Elisha

ELISHA, the son of Shaphat, Elijah’s disciple and successor in the prophetick Ministry, was of the City of Abel-meholah, which some place beyond Jordan, in the Tribe of Reuben; but it was much more probably on this side of the river we have named, in the Tribe of Manasseh, ten miles from Scythopolis, towards the south, in the great plain which lies along the river Jordan. Elijah having received God’s command to anoint 1 Kings iv. 12. & xix. 16, 17, &c. Judg. vii. 22, 23.Elisha, the son of Shaphat, and constitute him a Prophet, came to Abel-meholah; and having found Elisha plowing with twelve pair of oxen, he came near to him, and threw his mantle over his shoulders. Elisha immediately left his oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Give me leave, I intreat you, to go and embrace my father and mother, and when this is done, I will follow you. Go, says Elijah, and return; for I, for my part, have done all I had to do. After this, Elisha killed a yoke of oxen, dressed the flesh of them with the wood belonging to the plow, and gave unto the people, and they did eat: then he arose and followed Elijah.

In the year of the World 3108, before J. C. 892, before the Vulgar Æra 896.We have observed already in the Article of ELIJAH, how Elisha was following his master, when the Lord took him up in a whirlwind, and removed him from the sight of mankind; and how he inherited Elijah’s cloak, together with a double portion of his Spirit¹. As soon as he came to the banks of Jordan with Elijah’s mantle, he smote the waters with it, which at first did not divide: whereupon Elisha said, Where is now the God of Elijah? and striking the waters a second time, they separated on both sides, and he passed over. Upon the sight of this miracle, the sons of the Prophets discerned, that the Spirit of Elijah had rested upon Elisha, prostrated themselves before him, and acknowledged him to be his successor.

In the year of the World 3109, before J. C. 891, before the Vulgar Æra 895.When he came to Jericho, the inhabitants told him, that the situation of their city was very commodious, but their water was bitter, and the land barren. Elisha hereupon called for a new cruse, and ordered salt to be put into it. When this was done, he went to the fountain of Jericho, threw the salt into the water, and made it healthy and drinkable, as it is at this day. As he was going afterwards to Bethel, the children of the place ridiculed him, saying, Go up thou bald pate, go up thou bald pate. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord; and at the same time two bears came out of a neighbouring forest, and devoured two and forty of them.

The Kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom having taken the field against the King of Moab, who had revolted from the King of 2 Kings iii. 1, 2, &c.Israel, marched into desart places, where they were distressed for want of water, and their army was in danger of perishing. The three Kings therefore went to Elisha, who was at that time luckily in the camp. Elisha seeing Jehoram the King of Israel, What have I to do with thee, said he? get thee to the Prophets of thy father, and to the Prophets of thy mother: and added farther, As the Lord liveth, were it not out of respect to Jehoshaphat the King of Judah, who is here present, I would not so much as look on thee. But now send for one who plays upon the harp; and while this man played, the Spirit of God fell upon Elisha, and he said, Thus saith the Lord, make several ditches all along this valley, for ye shall see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water, and you and your cattle shall drink of it. As he had foretold, so it happened the next night.

About the same time, the widow of one of the Prophets, came and told Elisha, that her husband’s creditor was determined to take her two sons and sell them, or make them slaves. Elisha multiplied the oil which was in this widow’s house, so that she had enough of it to discharge the debt.

Elisha went very frequently to Shunem, a city in the Tribe of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, and a certain matron was used to receive him, and give him entertainment at her house. As she had no children, Elisha promised her from God, that she should be delivered of a sonb. His prediction was soon followed with the effect. But some years after the child diedc. Elisha was then at mount Carmel; the mother of the child run thither, and was determined not to leave the Prophet, till he came to her house: thither therefore he went, and restored the child to life, by praying over him, and stretching himself upon him, in order to recover warmth in him.

Elisha being at Gilgald during a great faminee, one of the sons of the Prophets had an inclination to prepare something for his brethren to eat; and going into the field, he gathered his lap-full of wild gourds, and having put them in the pot, they were served up to Elisha and the other Prophets; but as soon as they had tasted of them, they cried out, that what was put before them was mortal poison. Elisha therefore ordered meal to be brought to him, threw some into the pot, and they perceived no more bitterness in that which they had complain’d of.

About the same time he multiplied twenty loaves of barley, and satisfied above an hundred persons with them.

Naaman, General of the King of Syria’s troops, having a leprosy, was advised to go to Elisha, in order to be cured of it. Elisha, without going out of his house, appointed him to go and wash himself seven times in the river Jordan, and he should be cleansed. Naaman, out of humour with this proposal, resolved upon returning: but his people represented to him, that what the Prophet required of him being so easy, he should at least try whether the waters of Jordan would cure him. He went therefore and bathed himself seven times, and was perfectly healed. After this he returned to Elisha, and offered him great presents; but the man of God resolutely refused them. Naaman desired therefore permission to load two mules with the earth belonging to the land of Israel, protesting that for the future he would have no other God but the Lord. He added, I entreat you to ask God’s pardon for me, if when my master goes into the house of Rimmon, there to pay his adorations, leaning, as is his custom, on my hand, I too go in, and there worship with him. The Prophet replied, Go in peace. And Naaman departed.

Some Interpreters² translate Naaman’s request as relating to what was past. I entreat you to pray to God for me: if, when the King my master has gone into the house of Rimmon there to worship, leaning at the same time on my hand, I too at the same place have worshipped with him; if I have done this, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. So that, in this sense, Naaman would have asked pardon for some fault before committed, and not permission for any future action; which indeed seems to us much the most probable.

