Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
Parallel Translations
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Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
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And 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?
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And 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; for what have I done to thee?'
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to 1 Kings 19:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 8:21-22 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
- Luke 9:61-62 Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”
- Acts 20:37 They all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
- Matthew 4:20 They immediately left their nets and followed him.
- Matthew 4:22 They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.
- Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.
- Matthew 19:27 Then Peter answered, “Behold, we have left everything, and followed you. What then will we have?”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Though this natural affection is not to be contemned,…
Though this natural affection is not to be contemned, yet it ought not to move us when God calleth us to serve him.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ki 19:20 And he left the oxen, and ran…
1Ki 19:20 And 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?
Ver. 20. Go back again.] Heb. Go return, q.d., Go thou must; but see thou return speedily, and wait on thy office. "Neglect not the grace of God that is in thee," the powerful impression made by God upon thy spirit.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He ran after Elijah; being powerfully moved by God’s…
He ran after Elijah; being powerfully moved by God’s Spirit to follow Elijah, and wholly to give up himself to his affection.
And said; or, but he said; or, yet he said.
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Let me kiss my father and my mother, i.e. bid them farewell, by the usual ceremony. See Gen 29:11; 31:28; Act 20:37.
Go back again, and take thy leave of them, as thou desirest, and then return to me again.
What have I done to thee? either, first, To hinder thee from performing that office. That employment to which I have called thee doth not require an alienation of thy heart from thy parents, nor the total neglect of them. Or, secondly, To make such a change in thee, that thou shouldst be willing to forsake thy parents, and lands, and all, and desire only this liberty to go and bid them farewell, that thou mayest follow me. Whence comes this marvellous change? It is not from me, who did only throw my mantle over thee; but from a higher power, even from God’s Spirit, which hath changed thy heart, and consecrated thee to thy prophetical office; which therefore it concerns thee vigorously to execute, and wholly to devote thyself to it.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah,....…
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah,.... His heart being touched by the Lord at the same time, and his mind enlightened to understand what was meant by that action:
and said, let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother; take his leave of them in this way, which was what was used by friends at parting, see Rut 1:9.
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and then I will follow thee; which he understood was meant by his casting his mantle over him:
and he said unto him, go back again; to his plough:
for what have I done to thee? he had only cast the skirts of his mantle over him, and had said nothing to him; this he said to try him, and get out of him what was in his heart, and how it had been touched by the Spirit of God; and if so, then he suggests it was not what he had done, but what the Lord had impressed upon him, that would oblige him to return, and follow him, after he had taken his leave of his parents.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain He ran - Being powerfully moved by God's spirit…
He ran - Being powerfully moved by God's spirit to follow Elijah, and wholly give up himself to his function. Let me kiss - That is, bid them farewell. Go - And take thy leave of them, and then return to me again. For what, &c. - Either first, to hinder thee from performing that office. That employment to which I have called thee, doth not require an alienation of thy heart from thy parents, nor the total neglect of them. Or, secondly, to make such a change in thee, that thou shouldst be willing to forsake thy parents, and lands, and all, that thou mayest follow me. Whence comes this marvelous change? It is not from me, who did only throw my mantle over thee; but from an higher power, even from God's spirit, which both changed thy heart, and consecrated thee to thy prophetical office: which therefore it concerns thee vigourously to execute, and wholly to devote thyself to it.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 20. Let me - kiss my father and…
Verse 20. Let me - kiss my father and my mother] Elisha fully understood that he was called by this ceremony to the prophetic office: and it is evident that he conferred not with flesh and blood, but resolved, immediately resolved, to obey; only he wished to bid farewell to his relatives. See below.
What have I done to thee?] Thy call is not from me, but from God: to him, not to me, art thou accountable for thy use or abuse of it.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ki 19:20. He left the oxen and ran after…
1Ki 19:20. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah — Being powerfully moved to follow him, and wholly give himself up to his function. And said — Or, but he said, or, yet he said, Let me kiss my father, &c. — That is, bid them farewell by the usual ceremony. And he said Go back again — Take thy leave of them, as thou desirest, and then return to me again. For what have I done unto thee? — Either, first, to hinder thee from performing that office: that employment to which I have called thee doth not require an alienation of thy heart from thy parents, nor the total neglect of them. Or, secondly, to make such a change in thee, that thou shouldest be willing to forsake thy parents, and lands, and all, that thou mayest follow me. Whence comes this marvellous change? It is not from me, who did only throw my mantle over thee, but from a higher power, even from God’s Spirit, which hath changed thy heart, and consecrated thee to thy prophetical office; which, therefore, it concerns thee vigorously to execute, and wholly to devote thyself to it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father ...…
Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father ... - Not an unnatural request before following his new spiritual father. Elijah sees in his address a divided heart, and will not give the permission or accept the service thus tendered. Hence, his cold reply. See Luk 9:61-62.
