Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Kings 19:20

"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?" — 1 Kings 19:20 (ASV)

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 is distracted by the most natural and sacred love. But Elijah sees that Elisha means simply farewell, and he apparently waits until it is over.