Literary Analysis - The Miracles of Elisha

Reading Elisha as literature

Your set text is the miracles of Elisha in II Kings, chapters 4 to 7. This module is not about translating it - it is about analysing it: the themes, the characters, and the narrative techniques the writer uses. (Every account here is summarised in plain English - no modern Bible translation is reproduced - and the text is treated as the respected set text of a living tradition.)

Analysis words

Literary analysis has its own vocabulary. These unlock the higher marks.

Match each miracle to the theme it shows

Know the text

Which of these miracles takes place in chapter 5?

• The healing of Naaman the Aramean
• The multiplying of the widow's oil
• The recovery of the floating axe head
• The lifting of the siege of Samaria

Naaman and Gehazi

The writer places these two figures side by side in chapter 5 - a deliberate contrast that carries much of the section's meaning.

Reading the contrast

What does the contrast between Naaman and Gehazi most clearly highlight?

• An outsider shows humble faith, while an insider falls to greed
• That foreigners can never really be healed
• That prophets care only about money
• That miracles happen at random

Analyse, do not retell

The single biggest lift in the exam is to analyse rather than retell: - Retelling: Naaman washes seven times and is healed. - Analysing: the narrative delays Naaman's healing behind a test of obedience, so his healing reads as a reward for humility. Write about how the text creates meaning - through contrast, repetition and characterisation - and keep the respectful, analytical register (writing "the narrative presents...").

Match each character to their role

Spot the themes

Select the TWO ideas that are central themes of the Elisha narratives.

• God's power working through the prophet
• Compassion for the vulnerable
• Detailed military strategy for its own sake
• Royal romance and court gossip

The shape of Naaman's story

Put the stages of Naaman's healing into the order the narrative gives them.

• Naaman arrives proud, expecting a grand gesture
• He is angry at being told simply to wash in the Jordan
• His servants persuade him to try the simple command
• He washes seven times and is healed
• He returns humbled and grateful

Analysis in one paragraph

The Elisha narratives set up a sharp _____ between Naaman and Gehazi. A recurring _____ is God's power working through the _____, and the writer repeatedly shows _____ for the vulnerable, from the widow to the _____.

Reading a whole clause

Analysis starts with noticing how a clause is put together. Both of these are from the opening of the Naaman narrative:

Which reading is right?

In לִפְנֵי הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן, what is אֲשֶׁר doing?

• Opening a relative clause that describes the prophet
• Acting as the verb of the clause
• Moving the story on to the next event
• Marking the object of the sentence

Make an analytical point

Three moments in writing an analysis. Pick the strongest analytical choice each time.

• You are opening a paragraph on Naaman's healing. Which is the strongest analytical point?
• You want to discuss the Gehazi episode. Which is the best analytical point?
• How should you treat the miracles in a literary analysis?

Your turn: analyse

Choose ONE miracle from the Elisha narratives (II Kings 4-7). Write IN ENGLISH about how the narrative uses it to convey a theme, referring to characters and technique.

• Name the miracle and its chapter, and the theme it conveys
• Explain HOW the narrative conveys that theme (contrast, repetition, characterisation)
• Refer to at least one character and what their words or actions show
• Make an analytical point - do not simply retell the events

Analyse, never retell

Top answers on this set text analyse, never retell. They name a theme - faith, compassion, the prophet as God's agent - and show how the narrative builds it, above all through the deliberate contrast of Naaman and Gehazi. Anchor each point in a character's words or actions, keep the respectful analytical register ("the narrative presents..."), and treat the miracles as the text portrays them rather than asserting them as history. That is what turns a summary into an analysis.