Elisha
The Prophet of Power and Compassion
Name Information
- Meaning: "My God is Salvation"
- Language of Origin: Hebrew
- Gender Usage: Masculine
Elisha was the prophetic successor to Elijah, empowered by God to perform miracles and guide the people of Israel. Known for both bold demonstrations of God’s power and tender acts of mercy, Elisha’s ministry included healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and advising kings. He carried out a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, revealing God's care for both individuals and nations. His life shows that God's power flows through humble, obedient servants.
⏰ Divided Kingdom (Northern Israel)
Roles
- Prophet
- Miracle Worker
- Successor to Elijah
- Advisor to Kings
Relationships
- Mentor: Elijah
- Servant: Gehazi
- Enemy: Ben Hadad, Aramean armies
Story
Elisha was a farmer when Elijah called him. He left his oxen, burned his plow, and followed Elijah as his disciple.
At Elijah’s ascension, Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. He received it and became the next great prophet in Israel.
His miracles ranged from healing polluted water and multiplying oil, to feeding a hundred men and raising a boy from the dead.
He healed Naaman the Syrian of leprosy, showing God’s mercy to Gentiles. When Gehazi took payment secretly, Elisha pronounced judgment on him.
He advised Israel’s kings during military conflicts, once revealing enemy ambushes supernaturally — leading an army to be struck with blindness.
Even in his final illness, Elisha prophesied victory to King Joash, and after death, God’s power was still seen through his bones.
Spiritual Significance
- Elisha was called by Elijah and left everything to follow him, becoming his prophetic apprentice.
- He received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit and became one of the most miracle-working prophets in Scripture.
- Elisha performed miracles like parting the Jordan River, purifying water, multiplying oil, raising the dead, and healing Naaman of leprosy.
- He served as a prophetic voice to kings, revealing God’s guidance during wars and famines.
- Unlike Elijah’s confrontational style, Elisha often revealed God's kindness, restoration, and concern for the everyday person.
- Even after death, God’s power worked through him — a dead man revived after touching Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:21).
Christ Connection
Elisha’s miracles — healing the sick, multiplying food, raising the dead — all foreshadow the greater miracles of Jesus.
Like Elisha, Jesus brought God’s power and compassion to individuals and nations, both Jew and Gentile.
Naaman’s healing through Elisha prefigures the cleansing from sin that Jesus offers to all who come in humility and faith.
Elisha's name means 'God is salvation,' which points forward to the ultimate Savior — Jesus, whose very name means 'The Lord saves.'
Just as Elisha carried Elijah’s spirit, Jesus promised and sent the Holy Spirit to His followers to carry on God’s work.
What We Can Learn
- God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things through obedience and surrender.
- Powerful ministry flows from close relationship with God — not status or background.
- God cares about both the big and the small — from national battles to a poor widow’s oil.
- Faith and humility open the door to healing — as seen in Naaman’s transformation.
- God’s power is not limited by death or human weakness — His Spirit works even beyond us.
Memory Verses
Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.
— 2 Kings 2:9This is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; he will also deliver the Moabites into your hands.
— 2 Kings 3:18Then the man of God said, ‘Open the window toward the east,’ and he opened it. Elisha said, ‘Shoot,’ and he shot.
— 2 Kings 13:17
Key Passages
- 1 Kings 19:19–21
- 2 Kings 2–13
- Luke 4:27
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