1 Kings 19:20
New International Version
Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

New Living Translation
Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”

English Standard Version
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

Berean Standard Bible
So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”

King James Bible
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

New King James Version
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

New American Standard Bible
Then he left the oxen behind and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back, for what have I done to you?”

NASB 1995
He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

NASB 1977
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

Legacy Standard Bible
So he forsook the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

Amplified Bible
He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother [goodbye], then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go on back; for what have I done to [stop] you?”

Christian Standard Bible
Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you."” Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

American Standard Version
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again; for what have I done to thee?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he left the plough of the oxen and he went after Elyah, and he said to him: “I shall go, I shall kiss my father and my mother and I shall come after you!” He said to him: “Return, go, for what have I done to you?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Elisaie left the cattle, and ran after Eliu and said, I will kiss my father, and follow after thee. And Eliu said, Return, for I have done a work for thee.

Contemporary English Version
Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. "Let me kiss my parents goodbye, then I'll go with you," he said. "You can go," Elijah said. "But remember what I've done for you."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he forthwith left the oxen and ran after Elias, and said: Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said to him: Go, and return back: for that which was my part, I have done to thee.

English Revised Version
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again; for what have I done to thee?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye. Then I will follow you." "Go back," Elijah answered him. "I'm not stopping you."

Good News Translation
Elisha then left his oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you." Elijah answered, "All right, go back. I'm not stopping you!"

International Standard Version
He abandoned the oxen, ran off to follow Elijah, and asked him, "Please, let me kiss my mother and father good-bye, and then I'll come after you." "Go back again," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said: 'Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee.' And he said unto him: 'Go back; for what have I done to thee?'

Literal Standard Version
and he forsakes the ox, and runs after Elijah, and says, “Please let me give a kiss to my father and to my mother, and I go after you.” And he says to him, “Go, turn back, for what have I done to you?”

Majority Standard Bible
So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?”

New American Bible
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” Elijah answered, “Go back! What have I done to you?”

NET Bible
He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you." Elijah said to him, "Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?"

New Revised Standard Version
He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”

New Heart English Bible
He left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." He said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said to him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

World English Bible
Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”

Young's Literal Translation
and he forsaketh the oxen, and runneth after Elijah, and saith, 'Let me give a kiss, I pray thee, to my father and to my mother, and I go after thee.' And he saith to him, 'Go, turn back, for what have I done to thee?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Calling of Elisha
19So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him. 20So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” 21So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s equipment, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.…

Cross References
Matthew 8:21
Another of His disciples requested, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

Matthew 8:22
But Jesus told him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Luke 9:61
Still another said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family."

Luke 9:62
Then Jesus declared, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Acts 20:37
They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.


Treasury of Scripture

And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. And he said to him, Go back again: for what have I done to you?

he left

Matthew 4:20,22
And they straightway left their nets, and followed him…

Matthew 9:9
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew 19:27
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

Let me, I pray

Matthew 8:21,22
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father…

Luke 9:61,62
And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house…

Acts 20:37
And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,

Go back again [heb] Go, return

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Elijah Eli'jah Elisha Follow Forsaketh Good-By Kiss Letting Mother Oxen Please Ran Runneth Running Turn
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Elijah Eli'jah Elisha Follow Forsaketh Good-By Kiss Letting Mother Oxen Please Ran Runneth Running Turn
1 Kings 19
1. Elijah, threatened by Jezebel, flees to Beersheba
4. In the desert, being weary of his life, he is comforted by an angel
9. At Horeb God appears unto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha
19. Elisha, taking leave of his friends, follows Elijah














(20) Let me, I pray thee.--It is impossible not to compare this with the similar request made to our Lord (Luke 9:61-62) by one who declared readiness to follow Him. The comparison suggests that the answer of Elijah is one of half-ironical rebuke of what seemed hesitation--"Go back, if thou wilt; what have I done to constrain thee?" In both cases we have the stern but necessary rejection of half-hearted service, even if the heart be distracted by the most natural and sacred love. But Elijah sees that Elisha means simply farewell, and he apparently waits till it is over.

Verse 20. - And he left the oxen [As, being the last in the line, he could do, without stopping the others. It is probable too that, Elisha being the last, Elijah's action would not have been observed by the rest], and ran after Elijah [It is clear that Elisha both understood the act, and made up his mind at once. No doubt he too had long sighed and prayed over the demoralization of his country and the dishonour done to his God. Elijah, after casting the mantle, strode on, leaving it for Elisha to take or reject it. The latter soon showed his choice by running after him], and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him; Go back again [Heb. go, return]: for what have I done to thee? [There is not a word of reproof here, as Wordsworth and Rawlinson imagine. Indeed, it would have been strange if there had been. A greater readiness to obey the prophetic summons, Elisha could not well have showed. Forthwith, as soon as he realized his call, "he left the oxen and ran after" his newmaster. True, he asks permission - and why should he not? for "grace is no enemy to good nature" - to give a parting embrace to the father and mother to whom he owed his life, and whom he had been required by God to honour. But there is no proof of "a divided heart" here. If he had begged to be allowed to stay and bury his mother and father (St. Luke 9:59-61) it might have been otherwise. But he suggests nothing of the kind. He says: "One kiss, one farewell, and then I will follow thee." It is a complete mistake, consequently, to interpret Elijah's words to mean, "Go, return to thy ploughing, for why shouldst thou quit it?... Thou canst remain as thou art" (Rawlinson). Their true meaning, as evidenced by the sequel (ver. 21), clearly was, "Go back and kiss them; why shouldst thou not? For what have I done to thee? I have summoned thee to follow me. But I have not required thee to repudiate thine own flesh and blood."]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Elisha left
וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב (way·ya·‘ă·zōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

the oxen,
הַבָּקָ֗ר (hab·bā·qār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1241: Beef cattle, ox, a herd

ran
וַיָּ֙רָץ֙ (way·yā·rāṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7323: To run

after
אַחֲרֵ֣י (’a·ḥă·rê)
Preposition
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

Elijah,
אֵֽלִיָּ֔הוּ (’ê·lî·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 452: Elijah -- 'Yah is God', a well-known prophet of Israel, also three other Israelites

and said,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Please
נָּא֙ (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

let me kiss
אֶשְּׁקָה־ (’eš·šə·qāh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 5401: To kiss, to equip with weapons

my father
לְאָבִ֣י (lə·’ā·ḇî)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

and mother [goodbye],
וּלְאִמִּ֔י (ū·lə·’im·mî)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

and then I will follow
וְאֵלְכָ֖ה (wə·’ê·lə·ḵāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

you.”
אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ (’a·ḥă·re·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

“Go on
לֵ֣ךְ (lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

back,”
שׁ֔וּב (šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

[Elijah] replied,
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“for
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

what
מֶה־ (meh-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

have I done
עָשִׂ֖יתִי (‘ā·śî·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

to you?”
לָֽךְ׃ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's 0: 0


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OT History: 1 Kings 19:20 He left the oxen and ran after (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 19:19
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