1 Kings 19:13

13 and it cometh to pass, at Elijah's hearing [it], that he wrappeth his face in his robe, and goeth out, and standeth at the opening of the cave, and lo, unto him [is] a voice, and it saith, `What -- to thee, here, Elijah?'

1 Kings 19:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 19:13

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face
in his mantle
Through reverence of the divine Majesty he perceived was there, and through shame and confusion under a sense of his impurity, imperfections, and unworthiness, as the seraphim in ( Isaiah 6:2 Isaiah 6:3 ) , and as Moses, ( Exodus 3:6 ) , and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave; he attempted to come forth out of the cave upon the divine order, ( 1 Kings 19:11 ) , but was stopped by the terrible appearances of the wind, earthquake, and fire, a little within it; but now he came quite out, and stood at the mouth of it, to hear what the Lord would say unto him:

and, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, what dost thou
here, Elijah?
the same question is here put as in ( 1 Kings 19:9 ) , though there by an angel, here by the Lord himself.

1 Kings 19:13 In-Context

11 And He saith, `Go out, and thou hast stood in the mount before Jehovah.' And lo, Jehovah is passing by, and a wind -- great and strong -- is rending mountains, and shivering rocks before Jehovah: -- not in the wind [is] Jehovah; and after the wind a shaking: -- not in the shaking [is] Jehovah;

12 and after the shaking a fire: -- not in the fire [is] Jehovah; and after the fire a voice still small;

13 and it cometh to pass, at Elijah's hearing [it], that he wrappeth his face in his robe, and goeth out, and standeth at the opening of the cave, and lo, unto him [is] a voice, and it saith, `What -- to thee, here, Elijah?'

14 And he saith, `I have been very zealous for Jehovah, God of Hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, Thine altars they have thrown down, and Thy prophets they have slain by the sword, and I am left, I, by myself, and they seek my life -- to take it.'

15 And Jehovah saith unto him, `Go turn back on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus, and thou hast gone in, and anointed Hazael for king over Aram,