The Meaning of 1 Kings 19:19 Explained

1 Kings 19:19

KJV: So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

YLT: And he goeth thence, and findeth Elisha son of Shaphat, and he is plowing; twelve yoke are before him, and he is with the twelfth; and Elijah passeth over unto him, and casteth his robe upon him,

Darby: And he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yokes before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah went over to him, and cast his mantle on him.

ASV: So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed over unto him, and cast his mantle upon him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So he departed  thence, and found  Elisha  the son  of Shaphat,  who [was] plowing  [with] twelve  yoke  [of oxen] before  him, and he with the twelfth:  and Elijah  passed  by him, and cast  his mantle  upon him. 

What does 1 Kings 19:19 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 19:15-21 - Appointing Jehovah's Instruments
Elijah was never reinstated in quite the position that he had occupied before his fatal flight. True, he was bidden to return, and work was given him to do. But that work consisted in anointing three men who were to share the ministry which he might have fulfilled, if only he had been true to his opportunities and faithful to his God. God's work must go forward, if not by us, then by others brought in to fill our place.
Hazael, king of Syria; Jehu, the rude captain; and Elisha, the young farmer. Each was as different as possible from the others; yet each had his special sphere in dealing with the idolatries and impurities that were destroying the chosen race. God's nets are not all constructed with the same size of meshes. Men may escape some of the bigger ones, who will be caught by the smaller ones. But God so orders the lives of men that once at least each encounters a mesh that cannot be evaded. What a comfort it is to think that God is at work in the world, and that, while statistics tell a sad tale, there may still be seven thousand secret disciples for every Elijah! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 19

1  Elijah, threatened by Jezebel, flees to Beersheba
4  In the desert, being weary of his life, he is comforted by an angel
9  At Horeb God appears unto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha
19  Elisha, taking leave of his friends, follows Elijah

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 19:19 mean?

So he departed from there and found - Elisha son of Shaphat and he [was] plowing two [and] ten [with] yoke [of oxen] before him and he [was] with two and ten and passed Elijah by him and threw his cloak on him
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ מִ֠שָּׁם וַיִּמְצָ֞א אֶת־ אֱלִישָׁ֤ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָט֙ וְה֣וּא חֹרֵ֔שׁ שְׁנֵים־ עָשָׂ֤ר צְמָדִים֙ לְפָנָ֔יו וְה֖וּא בִּשְׁנֵ֣ים הֶעָשָׂ֑ר וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ אַדַּרְתּ֖וֹ אֵלָֽיו

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ  So  he  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
מִ֠שָּׁם  from  there 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
וַיִּמְצָ֞א  and  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלִישָׁ֤ע  Elisha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִישָׁע  
Sense: the great prophet who succeeded Elijah.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שָׁפָט֙  of  Shaphat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפָט  
Sense: son of Hori and the prince of Simeon chosen to spy out the promised land.
וְה֣וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
חֹרֵ֔שׁ  [was]  plowing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָרַשׁ 
Sense: to cut in, plough, engrave, devise.
שְׁנֵים־  two 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂ֤ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
צְמָדִים֙  [with]  yoke  [of  oxen] 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֶמֶד  
Sense: couple, pair, team, yoke.
לְפָנָ֔יו  before  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְה֖וּא  and  he  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
בִּשְׁנֵ֣ים  with  two 
Parse: Preposition-b, Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
הֶעָשָׂ֑ר  and  ten 
Parse: Article, Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר  and  passed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙  Elijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵלִיָּה 
Sense: the great prophet of the reign of Ahab.
אֵלָ֔יו  by  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ  and  threw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
אַדַּרְתּ֖וֹ  his  cloak 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַדֶּרֶת  
Sense: glory, cloak.
אֵלָֽיו  on  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).