Go back again ... - i. e., “Go, return to thy plowing ... why shouldest thou quit it? Why take leave of thy friends and come with me? What have I done to thee to require such a sacrifice? for as a sacrifice thou evidently regardest it. Truly I have done nothing to thee. Thou canst remain as thou art.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Kiss, and bid them adieu. (Menochius) --- To thee.…
Kiss, and bid them adieu. (Menochius) --- To thee. I have no farther orders. Obey the Spirit of God. Hoc age. Hebrew, "for what have I done to thee?" Did I require thee to follow me? Act as God may direct thee. Yet remember the ceremony which thou hast seen, and do not turn back (Calmet) to neglect thy office. (Haydock) (Matthew viii. 22., and Luke ix. 62.)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain what have I done to thee?--that is, Go, but…
what have I done to thee?--that is, Go, but keep in mind the solemn ceremony I have just performed on thee. It is not I, but God, who calls thee. Do not allow any earthly affection to detain you from obeying His call.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 20. Ran after Elijah — Elijah, as he cast…
20. Ran after Elijah — Elijah, as he cast his mantle on Elisha, walked rapidly away, and this was as much as to say, “Follow me.”
Let me… kiss my father and my mother — Elisha was at this time a young man, living with his parents, and probably unmarried. Like others who have been called with a holy calling, his heart yearns for his home and his kindred. Compare Mat_8:21; Luk_9:61.
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Go back again: for what have I done to thee — There is something uncertain and mysterious about these words. Here is no clear permission to go and kiss his parents farewell, and whether he did so or not is an unsettled question. Elijah would throw the whole responsibility of the matter on the conscience of Elisha. “Go home and stay there, if you have such desire; and as regards your duty in view of what I have done to you, settle that matter yourself.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20. kiss my father and my mother] He was…
20. kiss my father and my mother] He was sensible that the separation was to be permanent, and that a higher call than that of earthly parentage was laid upon him. This is the ground for his petition. Thus will he make known to his parents the reason of his departure.
Go back again: for what have I done to thee?] Elijah grants his request, but accompanies the permission with words which must remind Elisha that he cannot now stay amid his home duties, ‘Go back again,’ he says, ‘but let it be only for the filial leave-taking, for what have I done to thee? Have I not chosen thee to be my companion and helper? Is not God’s voice calling thee, through me, to do Him service?’
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (20) Let me, I pray thee.—It is impossible not…
(20) Let me, I pray thee.—It is impossible not to compare this with the similar request made to our Lord (Luk_9:61-62) by one who declared readiness to follow Him. The comparison suggests that the answer of Elijah is one of half-ironical rebuke of what seemed hesitation—“Go back, if thou wilt; what have I done to constrain thee?” In both cases we have the stern but necessary rejection of half-hearted service, even if the heart be distracted by the most natural and sacred love. But Elijah sees that Elisha means simply farewell, and he apparently waits till it is over.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he left the oxen As, being the last…
And he left the oxen As, being the last in the line, he could do, without stopping the others. It is probable too that, Elisha being the last, Elijah"s action would not have been observed by the rest, and ran after Elijah It is clear that Elisha both understood the act, and made up his mind at once. No doubt he too had long sighed and prayed over the demoralization of his country and the dishonour done to his God. Elijah, after casting the mantle, strode on, leaving it for Elisha to take or reject it. The latter soon showed his choice by running after him, 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 Heb. go, return: for what have I done to thee? There is not a word of reproof here, as Wordsworth and Rawlinson imagine. Indeed, it would have been strange if there had been. A greater readiness to obey the prophetic summons, Elisha could not well have showed. Forthwith, as soon as he realized his call, "he left the oxen and ran after" his newmaster. True, he asks permission and why should he not? for "grace is no enemy to good nature to give a parting embrace to the father and mother to whom he owed his life, and whom he had been required by God to honour. But there is no proof of "a divided heart" here. If he had begged to be allowed to stay and bury his mother and father (St. Luk_9:59-61) it might have been otherwise. But he suggests nothing of the kind. He says: "One kiss, one farewell, and then I will follow thee." It is a complete mistake, consequently, to interpret Elijah"s words to mean, "Go, return to thy ploughing, for why shouldst thou quit it? Thou canst remain as thou art" (Rawlinson). Their true meaning, as evidenced by the sequel (ver. 21), clearly was, "Go back and kiss them; why shouldst thou not? For what have I done to thee? I have summoned thee to follow me. But I have not required thee to repudiate thine own flesh and blood.
He left the oxen." No service without sacrifice. Sometimes it is only ships and nets, (Mar_1:20) sometimes it is houses and lands, father and mother, wife and child. (Mat_19:29)
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Go back again." Why should he not kiss his father and mother? "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother," and it is not for the greatest of the prophets to make the commandment of God of none effect. (Mat_15:4-6) Religion developes and intensifies the domestic affections. Ties of flesh become stronger and closer when cemented and consecrated by grace. It would be strange if the religion of love made husband or wife, parent or child, love each other less.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.