Prophet Mentioned in the Bible by name

Elijah

She said to Elijah, "What do you have to do with me, man of God? Have you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"

The Lord (Yahweh) heard Elijah's voice (heard his prayer), and the boy's soul returned to him, and he came back to life. [This is the first time in the Bible that someone is raised from the dead.]

Elijah took the boy and went down from his room and gave him to his mother, and Elijah said, "See, your son is alive."

Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a prophet and that the word of the Lord (Yahweh) in your mouth is truth."

And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go and show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the land."

And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.
And there was a great famine in Samaria

And while he was going, behold, he met Elijah, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?"

And he answered him, "It is I. Go and tell your master, 'Behold, Elijah is here.

And now you say, 'Go and tell your master, "Behold, Elijah is here."

And now you say, 'Go and tell your master, Elijah is here, and he will kill me.

And Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts (Yahweh Sebaot) lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him (Ahab) today."

So Obadiah went and met Ahab and told him, and Ahab went and met Elijah.

And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is it you, O troubler of Israel (who causes disorder, brings disaster upon the land – Hebr. achar)?

Elijah stepped forward before all the people and asked, "How long will you limp (dance, stagger, waver—Hebr. pasach) on two crutches (branches; opinions)? [The meaning could be "how long will you limp around on two crutches?" or an image of a bird hopping from branch to branch, unable to decide where to sit.] If the Lord (Yahweh) is God (Elohim), follow him, but if it is Baal, follow him!" But the people did not answer him a word.

Then Elijah said to the people, "I, I alone, am left, a prophet of the Lord (Yahweh), but the prophets of Baal are 450 men.

And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose a bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your gods, but do not put fire under it."

At midday (around noon, when the sun was at its highest), Elijah began to taunt them, saying, "Call out louder! He is a god, but perhaps he is deep in thought, or has gone to the toilet, or is traveling, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened."
[Ugaritic texts mention how the goddess Anat searches for the god Baal and the answer she receives is that he is out hunting. Other texts describe how he dies and must be awakened. The Greek historian Menander of Ephesus (200 BC) writes how King Hiram of Tyre (a contemporary of David, see 2 Sam. 5:11) established rituals for how the Greek god Heracles should be awakened. The prophets of Baal did not consider Elijah's suggestions unworthy of their god, but took them very seriously.]

And Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he restored the altar of the Lord (Yahweh) that had been torn down.

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob [which symbolized the formerly united Israel, see Josh. 4:2–20], to whom the word of the Lord (Yahweh) had come and said, "Israel shall be your name." [Gen. 32:22–32]

And it came to pass, when it was time for the sacrifice [the evening sacrifice], that the prophet Elijah came near and said, "Lord (Yahweh), God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Israel, let it be known today that you are God (Elohim) in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all this at your words (because of all you have said).

And Elijah said to Ahab, "Get up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain."

So Ahab got up and ate and drank. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and bent down over the ground with his head between his knees.[The usual position for prayer was standing or kneeling. Here Elijah knelt and then lowered his head to the ground, between his knees, until his forehead touched the ground. He assumes a posture reminiscent of that of a woman giving birth.]

And the hand of the Lord (Yahweh) was upon Elijah, and he girded up his clothes and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Ahab (Hebr. Achav) told [his wife] Jezebel (Hebr. Izevel) in detail about everything Elijah had done. [How the prophets of Baal had failed to light the sacrificial fire, while Elijah had called down fire from heaven; how Elijah had prayed and it had begun to rain after three and a half years of drought.] Ahab also recounted the details of how Elijah had killed all the prophets with the sword [given the command that the 450 prophets of Baal should be executed].

Then Jezebel sent a messenger with the following warning to Elijah: "May the gods [Baal and the Astarte goddesses whom Jezebel served] punish me severely if by this time tomorrow I have not taken your life in the same way that you took theirs."
[Ahab was the most wicked king of Israel throughout history, because he allowed himself to be controlled by others, see 1 Kings 21:25–26. After the triumph over the prophets of Baal, the people cried out, "The Lord is God," see 1 Kings 18:39. What Elijah had longed for and prayed for was now beginning to happen. The people repented, and it looked as if Ahab would finally deal with Jezebel. Elijah accompanied Ahab to the city of Jezreel and waited at the gate while Ahab told Jezebel what had happened. She became furious and threatened to kill Elijah within 24 hours. Jezebel is a master at manipulating people. Since the people have seen God's power, she cannot openly kill Elijah, so she sends the message secretly in an attempt to control and intimidate the prophet into silence.]

When Elijah arrived [at Mount Horeb in the Sinai desert], he went into a cave and rested there overnight. Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Elijah went from there to Elisha, son of Shaphat. [From Mount Horeb in the Sinai desert, where Elijah was, to the city of Abel Mecholai in the Jordan Valley is 250 km.] He found Elisha in the field plowing with twelve pairs of oxen. Elisha was with the last pair. [Elisha came from a wealthy family that owned land and oxen. Like many others, he was not idle when he was called to service. David tended his father's sheep, the sons of Zebedee mended their nets, etc.] Elijah went up and threw his cloak over him.

Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying, "Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you." Elijah replied, "Go back. Do you understand what I have done to you?"

He [Elisha] went back. Then he took the two oxen and slaughtered them. He used the yoke as fuel to cook the meat and gave it to the people to eat. Then he set out and followed Elijah as his servant.
[By sacrificing the oxen, he shows that he understands the seriousness of the calling and does not intend to return to his old life. Elisha now follows Elijah for ten years and is trained in the prophetic ministry before the mantle is handed over to him.]

And the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying

And Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" [The greeting is similar to that in 1 Kings 18:17, but now it is no longer "troublemaker" but "enemy".]
And Elijah answered, "I have found you because you have set your heart to do evil in the sight of the Lord (Yahweh).

And the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying

But an angel of the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: "Get up and go to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is it because there is no God (Elohim) in Israel that you are going to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?

Know now that thus says the Lord (Yahweh): You shall not come down from the bed on which you have gone up, but you shall surely die." And Elijah went from there.

And they answered him, "It was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

But Elijah answered and spoke to the captain of the fifty: "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. [It is this story that forms the basis for the proposal by the brothers James and John to send fire upon a village in Samaria that had not welcomed Jesus, see Luke 9:54.]

But Elijah answered and said to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." And the fire of God (Elohim) came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

And again he [Ahaziah] sent to him a third captain of fifty and his fifty. And the third captain of fifty came and fell down (crouched) on his knees before Elijah and showed mercy to him and spoke to him, saying, "Man of God, I pray you, let my life (my soul) and the lives (souls) of these fifty servants of yours be precious (something valuable) in your sight.

And the angel of the Lord (Yahweh) spoke to Elijah: "Go down with him, do not be afraid of him." And he rose and went down with him to the king [of the Northern Kingdom].

So he died according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh) that Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram began to reign in his place, in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, because he had no son.

[Central to the Book of Kings (when viewed as a whole) are 14 stories from Elisha's prophetic ministry, divided into two sections of seven each. Compared to Elijah, these are less grandiose and more mundane. Most of the stories are not about kings but concern the poor and helpless. Elisha literally received a double blessing (verse 9), compared to the seven miracles described in 1 Kings 17; 18; 19; 21; 22 and 2 Kings 1.]

And it came to pass, when the Lord (Yahweh) was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind (storm wind – Hebr. searah), that Elijah walked with Elisha from Gilgal.

And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here, I beg you, for the Lord (Yahweh) has sent me to Bethel."
But Elisha said, "As the Lord (Yahweh) lives, andas your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

And Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here, I beg you, for the Lord (Yahweh) has sent me to Jericho."
But he replied, "As the Lord (Yahweh) lives andas your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they walked [together] down to Jericho.

And Elijah said to him, "Stay here, I beg you, for the Lord (Yahweh) has sent me to the Jordan."
But he said, "As the Lord (Yahweh) lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.

And Elijah took his cloak and folded it up and struck the water, and it divided to one side and to the other, so that the two could cross over on dry ground.

And it came to pass, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you."
Then Elisha answered, "I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." [In Deut. 21:17, the firstborn has the right to a double inheritance. The meaning is that he will be Elijah's successor. At the same time, there is also a literal fulfillment. Elijah raises one person from the dead (1 Kings 17:22–23), while Elisha raises two (2 Kings 4:35; 13:21), even though the last miracle occurs after his death!]

[Elisha moves back the same way he came with Elijah. In verses 2-8, they went from Bethel to Jericho and finally to the Jordan. Now Elisha moves back alone from the Jordan to Jericho toward Bethel verses 13-23.]
He picked up Elijah's cloak, which had fallen from him, and went back to the bank of the Jordan River.

And they came back and told him, and he said, "This is the word of the Lord (Yahweh) that he spoke through his servant Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, 'In the portion of Jezreel [the area that had previously been Naboth's vineyard], the dogs shall eat Jezebel's flesh,

Now know that none of the provisions of the Lord (Yahweh) shall fall to the ground that the Lord (Yahweh) has spoken concerning Ahab. For the Lord (Yahweh) has done what he spoke through his servant Elijah."

And they came to Samaria, and he struck down all who remained of Ahab in Samaria until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh) which he spoke to Elijah.

[Since Elijah's prophecies were mostly directed at Israel (the northern kingdom), he is not quoted very often in the Books of Chronicles, which focus on Judah (the southern kingdom).]
And a letter came to him from the prophet Elijah, saying:
Thus says the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of your father David:
You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or in the ways of Asa, king of Judah,

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord [Joel 2:31; Acts 2:17–21; 1 Thess 5:2].
[Since Elijah was taken up into heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11), his return has always been associated with the advent of the Messianic age in the Jewish faith, see John 1:19–28. John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah (Matt. 11:14; 17:1–13; Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36) and fulfilled the prophecy in Malachi 3:1, but he was not Elijah (John 1:21). See also Revelation 11:1–13.]

and if you are willing to receive (accept) it, he is Elijah who was to come [as Mal. 4:5 foretells].

