The Meaning of 1 Kings 19:16 Explained

1 Kings 19:16

KJV: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

YLT: and Jehu son of Nimshi thou dost anoint for king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholah, thou dost anoint for prophet in thy stead.

Darby: and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint prophet in thy stead.

ASV: and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jehu  the son  of Nimshi  shalt thou anoint  [to be] king  over Israel:  and Elisha  the son  of Shaphat  of Abelmeholah  shalt thou anoint  [to be] prophet  in thy room. 

What does 1 Kings 19:16 Mean?

Context Summary

1Ki 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: 1Ki 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 19:16 mean?

and Jehu son of Nimshi you shall anoint [as] king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah [as] prophet in your place
וְאֵת֙ יֵה֣וּא בֶן־ נִמְשִׁ֔י תִּמְשַׁ֥ח לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאֶת־ אֱלִישָׁ֤ע בֶּן־ שָׁפָט֙ מֵאָבֵ֣ל מְחוֹלָ֔ה לְנָבִ֖יא תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ

יֵה֣וּא  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נִמְשִׁ֔י  of  Nimshi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נִמְשִׁי  
Sense: grandfather of Jehu.
תִּמְשַׁ֥ח  you  shall  anoint 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָשַׁח  
Sense: to smear, anoint, spread a liquid.
לְמֶ֖לֶךְ  [as]  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
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.
מְחוֹלָ֔ה  Abel  Meholah 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אָבֵל מְחֹולָה 
Sense: a city of Issachar, birthplace of Elisha.
לְנָבִ֖יא  [as]  prophet 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ  in  your  place 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.