1 Kings 19:13

13 And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and coming forth, stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him, saying: What dost thou here, Elias? And he answered:

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 said to him: Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord: and behold the Lord passeth, and a great and strong wind before the Lord, overthrowing the mountains, and breaking the rocks in pieces: but the Lord is not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake: but the Lord is not in the earthquake.

12 And after the earthquake, a fire: but the Lord is not in the fire. And after the fire, a whistling of a gentle air.

13 And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and coming forth, stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him, saying: What dost thou here, Elias? And he answered:

14 With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have destroyed thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away.

15 And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way, through the desert, to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;