St. Elisha ― An Old Testament Saint with Many Fantastic Miracles

St. Elisha the Prophet, pray for us!

Benjamin West, “Elisha Raising the Shunammite’s Son,” 1766 (photo: Public Domain)

Theresa Doyle-Nelson Blogs June 14, 2019

Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak on him. ―1 Kings 19:19

Elisha (e-LIE-sha) was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 800s BC. His moment of calling was rather mystical: Elisha was plowing a field with twelve yoke of oxen when his predecessor, Elijah, came along and placed his mantle over Elisha’s shoulders―a symbol of a call to share in prophetic work. Elisha requested time to say farewell to his parents and then slew the oxen, gave the meat to the people, and joined Elijah.

Chapters 2–9 in 2 Kings hold the bulk of the many extraordinary stories surrounding Elisha. After a miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, Elisha watched in amazement as Elijah was suddenly taken to heaven on a fiery chariot. Elisha then took Elijah’s cloak and repeated the miracle Elijah had just displayed of striking the cloak upon the water, causing the river to split open.

Also included in these chapters are many other mystical accounts that demonstrate how powerfully the spirit of God was with Elisha: he cleansed bad waters in Jericho, miraculously provided water to Israelite soldiers suffering from dire thirst, inexplicably procured oil for a poor widow, purified poisoned stew, squelched attacks, predicted future events, and more.

One of Elisha’s more popular marvels involves a military commander from the kingdom of Aram named Naaman. Naaman suffered from leprosy and heard of Elisha’s powers. The commander went to the prophet and was stunned that Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan River, for Naaman felt that other rivers had purer waters. Reluctantly, after some urging from his servants, the commander did as he was told and was completely healed.

Astonishingly, yet another miraculous event surrounding Elisha occurred shortly after his death. A man had died, and while his friends were burying him, they noticed a raiding band heading their way. They quickly tossed the man’s dead body into the grave of Elisha, whereupon the man promptly returned to life!

A Biblical Novena to St. Elisha

The Roman Martyrology has St. Elisha listed on its June 14 page. The biblical stories of St. Elisha show a man who deeply cared for people in difficult circumstances—so perhaps people facing burdensome challenges could turn to this Old Testament saint for intercession. Below are nine passages to study, and possibly take notes on—as a way to get to know St. Elisha better.

Day 1) 1 Kings 19:19–21
Day 2) 2 Kings 2:8–14
Day 3) 2 Kings 8:15–25
Day 4) 2 Kings 4:1–7
Day 5) 2 Kings 4:38–41
Day 6) 2 Kings 5:1–8
Day 7) 2 Kings 5:9–14
Day 8) 2 Kings 6:1–7
Day 9) 2 Kings 13:14–21

Theresa Doyle-Nelson Theresa Doyle-Nelson enjoys researching and writing about holy people from the Bible. She has written for a variety of Catholic resources and is the author of Saints in Scripture. Theresa and her husband Chad have been married for over 30 years, and although their nest is now empty, their three adult sons have growing families — providing enjoyable opportunities for growing gatherings and grandchildren graces! Theresa and Chad are parishioners at the beautiful and historic St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Bandera, Texas. You can find Theresa’s blog, “The Hill Country Hermit” at TheresaDoyle-Nelson.blogspot.com.

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NAVARRE BIBLE COMMENTARY (RSV)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)

First Reading:

From: 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-16

Elijah’s encounter with God
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[9a] And there [Elijah] came to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him. [11] And he said, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; [12] and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. [13] And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” [14] He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain they prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” [15[ And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; [16] and Jehu the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.

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Commentary:

19:9-14. “Taking the desert road that leads to the place where the living and true God reveals himself to this people, Elijah, like Moses before him, hides ‘in a cleft of the rock’ until the mysterious presence of God has passed by (cf. 1 Kings 19:1- 14; cf. Ex 33:19-23). But only on the mountain of the Transfiguration will Moses and Elijah behold the unveiled face of him whom they sought; ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God [shines] in the face of Christ’, crucified and risen (cf. 2 Cor 4:6)” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church,” 2583).

There is a sharp contrast between the spectacular forces of nature, in which God is not present, and the small still voice of a gentle breeze in which Elijah recognizes God to be present (vv. 11-13). “In this way,” writes St Irenaeus, “the prophet, who was greatly downcast by the transgression of the people and the murder of the prophets, learned to work with greater calm, and thus also the coming of the Lord in human form is signified. In the light of the Law given to Moses, his coming will be seen as an untroubled time when the bent reed will not be crushed nor the flickering flame quenched. The sweet rest and peace of his reign is foreshadowed here as well. After the wind that moves mountains, after earthquake and fire, the calm and peaceful age of his reign will come, in which the Spirit of God will revitalize and gently encourage the growth of man” (“Adversus haereses,” 4, 20, 10).

19:15-18. 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).