1 Kings 18:44

44 And in the seventh time, lo! a little cloud, as the step of a man, went up from the sea. And Elijah said, Go thou up, and say to Ahab, Join thy chariot, and go down, lest the rain before-occupy thee. (And on the seventh time, lo! a little cloud, like the hand of a man, went up from the sea. And Elijah said, Go thou up now, and say to Ahab, Join up thy chariot, and get going, or the rain shall stop thee!)

1 Kings 18:44 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:44

And it came to pass at the seventh time that he said, behold
there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand
Either about the size or in the form of it; rain water comes out of the sea, and, being strained through the clouds and air, becomes fresh:

and he said, go up:
the meaning seems to be, that he should first go down from the mount, and then go up to that part of it where Ahab was:

say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot;
bind or fasten the horses to it, as the phrase seems to signify:

and get thee down;
from the mountain where he was, to go to Jezreel, which lay low in a valley:

that the rain stop thee not;
on the road, that might be made impassable by it, signifying that such abundance should fall as would make it so.

1 Kings 18:44 In-Context

42 Ahab went up to eat and drink; but Elijah went up into (the top of) the hill of Carmel, and he set lowly his face to the earth, betwixt his knees; (So Ahab went to eat and drink; but Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel, and he put his face low to the ground, between his knees;)

43 and said to his servant, Go thou up, and behold thou against the sea. And when he had gone up, and beheld, he said, Nothing is (there). And again Elijah said to him, Turn thou again seven times. (and said to his servant, Go thou up now, and behold the sea. And when he had gone, and beheld it, he said, There is nothing there. And Elijah said to him, Do it again; and in all, he commanded him to do it seven times.)

44 And in the seventh time, lo! a little cloud, as the step of a man, went up from the sea. And Elijah said, Go thou up, and say to Ahab, Join thy chariot, and go down, lest the rain before-occupy thee. (And on the seventh time, lo! a little cloud, like the hand of a man, went up from the sea. And Elijah said, Go thou up now, and say to Ahab, Join up thy chariot, and get going, or the rain shall stop thee!)

45 And when they turned them hither and thither, lo! heavens were made dark, and cloud, and wind, and great rain was made. Therefore Ahab went up (into his chariot), and went into Jezreel; (And when they turned themselves here and there, lo! the skies were made dark with clouds and wind, and a great rain came. And so Ahab went up into his chariot, and went back to Jezreel;)

46 and the hand of the Lord was made upon Elijah, and when his loins were girded, he ran before Ahab, till he came into Jezreel. (and the hand of the Lord was made upon Elijah, and when his loins were girded up, he ran ahead of Ahab, all the way back to Jezreel.)