1 Kings 18:5

5 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let us go and look at every spring and every stream bed in the land to see if we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Maybe we won't have to kill any of our animals."

1 Kings 18:5 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:5

And Ahab said unto Obadiah, go into the land, unto all
fountains of water, and unto all brooks
To observe in what condition they were, and the places adjoining to them, the meadows and valleys: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive;
particularly those which belonged to the king's stables, to find provisions for which it was found difficult: that we lose not all the beasts;
many of them, doubtless, were lost through the drought already, and there was great danger of the rest, and so, in time, of there being none to procreate and preserve their species, and to prevent which Ahab proposed to take this method.

1 Kings 18:5 In-Context

3 so Ahab called in Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devout worshiper of the Lord,
4 and when Jezebel was killing the Lord's prophets, Obadiah took a hundred of them, hid them in caves in two groups of fifty, and provided them with food and water.)
5 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let us go and look at every spring and every stream bed in the land to see if we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Maybe we won't have to kill any of our animals."
6 They agreed on which part of the land each one would explore, and set off in different directions.
7 As Obadiah was on his way, he suddenly met Elijah. He recognized him, bowed low before him, and asked, "Is it really you, sir?"

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [One ancient translation] Let us go and look; [Hebrew] You go and look.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.