2 Kings vi. 1, 2, 3.Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, did not imitate the disinterestedness of his master. He ran after Naaman, and in Elisha’s name begged a talent and two changes of garments. 2 Kings v. 20, 21, & seq.Naaman gave him two talents, and two suits of clothes, and ordered his own people to carry them as far as the city. Then Gehazi received them, and concealed them in his house. But Elisha, to whom God had discovered Gehazi’s action, reproached him with it, and told him, that Naaman’s leprosy should always cleave to him and his family. Accordingly at that very instant, Gehazi was struck with a leprosy, and departed from Elisha.

The sons of the Prophets going one day to cut wood upon the banks of Jordan, one of them let the head of his ax fall into the water. But Elisha cutting off a piece of wood, and putting it in the water, immediately the iron of the ax swimming upon the surface of it, came and fastened itself upon the wood.

In the Year of the World 3115, before J. C. 885, before the Vulgar Æra 889.The King of Syria was at war with the King of Israel, and never could imagine how all his designs came to be discovered and prevented by the enemy. He was told that the prophet Elisha revealed every thing to the King of Israel. Benhadad sent troops therefore to seize the Prophet while he was at Dothan: but Elisha struck them with a kind of blindness, so that he led them, without their discovering it, into the very city of Samaria. When they were there, he prayed to God to open their eyes, made them eat and drink, and sent them back to their master.

before the Vulgar Æra 885. 2 Kings vi. 24, 25. In the year of the World 3119, before J. C. 881,Some time after, Benhadad King of Syria, having besieged Samaria, the famine 2 Kings vii. 1, &c. b 2 Kings viii. 7, 8. c In the year of the World 3007. See 1 Kings xix. 15.was so great there, that the head of an ass was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a very small measure of a sort of parched peas, called Dove’s-dung, for five shekels; and a certain mother eat her own child. Jehoram, King of Israel, believing that Elisha could put a stop to this famine if he pleased, and imputing to him the calamities which it produced in the city, sent people to cut off his head. The Prophet had a revelation of his design, and ordered the door to be shut. The King’s messenger was scarce arrived before Elisha’s house, when the King himself appeared there, and made great complaints to him of the condition which the town was in. To this Elisha answered; Hear the word of the Lord, to-morrow at this same hour shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel at the gate of Samaria, and two measures of barley at the same price. One of the King’s officers hereupon replied, Were the Lord to open the cataracts of heaven, and rain down provisions, is it possible that what you say could prove true? Elisha answered, You shall see it with your own eyes; but shall not partake of this plenty. Accordingly the next night, the Syrians raised the siege, and it fell out according to Elisha’s prediction.

At the end of the seven years famine, which this Prophet had foretold, he went to Damascus b to execute the command which God had given to Elijah many years before c, of declaring Hazael King of Syria. At that time Benhadad King of Syria was indisposed; and his people having told him, that Elisha was in the country, he sent Hazael to him, one of his principal officers, to consult him, and enquire of him, whether it were possible for him to recover. Elisha answered Hazael, Go, tell Benhadad, that he shall be cured of his disease; but the Lord hath discovered to me, that he shall surely die: and continuing for some time without saying a word, he shed tears, and his countenance seemed to be changed. Hazael asked him, Why does my Lord weep? Elisha replied, because I know how many calamities you will bring upon Israel. You will burn their fortified towns, put their young men to the sword, dash to pieces their little infants against the ground, and rip up the women with child. Hazael did but too clearly verify these predictions. At his return, he stifled Benhadad, and having procured himself to be declared In the year of the World 3120, before J. C. 880, before the Vulgar Æra 884.King, he did an infinite deal of mischief to the Israelites.

About the same time Elisha sent one of the sons of the Prophets to anoint Jehu, the son of Jehoshaphat, and grandson of Nimshi, to be King, in pursuance of an order which the Lord had given to Elijah some years 2 Kings xix. 15.before. Jehu having received the royal unction, executed every thing that had In the year of the World 3097.been foretold by Elijah against Ahab’s family, and against Jezebel. See JEHU, AHAB, JEZEBEL.

Elisha falling sick of the indispösition 2 Kings xiii. 14, 15. In the year of the World 3165, before J. C. 835, before the Vulgar Æra 839.which he died of, Joash King of Israel came to see him; and he wept, saying, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. Elisha desired him to bring him a bow and arrows, and the King having brought them, he requested him to put his hands upon the bow, and at the same time the Prophet put his own upon the King’s, and said, open the window, which looks towards the east, and let fly an arrow; which he having done, Elisha said, this is the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: thou shalt be succesful against Syria at Aphek. Elisha desired him again to shoot against the ground, which he did three times, and then stop’d. Whereupon the man of God with some passion said, If thou hadst smitten five or six times, then thou hadst smitten Syria, till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

Elisha died, and that very year a band of Moabites invaded the land. Now it happened that as some of the Israelites were going to bury a man in the field, they saw these robbers, and threw the body which they bare, into Elisha’s grave. The body having touched Elisha’s bones, received new life, and the man stood upon his feet. This particular has been taken notice of by the Author of the book of Ecclesiasticus, in his encomium on Elisha, in these terms: Ecclus. xlviii. 13, 14.After his death his body prophesied: he did wonders in his life, and at his death were his works marvellous.

We read in some Authors, of very little authority indeed³, that upon the birth-day of Elisha, one of the golden calves of Gilgal lowed so loud, that its voice was heard as far as Jerusalem; and said, This is he who shall destroy their graven images, and break down their cast statues.

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