1 Kings 18:1-8

War between Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

1 It happened many days [later] that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab so that I may give rain on the surface of the earth."

2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine [was] severe in Samaria.

3 Ahab summoned Obadiah who [was] over the house. (Now Obadiah was fearing Yahweh greatly.

4 It had happened that when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them {by fifties} in the cave and sustained them [with] food and water.)

5 Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis. Perhaps we may find green grass that we may keep horses and mules alive and that we might not lose any of the animals."

6 So they divided the land for themselves in order to pass through it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

7 It happened that Obadiah [was] on the way, and suddenly Elijah was there to meet him. When he recognized him, he fell on his face and said, "[Is] this you, my lord Elijah?"

8 He said to him, "I [am]. Go, say to your lord, 'Elijah [is] here.'"

1 Kings 18:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 18

In this chapter Elijah has an order from the Lord to show himself to Ahab, who, going first, and meeting with a servant of his, Obadiah, charges him to tell his master where he was, that he might meet him, 1Ki 18:1-16, and, upon meeting him, desires that all Israel, and the prophets of Baal, might be convened, which was accordingly done, 1Ki 18:17-20, when he expostulated with the people of Israel for their idolatry, mocked and confounded the prophets of Baal, and gave the strongest proofs, to the conviction of the people, that Jehovah is the true God, 1Ki 18:21-39, on which all the prophets of Baal were slain, 1Ki 18:40, and rain in great abundance was given at the prayer of the prophet, 1Ki 18:41-46.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "fifty men"
• [b]. A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season