1 Re 18:42

42 Ed Achab risalì per mangiare e bere; ma Elia salì in vetta al Carmel; e, gettatosi a terra, si mise la faccia tra le ginocchia,

1 Re 18:42 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:42

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink
Up to his chariot, as some think, or rather to some place higher than that in which he now was:

and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel;
higher still, where he both might be alone, and have the opportunity of observing the clouds gathering, and the rain coming:

and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his
knees;
expressive of his humility, and of his earnestness, and vehement desire, and continued importunity, that rain might fall; for this was a posture of prayer he put himself into, and continued in; and it is certain that it was through his prayer that rain came, ( James 5:18 ) and from hence came the fable of the Grecians concerning Aeacus praying for rain in a time of drought, when it came ^F8. So the Chinese writers ^F9 report that at the prayers of their emperor Tangus, after a seven years' drought, great rains fell.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F8 Pausan. Attica, sive, l. 1. prope finem. Isocrat. Evagoras, p. 373.
F9 Martin. Sinic. Hist. l. 3. p. 60.

1 Re 18:42 In-Context

40 Ed Elia disse loro: "Pigliate i profeti di Baal; neppur uno ne scampi!" Quelli li pigliarono, ed Elia li fece scendere al torrente Kison, e quivi li scannò.

41 Poi Elia disse ad Achab: "Risali, mangia e bevi, poiché già s’ode rumor di gran pioggia".

42 Ed Achab risalì per mangiare e bere; ma Elia salì in vetta al Carmel; e, gettatosi a terra, si mise la faccia tra le ginocchia,

43 e disse al suo servo: "Or va su, e guarda dalla parte del mare!" Quegli andò su, guardò, e disse: "Non v’è nulla". Elia gli disse: "Ritornaci sette volte!"

44 E la settima volta, il servo disse: "Ecco una nuvoletta grossa come la palma della mano, che sale dal mare". Ed Elia: "Sali e di’ ad Achab: Attacca i cavalli al carro e scendi, che la pioggia non ti fermi".