed thence,.... From Mount Horeb, and came to Abelmeholah, which Bunting computes z at one hundred and fifty six miles:

and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; which may be understood either of twelve couple of oxen drawing one plough; which was a large number, but will not seem strange when it is observed, that Abelmeholah, where Elisha was ploughing, lay in the vale of Jordan, which was a clayey stiff ground, and required such a number of oxen to plough it up, especially at the first tilling of it, as this might be a; compare 1 Kings 4:12 A late traveller b observes, that at Damegraed, in upper Egypt on the Nile, six oxen yoked to plough had a great deal of difficulty to turn up the ground; or else, as the Jewish writers generally understand it, there were twelve ploughs, and a yoke of oxen to each, and a ploughman to attend everyone, and Elisha attended the twelfth; or was with one of the twelve, as the Targum, and might have the oversight of them all; Kimchi thinks, and so Abarbiuel after him, that this signified that he should be leader of the twelve tribes of Israel:

and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him; the skirts of it.

z Travels, &c. p. 204. a See Fuller's Pisgah-Sight, &c. B. 2. ch. 8. p. 175. b Norden's Travels in Egypt and Arabia, vol. 2. p. 85.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Plowing - Elisha’s occupation is an indication of his character. He is emphatically a man of peace. He passes the year in those rural occupations which are natural to the son of a wealthy yeoman - superintending the field-laborers himself, and taking a share in their toils. He thus presents a strong contrast to the stern, harsh, rugged Gileadite, who is almost half an Arab, who seems to have no settled home, no quiet family circle, who avoids the haunts of men, and is content for months to dwell in a cavern instead of under a roof.

With twelve yoke of oxen - He was plowing in a field with eleven other plows at work, each drawn by one yoke of oxen. Plowing with a single pair of oxen was the practice in Egypt, in Assyria, in Palestine, and in modern times throughout Western Asia.

Passed by him - Rather, “crossed over to him.” Perhaps it is meant that he crossed the stream of the Jordan.

Cast his mantle upon him - The action is explained as constituting a species of adoption, because a father naturally clothes his children. The notion of fatherhood and sonship was evidently understood between them 2 Kings 2:9-12.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 19:19. Twelve yoke of oxen — Elisha must have had a considerable estate, when he kept twelve yoke of oxen to till the ground. If, therefore, he obeyed the prophetic call, he did it to considerable secular loss.

He with the twelfth — Every owner of an inheritance among the Hebrews, and indeed among the ancients in general, was a principal agent in its cultivation.

Cast his mantle upon him — Either this was a ceremony used in a call to the prophetic office, or it indicated that he was called to be the servant of the prophet. The mantle, or pallium, was the peculiar garb of the prophet, as we may learn from Zechariah 13:4; and this was probably made of skin dressed with the hair on. See also 2 Kings 1:8. It is likely, therefore, that Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha to signify to him that he was called to the prophetic office. See more on this subject below.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile