1 Kings 19:21

And 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.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
back	וַיָּ֨שָׁב vai.Ya.shov	H7725	to turn back (hence · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
him	מֵאַחֲרָ֜יו me.'a.cha.Rav	H310	properly · preposition + cardinal number, masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
took	וַיִּקַּ֣ח vai.yi.Kach	H3947	to take (in the widest variety of applications) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
yoke	צֶ֧מֶד Tze.med	H6776	hence · noun, common masculine singular construct
oxen	הַבָּקָ֣ר ha.ba.Kar	H1241	beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gen… · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
slew	וַיִּזְבָּחֵ֗הוּ vai.yiz.ba.Che.hu	H2076	to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
boiled	בִּשְּׁלָ֣ם bi.she.Lam	H1310	properly · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
flesh	הַבָּשָׂ֔ר ha.ba.Sar	H1320	flesh (from its freshness) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
instruments	וּבִכְלִ֤י u.vikh.Li	H3627	something prepared · conjunction + preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
oxen	הַבָּקָר֙ ha.ba.Kar	H1241	beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gen… · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
gave	וַיִּתֵּ֥ן vai.yi.Ten	H5414	to give · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
people	לָעָ֖ם la.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
eat	וַיֹּאכֵ֑לוּ vai.yo.Khe.lu	H398	to eat (literally or figuratively) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
arose	וַיָּ֗קָם vai.Ya.kom	H6965	to rise (in various applications · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
went	יָלַךְ yâlak	H3212	to walk (literally or figuratively)
after	אַחֲרֵ֥י 'a.cha.Rei	H310	properly · cardinal number, masculine plural construct
Elijah	אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ 'e.li.Ya.hu	H452	Elijah · proper noun, a man's name
ministered	וַיְשָׁרְתֵֽהוּ vay.sha.re.Te.hu	H8334	to attend as a menial or worshipper · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Samuel 24:22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, an…
Exodus 24:13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
Luke 5:28-29 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Philemon 1:13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
Numbers 27:18-20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
1 Kings 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven…
2 Kings 2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy mas…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 19:19–end

Elisha was named last in the orders God gave to Elijah, but he was first called, for by him the other two were to be called. He must come in Elijah's room; yet Elijah is forward to raise him, and is far from being jealous of his successor, but rejoices to think that he shall leave the work of God in such good hands. Concerning the call of Elisha observe, 1. That it was an unexpected surprising call. Elijah found him by divine direction, or perhaps he was before acquainted with him and knew where to find him. He found him, not in the schools of the prophets, but in the field, not reading, nor praying, nor sacrificing, but ploughing, Kg1 19:19. Though a great man (as appears by his feast, Kg1…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 19:21

took a yoke of oxen--Having hastily prepared (Sa2 24:22) a farewell entertainment to his family and friends, he left his native place and attached himself to Elijah as his minister. Next: 1 Kings Chapter 20

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 19:21

He returned back - He went home to his house; probably he yet lived with his parents, for it appears he was a single man: and he slew a yoke of the oxen - he made a feast for his household, having boiled the flesh of the oxen with his agricultural implements, probably in token that he had abandoned secular life: then, having bidden them an affectionate farewell, he arose, went after Elijah, who probably still awaited his coming in the field or its vicinity, and ministered unto him. On the call of Elisha, I may make a few remarks. 1. Elijah is commanded, Kg1 19:16, to anoint Elisha prophet in his room. Though it is generally believed that kings, priests, and prophets, were inaugurated into t…

Read the whole note in the console

John Gill on 1 Kings 19:21

And he returned back from him,.... To his father's house, and took his leave, and then came back into the field, perhaps with others accompanying him: and took a yoke of oxen and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen: their yokes, and the plough, with an addition of other things sufficient to boil them: and gave unto the people, and they did eat; the ploughmen and others that came together on this occasion; he made a feast for them, to express his joy at being called to such service he was: then he arose and went after Elijah; left his worldly employment, the riches he was heir to, his parents, and his friends, and followed the prophet: and ministered unto hi…

The Church Fathers

"He slaughtered the oxen." He did that not [as a sacrifice] to God, because Elisha was not a priest, but he killed them for a banquet which he offered to his people. From now on, he was lifted above earthly things and did not make use of anything that belonged to this world.
— Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 1 KINGS 19:21

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Elijah — Whose God is Jehovah. (1.) “The Tishbite,” the “Elias” of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made…
Yoke — (1.) Fitted on the neck of oxen for the purpose of binding to them the traces by which they might draw the plough, etc. (Num. 19:2; Deut. 21:3). It was a curved piece of wood called ’ol. (2.) In Jer.…
Elijah · king over Syria, Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to be a prophet in his own place — king over Syria, Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to be a prophet in his own place
Elisha · Ministers unto Elijah — Ministers unto Elijah
Entertainments · Given on occasions of: Taking leave of friends — Given on occasions of: Taking leave of friends
Excuses · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Ox, The · Used for: Food — Used for: Food
Procrastination · .Elisha — .Elisha

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Kings 19:21

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 19:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 19:21

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 19:21

John Gill on 1 Kings 19:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Kings 19:21

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 19:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 19:21

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 19:21

John Gill on 1 Kings 19:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Kings 19:19–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Kings 19:21

Rashi on 1 Kings 19:21