the son of Shaphat, Elijah’s disciple and successor in the
prophetic office, was of the city of Abelmeholah, 1 Kings xix, 16, &c.
Elijah having received God’s command to anoint Elisha as a prophet, came
to Abelmeholah; and finding him ploughing with oxen, he threw his mantle
over the shoulders of Elisha, who left the oxen, and accompanied him.
Under the article _Elijah_, it has been observed that Elisha was
following his master, when he was taken up to heaven; and that he
inherited Elijah’s mantle, with a double portion of his spirit. Elisha
smote the waters of Jordan, and divided them; and he rendered wholesome
the waters of a rivulet near Jericho. The kings of Israel, Judah, and
Edom, having taken the field against the king of Moab, who had revolted
from Israel, were in danger of perishing for want of water. Elisha was
at that time in the camp; and seeing Jehoram, the king of Israel, he
said, “What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy
father, and to the prophets of thy mother. 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 a
minstrel; and while this man played, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon
Elisha, and he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make several ditches 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.”
The widow of one of the prophets having told Elisha, that her husband’s
creditor was determined to take her two sons and sell them for slaves,
Elisha multiplied the oil in the widow’s house, in such quantity that
she was enabled to sell it and to discharge the debt. Elisha went
frequently to Shunem, a city of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, and was
entertained by a certain matron at her house. As she had no children,
Elisha promised her a son; and his prediction was accomplished. Some
years after, the child died. Elisha, who was then at Mount Carmel, was
solicited by the mother to come to her house. The prophet went, and
restored the child. At Gilgal, during a great famine, one of the sons of
the prophets gathered wild gourds, which he put into the pot, and they
were served up to Elisha and the other prophets. It was soon found that
they were mortal poison; but Elisha ordering meal to be thrown into the
pot, corrected the quality of the pottage. Naaman, general of the king
of Syria’s forces, having a leprosy, was advised to visit Elisha in
order to be cured. Elisha appointed him to wash himself seven times in
the Jordan; and by this means Naaman was perfectly healed. He returned
to Elisha, and offered him large presents, which the man of God
resolutely refused. But Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, did not imitate the
disinterestedness of his master. He ran after Naaman, and in Elisha’s
name begged a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. Naaman gave
him two talents. Elisha, to whom God had discovered Gehazi’s action,
reproached him with it, and declared, that the leprosy of Naaman should
cleave to him and his family for ever. This is a striking instance of
the disinterestedness of the Jewish prophets. Elisha, like his master
Elijah, had learned to contemn the world. The king of Syria being at war
with the king of Israel, could not imagine how all his designs were
discovered by the enemy. He was told, that Elisha revealed them to the
king of Israel. He therefore sent troops to seize the prophet at Dothan;
but Elisha struck them with blindness, and led them in that condition
into Samaria. When they were in the city, he prayed to God to open their
eyes; and after he had made them eat and drink, he sent them back unhurt
to their master. Some time after, Benhadad, king of Syria, having
besieged Samaria, the famine became so extreme, that a certain woman ate
her own child. Jehoram, king of Israel, imputing to Elisha these
calamities, sent a messenger to cut off his head. Elisha, who was
informed of this design against his life, ordered the door to be shut.
The messenger was scarcely arrived, when the king himself followed, and
made great complaints of the condition to which the town was reduced.
Elisha answered, “To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine
flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in
the gate of Samaria.” Upon this, one of the king’s officers said, “Were
the Lord to open windows in heaven, might this thing be.” This unbelief
was punished; for the prophet answered, “Thou shalt see it with thine
eyes, but shalt not eat thereof,” which happened according to Elisha’s
prediction, for he was trodden to death by the crowd in the gate. At the
end of the seven years’ famine, which the prophet had foretold, he went
to Damascus, to execute the command which God had given to Elijah many
years before, of declaring Hazael king of Syria. Benhadad being at that
time indisposed, and hearing that Elisha was come into his territories,
sent Hazael, one of his principal officers, to the prophet to consult
him, and inquire of him whether it were possible for him to recover. The
prophet told Hazael, that he might recover, but that he was very well
assured that he should not; and then looking steadfastly upon him, he
broke out into tears upon the prospect, as he told him, of the many
barbarous calamities which he would bring upon Israel, when once he was
advanced to power, as he would soon be, because he was assured by divine
revelation that he was to be king of Syria. Hazael, though offended at
the time at being thought capable of such atrocities, did but too
clearly verify these predictions; for at his return, having murdered
Benhadad, and procured himself to be declared king, he inflicted the
greatest miseries upon the Israelites.
2. 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 given to Elijah some years before; and Jehu having received the
royal unction, executed every thing that had been foretold by Elijah
against Ahab’s family, and against Jezebel. Elisha falling sick, Joash,
king of Israel, came to visit him, and said, “O my father, my father,
the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” Elisha desired the
king to bring him a bow and arrows. Joash having brought them, Elisha
requested him to put his hands on the bow, and at the same time the
prophet put his own hand upon the king’s, and said, Open the window
which looks east, and let fly an arrow. The king having done this,
Elisha said, This is the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance: thou shalt be
successful against Syria at Aphek. Elisha desired him again to shoot,
which he did three times, and then stopped. But Elisha with vehemence
said, “If thou hadst smitten five or six times, then thou hadst smitten
Syria until thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria
only thrice.” This is the last prediction of Elisha of which we read in
Scripture, for soon after he died; but it was not his last miracle: for,
some time after his interment, a company of Israelites, as they were
going to bury a dead person, perceiving a band of Moabites making toward
them, put the corpse for haste into Elisha’s tomb, and, as soon as it
had touched the prophet’s body, it immediately revived; so that the man
stood upon his feet: a striking emblem of the life-giving effect of the
labours of the servants of God, after they themselves are gathered to
their fathers.
prophetic office, was of the city of Abelmeholah, 1 Kings xix, 16, &c.
