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1 Kings 18

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Elijah Returns to Ahab 1–6

1
And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. ​
2
And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
3
And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: ​
4
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) ​
5
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts. ​
6
So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

Elijah Meets Obadiah 7–16

7
And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah? ​
8
And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
9
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? ​
10
As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
11
And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12
And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me: but I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth. ​
13
Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
14
And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
15
And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day. ​
16
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

The Confrontation with Ahab 17–20

17
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? ​
18
And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim. ​
19
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. ​
20
So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.

The Contest on Mount Carmel 21–40

21
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. ​
22
Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. ​
23
Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24
And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. ​
25
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26
And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. ​
28
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. ​
29
And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
30
And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. ​
31
And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: ​
32
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. ​
34
And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35
And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36
And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. ​
37
Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38
Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. ​
39
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. ​
40
And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. ​

The Drought Ends; Rain Returns 41–46

41
And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. ​
42
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, ​
43
And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
44
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. ​
45
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46
And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Kings 18

Verse 1

in the third year — Elijah had told Ahab that there would be no 'dew nor rain these years, but according to my word' (1 Kgs 17:1); the rain now returns by the same word: 'I will send rain upon the earth'. Christ and James give the whole span as 'three years and six months' (Luke 4:25; Jas 5:17).

Verse 3

Obadiah feared the LORD greatly — His name (Obadyah) means 'serving Jah'. He is 'governor of his house' to Ahab, who 'went and served Baal' (1 Kgs 16:31). Obadiah says of himself, 'I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth' (v.12), and what he did for the LORD's prophets is told in v.4.

Verse 4

an hundred prophets — When Jezebel 'cut off' (karath) the LORD's prophets, Obadiah took a hundred, hid them 'by fifty in a cave', and fed them 'with bread and water'. He tells Elijah of it himself (v.13). Elijah later says of Israel, 'slain thy prophets with the sword' (1 Kgs 19:10).

Verse 5

peradventure we may find grass — The land is under the word of 1 Kgs 17:1, and the king's search is for grass 'to save the horses and mules alive'. Ahab and Obadiah divide the land between them (v.6); Obadiah, going his own way, is the one who meets Elijah (v.7).

Verse 7

my lord Elijah — Obadiah 'fell on his face' and called Elijah 'my lord', yet Elijah answers, 'go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here' (v.8), where 'thy lord' is Ahab. Obadiah repeats the command twice (vv.11, 14), each time with 'thy lord', and the second time adds, 'and he shall slay me'.

Verse 9

What have I sinned — Obadiah hears Elijah's order (v.8) as delivering him 'into the hand of Ahab, to slay me'. Ahab had sent to every nation and kingdom, and 'took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not' (v.10), so Elijah's whereabouts mattered to the whole land.

Verse 12

the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee — Obadiah expects that Elijah may be taken 'whither I know not'. The same thought rises later when the sons of the prophets suppose that 'the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain' (2 Kgs 2:16), and Philip is 'caught away' (Acts 8:39).

Verse 15

before whom I stand — Elijah's oath uses the words with which he first spoke to Ahab: 'As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand' (1 Kgs 17:1). Here it is 'the LORD of hosts', and the oath answers Obadiah's fear: 'I will surely shew myself unto him to day.'

Verse 17

he that troubleth Israel — The verb is akar, to trouble or disturb. It is the word of Achan: 'Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day' (Josh 7:25), and 1 Chr 2:7 calls him 'Achar, the troubler of Israel'. Ahab's charge puts Elijah in the place Achan held, and Elijah returns it in v.18.

Verse 18

thou hast followed Baalim — Elijah takes Ahab's verb and gives it back: 'I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house'. Baalim is the plural of Baal. Ahab married Jezebel and 'served Baal' (1 Kgs 16:31), and 'did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him' (16:33).

Verse 19

the prophets of the groves — 'Groves' translates asherah, the image Ahab 'made' (1 Kgs 16:33). The four hundred 'eat at Jezebel's table'. After this verse the chapter speaks only of the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal (vv.22, 40); the four hundred are not named again.

Verse 21

halt ye between two opinions — Pasach, to limp or hop, the verb that is rendered 'pass over' in Ex 12:13, 23, 27; it is used of the prophets' leaping in v.26. 'Opinions' (se'ippim) are divided thoughts. Elijah asks for a single following: 'if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him'.

