Elisha's strong interest in the work of "the sons of the prophets," and their loyalty to him, are indicated in a brief passage in II Kings 6: 1-7. Noting that the area which they shared with Elisha was becoming too crowded, these eager young students proposed that their joint headquarters be moved closer to the Jordan River, assuring him that each of their members would cooperate in the work of construction. The prophet agreed. As one was felling timber for this purpose, the axhead fell into the stream, to his dismay, "for it was borrowed," but with Elisha's aid, he quickly retrieved it. "The iron did swim" (verses 5, 6).
Later, Elisha showed his alertness and prophetic insight in warning the king of Israel of the precise position which the Syrian king had chosen for his own camp in a projected attack on the Israelites. Thanks to the prophet's warning, the Israelite ruler was repeatedly enabled to defend himself and his nation successfully, while the Syrians made every effort to find and to destroy Elisha, learning that it was he who had discovered and divulged their supposedly secret plans (see verses 8-14) .
Informed by his spies that the prophet was at Dothan, the Syrian ruler sent an army to surround the city by night; and when Elisha's servant awoke in the early morning, he was startled to discover that "an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots" (verse 15). His fears were silenced by his master's assurance that "they that be with us are more than they that be with them" (verse 16). Moreover, in response to Elisha's prayer, his servant no longer saw horses and chariots as symbols of danger or attack but rather as symbols of protection—"horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (verse 17).
The Syrians were turned from their purpose by temporary blindness; and when their sight returned, they found they had been led into Samaria by Elisha himself, who saw to it that they were amply fed and sent back to Syria unmolested—a generous act eventuating in the desired result that "the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel" (verse 23).
In a further scene, Elisha plays a leading part (see II Kings 13: 14-19). By now he had been serving his country and its people for almost half a century; and his great career appeared to be approaching its end. As he lay in bed, he was visited by Joash, the young king of Israel, who wept at the possibility of Elisha's demise and said, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof" (verse 14), echoing the words Elisha himself had used when Elijah was translated (see 2:12).
On the present occasion, Elisha had Joash select a bow and arrows. One arrow was to be shot eastward through the open window, while the prophet placed his hands on those of the young king; and as the arrow sped on its way, Elisha explained its import—that the Syrian forces would be speedily defeated. Then Joash was to strike the ground with the remaining arrows. He did so three times, only to learn that had he continued to five or six times, the downfall of Syria would have been complete.
So with his country's interests foremost in his thought, Elisha passed away. While he is rarely mentioned directly in the New Testament, his wide concept of abundance, shown in II Kings 4:42-44, where he fed "an hundred men" from a very small supply of food, prepared in some respects for John 6:8-13 and other Gospel passages.