Elijah having received God’s command to anoint Elisha as a prophet, came
to Abelmeholah; and finding him ploughing with oxen, he threw his mantle
over the shoulders of Elisha, who left the oxen, and accompanied him.
Under the article _Elijah_, it has been observed that Elisha was
following his master, when he was taken up to heaven; and that he
inherited Elijah’s mantle, with a double portion of his spirit. Elisha
smote the waters of Jordan, and divided them; and he rendered wholesome
the waters of a rivulet near Jericho. The kings of Israel, Judah, and
Edom, having taken the field against the king of Moab, who had revolted
from Israel, were in danger of perishing for want of water. Elisha was
at that time in the camp; and seeing Jehoram, the king of Israel, he
said, “What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy
father, and to the prophets of thy mother. 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 a
minstrel; and while this man played, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon
Elisha, and he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make several ditches 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.”
The widow of one of the prophets having told Elisha, that her husband’s
creditor was determined to take her two sons and sell them for slaves,
Elisha multiplied the oil in the widow’s house, in such quantity that
she was enabled to sell it and to discharge the debt. Elisha went
frequently to Shunem, a city of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, and was
entertained by a certain matron at her house. As she had no children,
Elisha promised her a son; and his prediction was accomplished. Some
years after, the child died. Elisha, who was then at Mount Carmel, was
solicited by the mother to come to her house. The prophet went, and
restored the child. At Gilgal, during a great famine, one of the sons of
the prophets gathered wild gourds, which he put into the pot, and they
were served up to Elisha and the other prophets. It was soon found that
they were mortal poison; but Elisha ordering meal to be thrown into the
pot, corrected the quality of the pottage. Naaman, general of the king
of Syria’s forces, having a leprosy, was advised to visit Elisha in
order to be cured. Elisha appointed him to wash himself seven times in
the Jordan; and by this means Naaman was perfectly healed. He returned
to Elisha, and offered him large presents, which the man of God
resolutely refused. But Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, did not imitate the
disinterestedness of his master. He ran after Naaman, and in Elisha’s
name begged a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. Naaman gave
him two talents. Elisha, to whom God had discovered Gehazi’s action,
reproached him with it, and declared, that the leprosy of Naaman should
cleave to him and his family for ever. This is a striking instance of
the disinterestedness of the Jewish prophets. Elisha, like his master
Elijah, had learned to contemn the world. The king of Syria being at war
with the king of Israel, could not imagine how all his designs were
discovered by the enemy. He was told, that Elisha revealed them to the
king of Israel. He therefore sent troops to seize the prophet at Dothan;
but Elisha struck them with blindness, and led them in that condition
into Samaria. When they were in the city, he prayed to God to open their
eyes; and after he had made them eat and drink, he sent them back unhurt
to their master. Some time after, Benhadad, king of Syria, having
besieged Samaria, the famine became so extreme, that a certain woman ate
her own child. Jehoram, king of Israel, imputing to Elisha these
calamities, sent a messenger to cut off his head. Elisha, who was
informed of this design against his life, ordered the door to be shut.
The messenger was scarcely arrived, when the king himself followed, and
made great complaints of the condition to which the town was reduced.
Elisha answered, “To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine
flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in
the gate of Samaria.” Upon this, one of the king’s officers said, “Were
the Lord to open windows in heaven, might this thing be.” This unbelief
was punished; for the prophet answered, “Thou shalt see it with thine
eyes, but shalt not eat thereof,” which happened according to Elisha’s
prediction, for he was trodden to death by the crowd in the gate. At the
end of the seven years’ famine, which the prophet had foretold, he went
to Damascus, to execute the command which God had given to Elijah many
years before, of declaring Hazael king of Syria. Benhadad being at that
time indisposed, and hearing that Elisha was come into his territories,
sent Hazael, one of his principal officers, to the prophet to consult
him, and inquire of him whether it were possible for him to recover. The
prophet told Hazael, that he might recover, but that he was very well
assured that he should not; and then looking steadfastly upon him, he
broke out into tears upon the prospect, as he told him, of the many
barbarous calamities which he would bring upon Israel, when once he was
advanced to power, as he would soon be, because he was assured by divine
revelation that he was to be king of Syria. Hazael, though offended at
the time at being thought capable of such atrocities, did but too
clearly verify these predictions; for at his return, having murdered
Benhadad, and procured himself to be declared king, he inflicted the
greatest miseries upon the Israelites.
2. 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 given to Elijah some years before; and Jehu having received the
royal unction, executed every thing that had been foretold by Elijah
against Ahab’s family, and against Jezebel. Elisha falling sick, Joash,
king of Israel, came to visit him, and said, “O my father, my father,
the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.” Elisha desired the
king to bring him a bow and arrows. Joash having brought them, Elisha
requested him to put his hands on the bow, and at the same time the
prophet put his own hand upon the king’s, and said, Open the window
which looks east, and let fly an arrow. The king having done this,
Elisha said, This is the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance: thou shalt be
successful against Syria at Aphek. Elisha desired him again to shoot,
which he did three times, and then stopped. But Elisha with vehemence
said, “If thou hadst smitten five or six times, then thou hadst smitten
Syria until thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria
only thrice.” This is the last prediction of Elisha of which we read in
Scripture, for soon after he died; but it was not his last miracle: for,
some time after his interment, a company of Israelites, as they were
going to bury a dead person, perceiving a band of Moabites making toward
them, put the corpse for haste into Elisha’s tomb, and, as soon as it
had touched the prophet’s body, it immediately revived; so that the man
stood upon his feet: a striking emblem of the life-giving effect of the
labours of the servants of God, after they themselves are gathered to
their fathers.