1 Kings 19:13

13 And when Elijah had heard this, he covered his face with a mantle, and he went out, and stood in the door of the den (and stood at the entrance to the cave). And a voice spake to him, and said, Elijah, what doest thou here?

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 Elijah, Go thou out, and stand in the hill, before the Lord. And lo! the Lord passeth, and a great wind, and strong, turning upside-down hills, and all-breaking stones before the Lord; not in the wind is the Lord. And after the wind is a stirring; not in the stirring is the Lord. (And he said to Elijah, Go thou out, and stand on the mount before the Lord. And lo! the Lord then passed by, and there was a great strong wind, that turned the mountains upside-down, and broke up the stones before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind there was a great shaking; but the Lord was not in that shaking.)

12 And after the stirring is a fire; not in the fire is the Lord. And after the fire is an hissing of thin wind, or breathing softly; there is the Lord. (And after the stirring, or the shaking, there was a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a hissing of the wind, as if softly breathing; and there was the Lord/and the Lord was there.)

13 And when Elijah had heard this, he covered his face with a mantle, and he went out, and stood in the door of the den (and stood at the entrance to the cave). And a voice spake to him, and said, Elijah, what doest thou here?

14 And he answered, With fervent love I have loved fervently, for the Lord God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken thy covenant; they have destroyed thine altars, and they have killed with (the) sword thy prophets; and I am left alone, and they seek my life, that they do it away. (And he answered, and said, With fervent love I have fervently loved for the Lord God of hosts; but the Israelites have deserted thy covenant; they have destroyed thy altars, and they have killed thy prophets with the sword; and I alone am left, and now they seek my life, so that they can do me away.)

15 And the Lord said to him, Go, and turn again into thy way, by the desert, into Damascus (And the Lord said to him, Go, and return on the way, by the wilderness, to Damascus); and when thou shalt come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael king upon Syria;