1 Kings 18:10

10 "1As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where * my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

1 Kings 18:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:10

As the Lord thy God liveth
Which is the form of an oath he thought fit to make, to ascertain the truth of what he was about to say: there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek
thee;
which is either an hyperbolical expression, signifying he had sought for him in many places, and in every place he could think of; or it must be understood either of the ten tribes, which were as so many nations and kingdoms as they had been; or were more in the times of the Canaanites; or of the nations round about, that were in alliance with or tributary to the king of Israel: and when they said, he is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and
nation that they found thee not;
which he might exact of his own subjects, but could not of other nations, unless they were free to it of themselves; or he might take it of their ambassadors or merchants that came into his land, of whom he inquired, and adjured them to tell him the truth.

1 Kings 18:10 In-Context

8 He said to him, "It is I. Go, say to your master, 'Behold, Elijah is here."'
9 He said, "What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?
10 "As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.
11 "And now you are saying, 'Go, say to your master, "Behold, Elijah is here."'
12 "It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.

Cross References 1

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