From: 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21
Elijah’s encounter with God
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[The Lord said to Elijah:] [16b] “Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you
shall anoint to be prophet in your place.”
The call of Elisha
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[19] So he departed from thee, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was
ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Eli-
jah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. [20] And he left the oxen, and
ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will
follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
[21] And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew
them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the peo-
ple, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.
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Commentary:
15-18. It is important to note that the “anointing” given to the prophet Elisha is
on a par with that given to the kings – and that there is already a reference here
to the remnant of Israel (cf. Is 4:3).
19-21. Elisha’s response to Elijah’s call is quite exemplary: he leaves everything
behind and puts himself at the disposal of the prophet. That will be how the apos-
tles respond to Christ (cf. Mt 4:20, 22; etc.), and it should be how anyone re-
sponds when the Lord calls him or her to a mission which involves leaving every-
thing. But the call issued by Jesus is more pressing than Elijah’s, as can be
seen from the Gospel passage where Jesus, in response to someone who says,
“I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home,” replies,
“No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of
God” (Lk 9:61-62). Obedience to a call involves a radical self-surrender: “Detach
yourself from people and things until you are stripped of them. For, says Pope
St. Gregory, the devil has nothing of his own in this world, and naked he comes
to battle. If you go clothed to fight him, you will soon be pulled to the ground: for
he will have something to catch you by” (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 149).
The name “Elisha” means “My God saves” and it epitomizes this prophet, just
as the name “Elijah” catches the essence of that prophet’s message: “My God
is the Lord.”
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
| Luke | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Luke 9 |
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| 51. | And it came to pass, when the days of his assumption were accomplishing, that he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. | Factum est autem dum complerentur dies assumptionis ejus, et ipse faciem suam firmavit ut iret in Jerusalem. | εγενετο δε εν τω συμπληρουσθαι τας ημερας της αναληψεως αυτου και αυτος το προσωπον αυτου εστηριξεν του πορευεσθαι εις ιερουσαλημ |
| 52. | And he sent messengers before his face; and going, they entered into a city of the Samaritans, to prepare for him. | Et misit nuntios ante conspectum suum : et euntes intraverunt in civitatem Samaritanorum ut parerent illi. | και απεστειλεν αγγελους προ προσωπου αυτου και πορευθεντες εισηλθον εις κωμην σαμαρειτων ωστε ετοιμασαι αυτω |
| 53. | And they received him not, because his face was of one going to Jerusalem. | Et non receperunt eum, quia facies ejus erat euntis in Jerusalem. | και ουκ εδεξαντο αυτον οτι το προσωπον αυτου ην πορευομενον εις ιερουσαλημ |
| 54. | And when his disciples James and John had seen this, they said: Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them? | Cum vidissent autem discipuli ejus Jacobus et Joannes, dixerunt : Domine, vis dicimus ut ignis descendat de cælo, et consumat illos ? | ιδοντες δε οι μαθηται αυτου ιακωβος και ιωαννης ειπον κυριε θελεις ειπωμεν πυρ καταβηναι απο του ουρανου και αναλωσαι αυτους ως και ηλιας εποιησεν |
| 55. | And turning, he rebuked them, saying: You know not of what spirit you are. | Et conversus increpavit illos, dicens : Nescitis cujus spiritus estis. | στραφεις δε επετιμησεν αυτοις [και ειπεν ουκ οιδατε οιου πνευματος εστε υμεις] |
| 56. | The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. And they went into another town. | Filius hominis non venit animas perdere, sed salvare. Et abierunt in aliud castellum. | [ο γαρ υιος του ανθρωπου ουκ ηλθεν ψυχας ανθρωπων απολεσαι αλλα σωσαι] και επορευθησαν εις ετεραν κωμην |
| 57. | And it came to pass, as they walked in the way, that a certain man said to him: I will follow thee withersoever thou goest. | Factum est autem : ambulantibus illis in via, dixit quidam ad illum : Sequar te quocumque ieris. | εγενετο δε πορευομενων αυτων εν τη οδω ειπεν τις προς αυτον ακολουθησω σοι οπου αν απερχη κυριε |
| 58. | Jesus said to him: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. | Dixit illi Jesus : Vulpes foveas habent, et volucres cæli nidos : Filius autem hominis non habet ubi caput reclinet. | και ειπεν αυτω ο ιησους αι αλωπεκες φωλεους εχουσιν και τα πετεινα του ουρανου κατασκηνωσεις ο δε υιος του ανθρωπου ουκ εχει που την κεφαλην κλινη |
| 59. | But he said to another: Follow me. And he said: Lord, suffer me first to go, and to bury my father. | Ait autem ad alterum : Sequere me : ille autem dixit : Domine, permitte mihi primum ire, et sepelire patrem meum. | ειπεν δε προς ετερον ακολουθει μοι ο δε ειπεν κυριε επιτρεψον μοι απελθοντι πρωτον θαψαι τον πατερα μου |
| 60. | And Jesus said to him: Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou, and preach the kingdom of God. | Dixitque ei Jesus : Sine ut mortui sepeliant mortuos suos : tu autem vade, et annuntia regnum Dei. | ειπεν δε αυτω ο ιησους αφες τους νεκρους θαψαι τους εαυτων νεκρους συ δε απελθων διαγγελλε την βασιλειαν του θεου |
| 61. | And another said: I will follow thee, Lord; but let me first take my leave of them that are at my house. | Et ait alter : Sequar te Domine, sed permitte mihi primum renuntiare his quæ domi sunt. | ειπεν δε και ετερος ακολουθησω σοι κυριε πρωτον δε επιτρεψον μοι αποταξασθαι τοις εις τον οικον μου |
| 62. | Jesus said to him: No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. | Ait ad illum Jesus : Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum, et respiciens retro, aptus est regno Dei. | ειπεν δε ο ιησους προς αυτον ουδεις επιβαλων την χειρα αυτου επ αροτρον και βλεπων εις τα οπισω ευθετος εστιν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου |