1 Kings 18:1-6

1 After many days the word of the Lord was made to Elijah, in the third year, and said, Go, and show thee to Ahab, that I give rain upon the face of the earth (Go, and show thyself to Ahab, and I shall send rain upon the face of the earth).

2 Therefore Elijah went to show himself to Ahab; forsooth a great hunger was made in Samaria (and there was then a great famine in Samaria).

3 And Ahab called Obadiah, the dispenser, either steward, of his house; forsooth Obadiah dreaded greatly the Lord God of Israel (and Obadiah greatly feared/greatly revered the Lord God of Israel).

4 For when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, he took an hundred prophets, and hid them, by fifties and fifties, in dens (and hid them in caves, fifty by fifty), and fed them with bread and water.

5 Then Ahab said to Obadiah, Go thou into the land, to all the wells of waters, and into all (the) valleys, if in hap we may find grass, and save (the) horses and mules; and [the] work beasts perish not utterly (and so the work beasts shall not utterly perish).

6 And they parted the countries to themselves, that they should compass those; Ahab went by one way, and Obadiah went by another way, by himself.

1 Kings 18:1-6 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.