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

Suddenly they saw Moses and Elijah talking with him.

Then Peter began to speak, saying to Jesus, "It is wonderful (good, glorious) to be here! If you want, I will make three tents. One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
[In Luke 9:33 it also says that "Peter did not know what he was saying." It is possible that he is referring to the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is celebrated in the fall. During this festival, huts with roofs of leaves are built under the open sky to commemorate the Israelites' journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish belief and tradition, the festival is also associated with both the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic age, see Acts 3:21. These connections to messianic expectation are clear when Jesus visits Jerusalem during Sukkot, see, for example, John 7:2, 27, 31, 40–42.]

The disciples asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

He replied [and confirmed their doctrine based on Mal. 4:5]: "Elijah will come and restore (reestablish) everything.

But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also will the Son of Man be treated and suffer at their hands."

Some of those standing there heard this and said, "This man is calling Elijah." [Mal. 4:5]

But the others said, "Leave him alone, let's see if Elijah comes and saves (delivers, rescues) him!"

Some said he was [the great prophet] Elijah [who was expected to return in the last days, see Mal. 4:5]. Others said he was a prophet, like one of the prophets.

They replied, "John the Baptist; but others say [the great prophet] Elijah [who was expected to return in the last days, see Mal. 4:5], and others one of the prophets."

Then Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
[Six days after Peter's words that Jesus is the Messiah, see Mark 8:29, three of his disciples see how Jesus' human nature fades and his divinity shines through. Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament. Together, they confirm that Jesus is the one who fulfills the teachings (Torah) and the promises of the prophets.]

Peter answered [even though no one had asked him, he interrupted their conversation] and said to Jesus, "Master, it is good (wonderful) for us to be here. Let us make three huts [he was probably referring to the huts that were built during the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles], one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

They asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

He replied, "It is true that Elijah comes first [before the Messiah] and restores everything [as it is written in Mal. 4:5-6]. Why does it say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be despised (treated without respect)?

I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him." [Jesus is referring to John the Baptist, whom Herod Antipas had imprisoned and killed, see Mark 6:14–29.]

Some of those standing there heard this and said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah." [It was a common Jewish belief that the prophet Elijah could come and rescue a righteous man in distress.]+E3714

But one of them [perhaps the Roman officer mentioned in verse 39] ran and filled a sponge with sour wine [cheap wine drunk by slaves and soldiers], put it on a stick, gave it to him to drink, and said [to the crowd]: "Wait (leave him alone), let's see if Elijah comes and takes him down."

He will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to
’turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’ [Mal. 3:1; 4:5]
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
so that the Lord may have a prepared people.”

[Example 1 – Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, see 1 Kings 17:8–24:]
What I say is true, there were many widows in [his homeland] Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky did not give rain for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.

So Elijah was sent not to any of them but to a widow in [the small village of] Zarephath in [the Mediterranean coast of the gentile country where the main town was] Sidon.

others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.

They replied, "John the Baptist. Others say [the great prophet] Elijah [who was expected to return in the last days, see Mal. 4:5], and others that one of the old prophets has risen."

Suddenly there were two men talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah

As the men were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.
[Although this event probably takes place in the spring, Peter makes connections to the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is celebrated in the fall. During this festival, people build huts with roofs of leaves under the open sky to commemorate the Israelites' journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish belief and tradition, the festival is also associated with both the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic age, see Acts 3:21. These connections to messianic expectation are clear when Jesus visits Jerusalem during Sukkot, see, for example, John 7:2, 27, 31, 40–42.]

When his disciples James and John [the brothers whom Jesus called "sons of thunder," see Mark 3:17] found out about this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them [just as Elijah did]?" [2 Kings 1:10–12]

They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" [Elijah is associated with the coming of the Messianic age, see Mal. 4:5.]
He said, "No, I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
"No," he replied.

and they asked him, "Why do you baptize if you are not the Anointed One (Messiah), Elijah, or the Prophet?"
[There were many types of purification baptisms in Jesus' time. Before a pilgrim entered the temple, a purification bath was required. The priests also had daily ritual purification baptisms. Unlike these recurring baptisms, the baptism of proselytes is perhaps the most significant. A Gentile who converted to Judaism was baptized in water. When John now calls on Jews to repent and be baptized, he equates these Jews with Gentiles, in need of repentance.]

God has not rejected his people whom he once acknowledged as his own. Do you not know what Scripture says [in 1 Kings 18:16-19:18] where it speaks of Elijah, how he turns to God and accuses Israel. [After Elijah's spectacular victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel's threats forced him to flee to Mount Horeb, where Elijah laments (Lam. about the Israelites and says:]

Elijah was a man with the same nature [who also suffered and was affected by emotions in the same way] as us. He prayed that it would not rain, and then it did not rain on the land (on earth) for three years and six months.