Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy
Shaphat was the father of Elisha, the prophet who succeeded Elijah and performed many miracles during the reigns of the kings of Israel.
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Shaphat, mentioned in 1Ki.19.16,19 and 2Ki.3.11, 6:31, was the father of Elisha, the prophet who succeeded Elijah. Shaphat was from Abel-meholah, a town in the Jordan Valley. When Elijah was instructed by God to anoint Elisha as his successor, he found Elisha plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, indicating that Shaphat's family was wealthy and had a large agricultural operation. Elisha's response to Elijah's call, slaughtering the oxen and using the equipment to cook a meal for the people, demonstrates his willingness to leave behind his former life and fully commit to his prophetic ministry. As a prophet, Elisha performed numerous miracles and played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of Israel during the reigns of kings Joram, Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Jehoash. The mention of Shaphat as Elisha's father highlights the family background of this important prophetic figure.
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4 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H8202
You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet.
So 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.
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here? Let us inquire of the LORD through him.” And one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.