One verse. Three ways to understand.
So Elisha went back home, took his pair of oxen, killed them, and cooked their meat using the wooden yoke and plow as fuel for the fire. He gave the meat to the people, and they ate it. Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him.
Elisha made a complete break from his old life by using his farming equipment as fuel to cook a farewell meal, then committed fully to following and serving Elijah.
These are AI-assisted adaptations, not separate Bible editions. Compare them with the KJV source and read our methodology. How these readings are made →
Read the KJV source
King James Version · EnglishAnd he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.Ask the AI Assistant
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📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Elijah the prophet was calling Elisha to follow him and become his successor during a turbulent time in ancient Israel when idolatry was rampant and the nation needed faithful spiritual leaders. Elisha, who was a farmer, responded by making a bold sacrifice of his oxen to symbolize his complete break from his past life. This act highlighted the cultural expectation in that era that true commitment to a divine calling required leaving behind worldly responsibilities.