1 Kings 19:19 (GNV)

Passage

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: and Eliiah went towards him, and cast his mantel vpon him.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 19:17 And him that escapeth from the sworde of Hazael, shall Iehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Iehu, shall Elisha slay.

1 Kings 19:18 Yet wil I leaue seuen thousand in Israel, euen all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal, and euery mouth that hath not kissed him.

1 Kings 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the sonne of Shaphat who was plowing with twelue yoke of oxen before him, and was with the twelft: and Eliiah went towards him, and cast his mantel vpon him.

1 Kings 19:20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Eliiah, and sayde, Let mee, I pray thee, kisse my father and my mother, and then I wil follow thee. Who answered him, Go, returne: for what haue I done to thee?

1 Kings 19:21 And when he went backe againe from him, he tooke a couple of oxen, and slewe them, and sod their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gaue vnto the people, and they did eate: then he arose and went after Eliiah, and ministred vnto him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "departed", "thence", "found", "elisha", "sonne", "shaphat", "plowing", and "twelue". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "departed" and "thence", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "Yet wil I leaue seuen thousand in..." into verse 20's "And he left the oxen and ran...", so "departed" and "thence" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "departed" and "thence" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.