Boys · Hebrew · Old Testament · uncommon · Divided monarchy (9th century BC)
Elisha
/eh-LY-shuh/
אֱלִישָׁע
"God is salvation; my God saves"
1 Kings 19:16
RoleProphet; Elijah's successor; miracle worker
Etymology
From 'El' (God) and 'yasha' (to save). The same root as Joshua and Jesus, with the divine name prefixed rather than suffixed.
Who they were
Elisha received a double portion of Elijah's spirit and performed roughly twice as many miracles. Where Elijah was fierce and solitary, Elisha was embedded in community — healing a poisoned pot of stew, multiplying a widow's oil, raising the Shunammite woman's son, curing Naaman the Syrian of leprosy, and feeding a hundred men with twenty loaves. He advised kings and rescued armies. His ministry demonstrated that God's power works not just in dramatic confrontations on mountaintops but in everyday acts of provision and healing. When he died and was buried, a dead man thrown into his tomb touched Elisha's bones and came back to life — even his remains carried the power of God. He asked Elijah for a double portion, and the biblical record suggests he received it.
Family
- Father
- Shaphat
Character qualities
- Requested a double portion
- Community-centred ministry
- Compassion for widows and foreigners
- Power exercised through kindness
Key verse
2 Kings 2:9
Where they appear
Themes
Variants & related forms
Eliseo · Elisée
Read their story
Elisha's story begins in 1 Kings.
The full passage is at 1 Kings 19:16. Any modern translation will do — the NLT and NIV are the most readable; the ESV and NKJV stay close to the wording the church has used for centuries.
Find a Bible to read it in →