1 Kings 19:9-21

Elijah at Horeb

9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, ¹the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

10 He said, "²I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, ³torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And ⁴I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

11 So He said, "⁵Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And ⁶a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

12 After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire ⁷a sound of a gentle blowing.

13 When Elijah heard it, ⁸he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, ⁹a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14 Then he said, "¹⁰I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

15 The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, ¹¹you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;

16 and ¹²Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and ¹³Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.

17 "It shall come about, the ¹⁴one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu ¹⁵shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death.

18 "¹⁶Yet I will leave 7,000 * in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not ¹⁷kissed him."

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve * pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth *. And Elijah passed over to him and threw ¹⁸his mantle on him.

20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please ¹⁹let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow * you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?"

21 So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and ²⁰boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed * Elijah and ministered to him.

1 Kings 19:9-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 19

This chapter gives us a further account of Elijah, of his being obliged to flee for his life through the threats of Jezebel, 1Ki 19:1-4, of the care the Lord took of him, providing food for him, in the strength of which he went to Horeb, 1Ki 19:5-8, of the Lord's appearance to him there, and conversation with him, 1Ki 19:9-14, of some instructions he gave him to anoint a king over Syria, another over Israel, and a prophet in his room, 1Ki 19:15-18, and of his finding Elisha, and throwing his mantle over him, who left his secular employment, and followed him, and became his servant, 1Ki 19:19-21.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 33:21, 22
• 2. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14
• 3. Romans 11:3, 4
• 4. 1 Kings 18:22
• 5. Exodus 19:20; Exodus 24:12, 18
• 6. Ezekiel 1:4
• 7. Job 4:16; Zechariah 4:6
• 8. Exodus 3:6
• 9. 1 Kings 19:9
• 10. 1 Kings 19:10
• 11. 2 Kings 8:8-15
• 12. 2 Kings 9:1-10
• 13. 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:9, 15
• 14. 2 Kings 8:12; 2 Kings 13:3, 22
• 15. 2 Kin 9:14-10:25
• 16. Romans 11:4
• 17. Hosea 13:2
• 18. 1 Samuel 28:14; 2 Kin 2:8, 13, 14
• 19. Matthew 8:21, 22; Luke 9:61, 62; Acts 20:37
• 20. 2 Samuel 24:22