Significance

The importance of Elisha in the biblical narrative is signaled by his title “man of God” and by parallels between Elisha and other formative leaders. The title “man of God” (ish elohim) is used no less than 30 times in reference to Elisha by royalty, students, and villagers (e.g., 2 Kgs 4:7, 40; 8:7). This title is used in the book of Kings to designate a prophet (e.g., 1 Kgs 13:1, 18) or messenger of God (1 Kgs 12:22; compare Judg 13:6–8; 1 Sam 2:27). At first, the title appears to be straightforward: Elisha works on God’s behalf, so it is fitting that he is called “man of God.” However, this is a loaded term. Its first use is to describe the leader par excellence—Moses. Even then, Moses is not known as such during his life, but only in memories of him (Deut 33:1; Josh 14:6). Elijah, Elisha’s mentor, also is known as a “man of God” (2 Kgs 1:9–13), although he is not referred to as such nearly as often as Elisha. This title places the prophet Elisha in a particular line of tradition, from Moses to all of the unnamed men of God found throughout Judges, Samuel, and Kings to his predecessor, Elijah. Combined with the tradition that Elisha carries double the spirit of Elijah, the book of Kings argues for a high level of authority and functionality on the part of Elisha. If any man is worthy of being sought by kings (2 Kgs 3:10–12), it is this “man of God.”

Yet the “man of God” title and its link to Moses is only one piece of a larger argument that the narrative of Elisha has many parallels to the exodus and conquest narratives in the books of Exodus and Joshua (Moore, God Saves, 137–42). Since both periods of Israelite history are characterized by foreign oppression and military strife, the material is ripe for such a comparison. However, unlike Yahweh’s relationship with Moses, who served as the foremost leader of Israel for 40 years and filled many social and political roles, Elisha’s power is confined to a limited scope of action (Bergen, Elisha and the End of Prophetism, 1). He is presented not as an alternative to the political and social structures of monarchy, but as a supplement, designed to influence those structures toward proper behavior (Bergen, “The Prophetic Alternative,” 128).

Outside of the book of Kings (and parallel stories in the book of Chronicles), Elisha is mentioned in the Bible only once, in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 4:27). When Jesus is rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, he states that “no prophet is acceptable in his own hometown” (Luke 4:24) and appeals to the examples of Elijah and Elisha. Of all the widows and lepers, the Lord sent Elijah and Elisha, respectively, to heal those belonging to another people rather than healing those from the prophets’ own community. All those who hear Jesus are “filled with wrath” to the point of trying to throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:28–30). The people are upset at Jesus not only because of his implied statement that he will not help them in a time of need, but also because he compares himself to important religious figures—and they do not believe that he should hold himself in such high esteem (Luke 4:23). Yet, despite the fact that Elisha is referenced only once outside of Kings and Chronicles, the narrative of his ministry may have influenced the way in which the Gospel writers organized the traditions about Jesus (Brodie, The Crucial Bridge; Kloppenborg and Verheyden, The Elijah-Elisha Narrative in the Composition of Luke). If this is the case, then the legacy of Elisha is greater than that of a “man of God” who shaped the history of ancient Israel and reaches into the foundation of Christian tradition.