1 Kings 19:21

21 Soothly he turned again from Elijah, and took twain oxen, and killed them; and with the plow of the oxen he seethed the flesh, and gave (the meat) to the people, and they ate; and he rose (and then he rose up), and went, and followed Elijah, and ministered to him.

1 Kings 19:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 19:21

And he returned back from him
To his father's house, and took his leave, and then came back into the field, perhaps with others accompanying him:

and took a yoke of oxen and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the
instruments of the oxen:
their yokes, and the plough, with an addition of other things sufficient to boil them:

and gave unto the people, and they did eat;
the ploughmen and others that came together on this occasion; he made a feast for them, to express his joy at being called to such service he was:

then he arose and went after Elijah;
left his worldly employment, the riches he was heir to, his parents, and his friends, and followed the prophet:

and ministered unto him;
became his servant, whereby he attained to great knowledge and understanding of divine things, and was trained up to the prophetic office, which he was invested with upon the removal of Elijah; see ( Matthew 8:21 Matthew 8:22 ) ( 19:27 ) .

1 Kings 19:21 In-Context

19 Therefore Elijah went forth from thence, and found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, earing in twelve yokes of oxen; and he was one in the twelve yokes of oxen, earing. And when Elijah had come to him, Elijah casted his mantle upon him. (And so Elijah went forth from there, and found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, plowing with twelve yokes of oxen; and he was plowing alongside the twelfth yoke of them. And when Elijah had come to him, he threw his mantle upon him.)

20 And he ran anon after Elijah, when the oxen were left, and said, I pray thee, kiss I my father and my mother, and so I shall follow thee. And Elijah said to him, Go thou, and turn again, for I have done to thee that that was mine (to do). (And leaving the oxen behind, Elisha ran at once after Elijah, and said, I pray thee, let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye, and then I shall follow thee. And Elijah said to him, Go thou, and return, for I have done to thee what was mine to do.)

21 Soothly he turned again from Elijah, and took twain oxen, and killed them; and with the plow of the oxen he seethed the flesh, and gave (the meat) to the people, and they ate; and he rose (and then he rose up), and went, and followed Elijah, and ministered to him.