1 Kings 18:5

5 and Ahab saith unto Obadiah, `Go through the land, unto all fountains of waters, and unto all the brooks, if so be we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the cattle.'

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 and Ahab calleth unto Obadiah, who [is] over the house -- and Obadiah hath been fearing Jehovah greatly,

4 and it cometh to pass, in Jezebel's cutting off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah taketh a hundred prophets, and hideth them, fifty men in a cave, and hath sustained them with bread and water --

5 and Ahab saith unto Obadiah, `Go through the land, unto all fountains of waters, and unto all the brooks, if so be we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the cattle.'

6 And they apportion to themselves the land, to pass over into it; Ahab hath gone in one way by himself, and Obadiah hath gone in another way by himself;

7 and Obadiah [is] in the way, and lo, Elijah -- to meet him; and he discerneth him, and falleth on his face, and saith, `Art thou he -- my lord Elijah?'