1 Kings 18

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1After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”

2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,

3and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord.

4While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

5Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.”

6So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

7As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

8“Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’ ”

9“What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?

10As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you.

11But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’

12I don't know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth.

13Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water.

14And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

15Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

18“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals.

19Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.”

20So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

21Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

22Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.

23Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.

24Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire–he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”

26So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “O Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

27At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

28So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.

29Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins.

31Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”

32With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

33He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

34“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again. “Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time.

35The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

36At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.

37Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

38Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

39When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord–he is God! The Lord–he is God!”

40Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

41And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

42So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

44The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

45Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

46The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

Commentary

18:1 The third year - Either, From the time when he went to hide himself by the brook Cherith; six months before which time the famine might begin. And so this being towards the end of the third year, it makes up these three years and six months, James 5:17. Or, From the time of his going to Sarepta, which probably was a year after the famine begun; So this might be in the middle of the third year, which also makes up the three years and six months. Go to Ahab - To acquaint him with the cause of this judgment, and to advise him to remove it, and upon that condition to promise him rain. Will send - According to thy word and prayer, which thou shalt make for it. Thus God takes care to maintain the honour of his prophet, and in judgment remembers mercy to Israel, for the sake of the holy seed yet left among them, who suffered in this common calamity.

18:1-16 The severest judgments, of themselves, will not humble or change the hearts of sinners; nothing, except the blood of Jesus Christ, can atone for the guilt of sin; nothing, except the sanctifying Spirit of God, can purge away its pollution. The priests and the Levites were gone to Judah and Jerusalem, 2Ch 11:13,14, but instead of them God raised up prophets, who read and expounded the word. They probably were from the schools of the prophets, first set up by Samuel. They had not the spirit of prophecy as Elijah, but taught the people to keep close to the God of Israel. These Jezebel sought to destroy. The few that escaped death were forced to hide themselves. God has his remnant among all sorts, high and low; and that faith, fear, and love of his name, which are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, will be accepted through the Redeemer. See how wonderfully God raises up friends for his ministers and people, for their shelter in difficult times. Bread and water were now scarce, yet Obadiah will find enough for God's prophets, to keep them alive. Ahab's care was not to lose all the beasts; but he took no care about his soul, not to lose that. He took pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favour of God; fencing against the effect, but not inquiring how to remove the cause. But it bodes well with a people, when God calls his ministers to stand forth, and show themselves. And we may the better endure the bread of affliction, while our eyes see our teachers.

Chapter 18 We left the prophet Elijah wrapt up in obscurity. It does not appear that either the increase of the provision or the raising of the child had caused him to be taken notice of at Zarephath, for then Ahab would have discovered him; he would rather do good than be known to do it. But in this chapter his appearance was as public as before his retirement was close; the days appointed for his concealment (which was part of the judgment upon Israel) being finished, he is not commanded to show himself to Ahab, and to expect rain upon the earth (v. 1). Pursuant to this order we have here, I. His interview with Obadiah, one of Ahab’s servants, by whom he sends notice to Ahab of his coming (v. 2–16). II. His interview with Ahab himself (v. 17–20). III. His interview with all Israel upon Mount Carmel, in order to a public trial of titles between the Lord and Baal; a most distinguished solemnity it was, in which, 1. Baal and his prophets were confounded. 2. God and Elijah were honoured (v. 21–39). IV. The execution he did upon the prophets of Baal (v. 40). V. The return of the mercy of rain, at the word of Elijah (v. 41–46). It is a chapter in which are many things very observable.Verses 1-16 In these verses we find,I. The sad state of Israel at this time, upon two accounts:—1. Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord (v. 4), slew them, v. 13. Being an idolater, she was a persecutor, and made Ahab one. Even in those bad times, when the calves were worshipped and the temple at Jerusalem deserted, yet there were some good people that feared God and served him, and some good prophets that instructed them in the knowledge of him and assisted them in their devotions. The priests and the Levites had all gone to Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chr. 11:13, 14), but, instead of them, God raised up these prophets, who read and expounded the law in private meetings, or in the families that retained their integrity, for we read not of any synagogues at this time; they had not the spirit of prophecy as Elijah, nor did they offer sacrifice, or burn incense, but taught people to live well, and keep close to the God of Israel. These Jezebel aimed to extirpate, and put many of them to death, which was as much a public calamity as a public iniquity, and threatened the utter ruin of religion’s poor remains in Israel. Those few that escaped the sword were forced to abscond, and hide themselves in caves, where they were buried alive and cut off, though not from life, yet from usefulness, which is the end and comfort of life; and, when the prophets were persecuted and driven into corners, no doubt their friends, those few good people that were in the land, were treated in like manner. Yet, bad as things were,(1.) There was one very good man, who was a great man at court, Obadiah, who answered his name—a servant of the Lord, one who feared God and was faithful to him, and yet was steward of the household to Ahab. Observe his character: He feared the Lord greatly (v. 3), was not only a good man, but zealously and eminently good; his great place put a lustre upon his goodness, and gave him great opportunities of doing good; and he feared the Lord from his youth (v. 12), he began betimes to be religious and had continued long. Note, Early piety, it is to be hoped, will be eminent piety; those that are good betimes are likely to be very good; he that feared God from his youth came to fear him greatly. He that will thrive must rise betimes. But it is strange to find such an eminently good man governor of Ahab’s house, an office of great honour, power, and trust. [1.

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG ከብዙ ቀንም በኋላ በሦስተኛው ዓመት፦ ሂድ፥ ለአክዓብ ተገለጥ፥ በምድር ላይም ዝናብ እሰጣለሁ፡ የሚል የእግዚአብሔር ቃል ወደ ኤልያስ መጣ። አማርኛ BCV ድሕሪ ነዊሕ ጊዜ፥ በታ ሳልሰይቲ ዓመት፥ ንኤልያስ “ኬድካ ንኣክኣብ ተርኣዮ እሞ፥ ኣነ ድማ ንምድሪ ዝናም ከዝንመላ እየ” ዝብል ቃል እግዚኣብሄር ናብ ኤልያስ መፀ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Eliyaas yeroo dheeraa erga achi turee booddee, waggaa sadaffaatti dubbiin Waaqayyoo gara isaa dhufee,“Dhaqiitii Ahaab m… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ወእምድኅረ ብዙኅ መዋዕል ኮነ ቃለ እግዚአብሔር ኀበ ኤልያስ ወይቤሎ፦ አስተርእዮ ላአካአብ ወእሁብ ዝናመ ላዕለ ምድር። giz GAZGAZ Eliyaas yeroo dheeraa erga achi turee booddee, waggaa sadaffaatti dubbiin Waaqayyoo gara isaa dhufee,“Dhaqiitii Ahaab m… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ድሕሪ ነዊሕ ጊዜ፥ በታ ሳልሰይቲ ዓመት፥ ንኤልያስ “ኬድካ ንኣክኣብ ተርኣዮ እሞ፥ ኣነ ድማ ንምድሪ ዝናም ከዝንመላ እየ” ዝብል ቃል እግዚኣብሄር ናብ ኤልያስ መፀ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV ከብዙ ጊዜ በኋላም በሦስተኛው ዓመት እንዲህ የሚል የእግዚአብሔር ቃል ለኤልያስ መጣለት፤ “ሄደህ ለአክዓብ ተገለጥ፤ እኔም በምድሪቱ ላይ ዝናብ አዘንባለሁ።” አማርኛ SWAHSUV Ikawa baada ya siku nyingi, neno la Bwana likamjia Eliya, katika mwaka wa tatu, kusema, Enenda, ukajionyeshe kwa Ahabu;… Kiswahili