1 Reyes 18:42

42 Y Achâb subió á comer y á beber. Y Elías subió á la cumbre del Carmelo; y postrándose en tierra, puso su rostro entre las rodillas.

1 Reyes 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 Reyes 18:42 In-Context

40 Y díjoles Elías: Prended á los profetas de Baal, que no escape ninguno. Y ellos los prendieron; y llevólos Elías al arroyo de Cisón, y allí los degolló.
41 Y entonces Elías dijo á Achâb: Sube, come y bebe; porque una grande lluvia suena.
42 Y Achâb subió á comer y á beber. Y Elías subió á la cumbre del Carmelo; y postrándose en tierra, puso su rostro entre las rodillas.
43 Y dijo á su criado: Sube ahora, y mira hacia la mar. Y él subió, y miró, y dijo: No hay nada. Y él le volvió á decir: Vuelve siete veces.
44 Y á la séptima vez dijo: Yo veo una pequeña nube como la palma de la mano de un hombre, que sube de la mar. Y él dijo: Ve, y di á Achâb: Unce y desciende, porque la lluvia no te ataje.
The Reina-Valera Antigua (1602) is in the public domain.