Verse 22

I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD — Obadiah's hundred prophets are hidden (vv.4, 13); Elijah is the one standing before the people. He says the same at Horeb (1 Kgs 19:10), and Paul quotes it with the answer, 'I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal' (Rom 11:3–4).

Verse 24

answereth by fire — The test turns on the verb anah, to answer. The people 'answered' (anah) 'It is well spoken'; the prophets of Baal cry 'hear us' and there is 'no voice, nor any that answered' (v.26). Fire from the LORD had consumed the offering before (Lev 9:24; 2 Chr 7:1).

Verse 27

Elijah mocked them — Hathal, to deride. 'Talking' is siach, a musing or meditation. The list — talking, pursuing, a journey, sleep — names what might keep a man from answering. Of the LORD it is said, 'he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep' (Ps 121:4).

Verse 28

cut themselves after their manner — The prophets used 'knives and lancets' (romach, a spear) and bled. 'After their manner' is mishpat, their custom. The LORD had told his own people, 'Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead' (Lev 19:28) and 'ye shall not cut yourselves' (Deut 14:1).

Verse 30

repaired the altar of the LORD — Elijah calls the people near and repairs (rapha, to heal or mend) the altar 'that was broken down' (haras). At Horeb he says that Israel had 'thrown down thine altars' (1 Kgs 19:10). The twelve-stone altar of v.32 is built on this repair, 'in the name of the LORD'.

Verse 31

Israel shall be thy name — Elijah's twelve stones match the sons of Jacob, and the verse recalls the word given at Bethel, 'thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name' (Gen 35:10). Ahab's kingdom was ten tribes, but the altar is built for all twelve.

Verse 33

Fill four barrels with water — The kad is a jar for household use (the 'pitcher' of Gen 24:14). Elijah has it filled and poured over the offering and the wood, and v.34 repeats it twice more, so that twelve jars are poured, as many as the twelve stones of v.31. By v.35 the water 'ran round about the altar' and filled the trench.

Verse 36

LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel — The prayer comes 'at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice', the time of the daily lamb (Ex 29:39). Elijah names Jacob by his new name, as in v.31. He asks that it be known that 'thou art God in Israel' and that 'I have done all these things at thy word'.

Verse 38

licked up the water — The fire of the LORD consumed (akal, ate) the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the dust, and 'licked up' (lachak) the water in the trench, the water poured in vv.33–35. It answers the test of v.24 and recalls the fire of Lev 9:24 and 2 Chr 7:1.

Verse 39

The LORD, he is the God — The people say it twice, as Moses had taught: 'the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him' (Deut 4:35, 39). Their cry gives the meaning of Elijah's own name, Eliyahu, 'God of Jehovah', and answers his question in v.21, 'if the LORD be God, follow him'.

Verse 40

let not one of them escape — Deuteronomy ordered that a prophet who spoke 'to turn you away from the LORD your God' 'shall be put to death' (Deut 13:5), and the prophet who speaks 'in the name of other gods' 'shall die' (Deut 18:20). Elijah has them brought down 'to the brook Kishon' and slain there.

Verse 41

a sound of abundance of rain — Hamon is a roar or multitude of sound. Elijah speaks to Ahab of rain before any cloud is seen (vv.43–44), on the word given in v.1: 'I will send rain upon the earth'. Ahab is told to 'eat and drink', and he does (v.42).

Verse 42

his face between his knees — Elijah 'cast himself down upon the earth' on the top of Carmel while Ahab goes up to eat. James takes this as prayer: Elias 'prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit' (Jas 5:18). The rain is promised (v.1) and still asked for.

Verse 44

a little cloud… like a man's hand — The servant looks 'toward the sea' (v.43) and reports at the seventh time. Elijah does not wait for a larger sign: he sends word to Ahab, 'Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not'. In v.45 the heaven is 'black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain'.

Verse 46

the hand of the LORD was on Elijah — The same phrase marks Elisha's prophecy, 'the hand of the LORD came upon him' (2 Kgs 3:15). Elijah girds his loins and runs 'before Ahab' to Jezreel, as the king's runners go before his chariots (1 Sam 8:11); Ahab 'rode' (v.45).