1 Kings 19:19

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ 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. ¹⁹ 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. ¹⁹ 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. ¹⁹ 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. 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. ¹⁹ 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. ¹⁹ 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. ¹⁹So 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.¹⁹ 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. ¹⁹ 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.

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
Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake."

Genesis 12:13
Say, I pray you, you are my sister; that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.

Genesis 12:13
Tell them you are my sister so that things will go well with me and I may be allowed to live because of you."

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 12:13
Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

Genesis 12:13
Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."

Genesis 12:13
"Please tell them that you are my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you."

Genesis 12:13
Therfor, Y biseche thee, seie thou, that thou art my sistir, that it be wel to me for thee, and that my lijf lyue for loue of thee.

Genesis 12:13
say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister, so that it is well with me because of thee, and my soul hath lived for thy sake.'

Genesis 12:13
Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared."

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.