1 Kings 18:18

18 He said, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because ¹you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and ²you have followed * the Baals.

1 Kings 18:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:18

And he answered
That is, Elijah, with great boldness and undaunted courage, not fearing the face of the king, being sent to show himself to him in the name of the King of kings:

I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house;
they, by their sins, were the cause of all the troubles, those sore evil and sad calamities that were upon them:

in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord:
to have no other gods before him, and not to make images, and worship them, which they had done:

and thou hast followed Baalim;
the several Baals, the Sun, moon, and stars, the whole host of heaven, worshipped under this name; or, not content with the Phoenician Baal, or Baal of the Zidonians, followed others, see ( Judges 2:11 ) .

1 Kings 18:18 In-Context

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

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, "Is this you, you troubler of Israel?"

18 He said, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and you have followed the Baals.

19 "Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."

20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 9:9; 2 Chronicles 15:2
• 2. 1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 21:25, 26