SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:19
¶ Y partiéndose él de allí, halló a Eliseo hijo de Safat, que araba con doce yuntas delante de sí; y él era uno de los doce gañanes . Y pasando Elías por delante de él, echó su manto sobre él.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:19
Verse 19. Twelve yoke of oxen] Elisha must have had a considerable estate, when he kept twelve yoke of oxen to till the ground. If, therefore, he obeyed the prophetic call, he did it to considerable secular loss. He with the twelfth] Every owner of an inheritance among the Hebrews, and indeed among the ancients in general, was a principal agent in its cultivation.
Cast his mantle upon him] Either this was a ceremony used in a call to the prophetic office, or it indicated that he was called to be the servant of the prophet. The mantle, or pallium, was the peculiar garb of the prophet, as we may learn from Zechariah xiii. 4; and this was probably made of skin dressed with the hair on. See also 2 Kings i. 8. It is likely, therefore, that Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha to signify to him that he was called to the prophetic office. See more on this subject below.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. So he departed thence , etc.] From Mount Horeb, and came to Abelmeholah, which Bunting computes at one hundred and fifty six miles: and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth ; which may be understood either of twelve couple of oxen drawing one plough; which was a large number, but will not seem strange when it is observed, that Abelmeholah, where Elisha was ploughing, lay in the vale of Jordan, which was a clayey stiff ground, and required such a number of oxen to plough it up, especially at the first tilling of it, as this might be f421 ; compare ( 1 Kings 4:12 7:46) A late traveller observes, that at Damegraed, in upper Egypt on the Nile, six oxen yoked to plough had a great deal of difficulty to turn up the ground; or else, as the Jewish writers generally understand it, there were twelve ploughs, and a yoke of oxen to each, and a ploughman to attend everyone, and Elisha attended the twelfth; or was with one of the twelve, as the Targum, and might have the oversight of them all; Kimchi thinks, and so Abarbiuel after him, that this signified that he should be leader of the twelve tribes of Israel: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him ; the skirts of it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-21 - Elijah found Elisha by Divine direction, not in the schools of the prophets, but in the field; not reading, or praying, or sacrificing but ploughing. Idleness is no man's honour, nor is husbandry any man' disgrace. An honest calling in the world, does not put us out of the way of our heavenly calling, any more than it did Elisha. His heart wa touched by the Holy Spirit, and he was ready to leave all to atten Elijah. It is in a day of power that Christ's subjects are mad willing; nor would any come to Christ unless they were thus drawn. It was a discouraging time for prophets to set out in. A man that ha consulted with flesh and blood, would not be fond of Elijah's mantle yet Elisha cheerfully leaves all to accompany him. When the Saviou said to one and to another, Follow me, the dearest friends and mos profitable occupations were cheerfully left, and the most arduou duties done from love to his name. May we, in like manner, feel the energy of his grace working in us mightily, and by unreserve submission at once, may we make our calling and election sure __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
וילך 1980 משׁם 8033 וימצא 4672 את 853 אלישׁע 477 בן 1121 שׁפט 8202 והוא 1931 חרשׁ 2790 שׁנים 8147 עשׂר 6240 צמדים 6776 לפניו 6440 והוא 1931 בשׁנים 8147 העשׂר 6240 ויעבר 5674 אליהו 452 אליו 413 וישׁלך 7993 אדרתו 155 אליו׃ 413
