One verse. Three ways to understand.
Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah, saying, 'Please let me go kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.' Elijah replied, 'Go back then - what have I done to you?'
Elisha wants to follow Elijah but asks to say goodbye to his parents first, and Elijah responds by telling him to go back and think about what this calling really means.
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Read the KJV source
King James Version · EnglishAnd he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?Ask the AI Assistant
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📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Elijah the prophet was calling Elisha to succeed him during a period of spiritual conflict in Israel under the rule of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Elisha was working as a farmer, plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, when Elijah threw his cloak over him as a symbol of prophetic calling and invitation to follow. Elisha's request to kiss his parents goodbye before committing reflects the cultural importance of honoring family ties in ancient Israelite society.