Feast Day (in some Eastern calendars): June 14
Title: Prophet and Wonderworker of Israel
Time: 9th Century B.C.
Spiritual Lineage: Disciple and successor of the Prophet Elijah
Life and Mission
St. Elisha (Hebrew: אֱלִישָׁע, Elīsha‘ — “God is salvation”) is a major prophetic figure of the Old Testament, whose life and miracles are chronicled in 4 Kings (2 Kings), primarily chapters 2–13.
Elisha was called by God during the reign of King Ahab in Israel, a time of rampant idolatry and apostasy. His calling is described vividly: as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, the Prophet Elijah cast his mantle upon him, signifying the divine election. Elisha left everything at once — land, oxen, family — and followed Elijah (3 Kings [1 Kings] 19:19–21), a prototype of the Gospel call to leave all and follow Christ.
After Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a fiery chariot (4 Kings 2), Elisha inherited a “double portion” of his spirit — a sign of his prophetic mission and power (cf. Deut 21:17, indicating the inheritance of the firstborn). His ministry would continue and expand Elijah’s: purifying the land, rebuking kings, working wonders, and prefiguring the sacraments and the miracles of Christ.
Miracles and Typology
Elisha is known for numerous miracles, many of which prefigure the grace and supernatural works of the New Covenant. Among them:
- Healing of the Waters of Jericho (4 Kings 2:19–22) – by casting salt into the spring, Elisha made bitter waters sweet. This act foreshadows the regenerative power of baptism and the grace that transforms the soul.
- Multiplication of Oil for the Widow (4 Kings 4:1–7) – saving her sons from slavery, this miracle echoes the Lord’s care for widows and the multiplication of loaves by Christ.
- Resurrection of the Shunammite Woman’s Son (4 Kings 4:18–37) – Elisha stretches himself over the dead boy, breathing life into him. This act prefigures the resurrection power of Christ and His raising of the widow’s son and Lazarus.
- The Purification of Naaman the Syrian (4 Kings 5) – commanding him to wash in the Jordan seven times, Elisha heals him of leprosy. This is a clear type of the cleansing power of baptism, and a sign of the future extension of grace to the Gentiles.
- The Floating Axe Head (4 Kings 6:1–7) – a miracle of divine concern even for small matters, showing God’s care in all things.
- Posthumous Miracle: even after his death, Elisha’s relics performed a miracle: a dead man was thrown into his tomb, and upon touching his bones, came back to life (4 Kings 13:20–21). This event anticipates the veneration of relics in Christian tradition and the power God grants through His saints even after death.
Spiritual Significance
Elisha, as the faithful disciple and successor of Elijah, stands as a powerful type of Christ, but also of the priestly and prophetic character of the Church. His works teach:
- The sanctification of temporal life through divine grace.
- The importance of spiritual inheritance (he desired Elijah’s spirit more than possessions).
- Zeal for purity and truth, especially in his rebukes to Israel’s kings and false prophets.
- The reality of miracles as signs of God’s power and mercy.
Many of the Church Fathers, including St. Jerome and St. John Chrysostom, saw in Elisha a precursor not only to Christ, but also to the Apostles in their missionary and miraculous power. The Douay-Rheims Bible, drawing from the Vulgate, presents Elisha’s works in a majestic and elevated style that has inspired meditation and commentary throughout the centuries.
Veneration and Devotion
While Elisha does not appear on the General Roman Calendar, his memory is honored in Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions, and he holds a revered place in traditional biblical devotion. In some monastic traditions, he is remembered as a model of obedience, asceticism, and supernatural faith.
He is invoked:
- For miracles of healing and protection from drought or famine.
- As a patron of spiritual sons and daughters, especially in monastic contexts.
Prayer (Traditional Style)
O God, who didst raise up Thy Prophet Elisha to bear witness to Thy power and mercy, grant that we, instructed by his words and marveling at his deeds, may strive after the holiness he prefigured. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.