The First Book of the Kings, commonly called the Third Book of the Kings
1 Kings 18
Chapter XVIII · Vol. II, pp. 752–755
1 In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meeteth good Obadiah. 9 Obadiah bringeth Ahab to Elijah. 17 Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinceth Baal's prophets. 41 Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, followeth Ahab to Jezreel.
1 And it came to pass after amany days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the bthird year,1 saying, cGo, show thyself unto Ahab; and I dwill send rain upon the earth.
B.C. 906.
b Of his abode with the widow, ch.17.9,15.
1 The Hebrew calculation omits any additional months, and mentions merely the full years, unless where peculiar circumstances require the months to be specially noted. This fact (or the conjecture of Brown) will reconcile the text with Lu.4.25. Ja.5.17. —C.
c ver.18-41.
d De.28.12,22,23. Le.26.4. Am.4.7. Mal.3.10. Zec.10.1. Job 5.10.
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was fthe governor of his house: (now Obadiah gfeared the LORD greatly;
4 For it was so, when Jezebel hcut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and ifed them with bread and water:)2
h Re.17.4-6.
i ver.13. Mat.10.40-42; 25.35. Is.33.16.
2 Most probably their sole food, according to the abstemious habits of the prophets, see Da. 1.12. Mat. 3.4, though the phrase 'bread and water' may be considered as inclusive of every other necessary. See Ex. 23.25. 1 Ki. 4.22, margin. Is. 33. 16. Mat. 6. 11.—C.
5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks;3 peradventure we may find kgrass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.4
3 Where water yet sprung or ran.—C.
k Job 8.11,12. Ps.104.14.
4 Heb. that we cut not off ourselves from the beasts.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way lby himself.
A.M. 3098. B.C. 906.
l Je.14.3.
7 And as Obadiah was min the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and felln on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
m ch.11.29. 2 Ki.1.8.
n Ge.18.2; 50.18. 1 Sa.20.41. 2 Sa.19.18. 1 Ti.5.17.
9 And he said, pWhat have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
10 Asq the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom5 whitherr my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
q Ju.8.19. Ru.3.13. 1 Sa.14.39; 19.6; 29.6. ch.1.29; 2.24; 7.1,12; ver.15.
5 In ver. 5 all 'fountains and brooks' evidently signified all likely to afford water; so here 'nation and kingdom' signify every community where the prophet was likely to be found, and where, through his political influence or military power, he could enforce an oath.—C.
r Ps.10.2; 69.26. Je.26.20-23. Jn.5.16.
11 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shalls carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me:6 but I thy servant fear the LORD tfrom my youth.
s 2 Ki.2.11,16. Eze.3.14. Ac.8.39.
6 A striking example of the junction of infidelity, cruelty, and despotism.—C.
13 Was it not told my lord uwhat I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?
u ver.4. Mat.10.40-42; 25.35.
14 And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and he shall slay me.
15 And Elijah said, As the xLORD of hosts liveth, before whom yI stand, I will surely show myself unto him to-day.
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that ztroubleth Israel?7
z Jos.7.25. Lu.23.2. Ac.16.20; 17.6; 24.5; 2.36,37. Am.7.10.
7 It is thus ever that wicked men are self-deceived, attributing to the reprovers of their sins the troubles which these sins have produced. It is thus the Bible of God has been accused of producing troubles which lie at the door of those superstitions, traditions, and false doctrines which the Bible condemns. Read ver. 18. C.—It often appears as if faithful ministers were the storm-birds and messengers of misfortune, the disturbers of peace, and such as turn the world upside down, just as Elijah seemed to be when at his word the famine overspread Samaria.—Krummacher.
18 And he answered, I ahave not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel,8 and the bprophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves9 four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.
8 A mountain of Issachar, abutting upon the sea on the south of the Bay of Acre; estimated by some at 1500, by others at 2000 feet. The gradual descent to the brook Kishon and plain of Esdraelon on the east was most probably the scene of this great national assembly and sacrifice. See ver. 40.—C.
b 2 Pe.2.1. ch.16.33; 15.13; 22.6. 2 Ki.13.6; 10.19.
9 Or Ashtaroth, the Syrian goddess of licentiousness.—C.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, cHow long halt ye between two opinions?1 if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.2 And the people answered dhim not a word.
c Mat.6.24. 2 Co.6.14. Re.3.15. Jos.24.15.
1 Literally, 'leap ye from upon two branches,' as a bird or other unsettled creature; 'everything by turns, and nothing long;' a character in religion more than once denounced, especially in the word of God, Ge.49.4. Ja.1.6-8.—C.
d Ro.3.19,20; 6.21. Ge.44.16. Job 40.4; 9.3. Mat.22.12.
2 The heathen are sometimes praised by infidels and semi-infidels for their toleration, a praise which Ahab and Jezebel have badly earned. See ver. 12, 13. The fact is, heathenism was never tolerant, but it readily amalgamated the worship of various gods, and in this way, and in this only, was tolerant to those who could degrade the worship of Jehovah, by joining it with idols—a junction which the prophet publicly denounces.—C.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, eeven I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are ffour hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that ganswereth by fire, let him be God.3 And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.4
g Le.9.24. 1 Ch.21.26. 2 Ch.7.1. Ju.6.20,21; 13.19,20.
3 From the earliest period the answer by fire was the universally recognized test of the acceptance of a sacrifice. The Israelites, degraded and ignorant as they were in the days of Ahab, admitted this. To have denied it would have been to ignore their national history. They were taught by the priests of Baal to believe in his power. He was, in fact, the fire-god—a personification of the sun, the source of light, heat, and life. So they were led to believe; and believing this, they accepted Elijah's test. Baal's priests were doubtless averse to the trial; but in the presence of the king and of assembled Israel they dared not to draw back.—P.
4 And it was 'well spoken' as an experimental test; but how degraded the condition of the idolatrous people to whom the experiment was necessary!—C.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear5 us!6 But there was hno voice, nor any that answered.7 And they 8leaped upon the altar9 which was made.
5 Or, answer.
6 One of those 'vain repetitions' of the same words which our Lord condemns, Mat. 6. 7. In Hindostan a prayer to an idol often consists of a single word repeated for hours together.—C.
h Ps.115.5. Is.44.17; 45.20. Je.10.5,14,15. Hab.2.18,19. 1 Co.12.2; 8.4.
7 Or, heard.
8 Or, leaped up and down at the altar.
9 Or, 'danced around the altar.'—C.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah imocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god;1 either he is talking,2 or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, kand must be awaked.
i ch.22.15. 2 Ch.25.8. Ec.11.9. La.4.21. Am.4.4,5. Eze.20.39.
1 Not God, but 'a god,' one of your own fancying or choosing; 'pursuing,' or hunting.—Note, All the states of Baal here described are attributed to the Grecian deities—by Homer—and of modern India. Hasten the time, Lord, when the heathen shall be enlightened, and become 'thine inheritance,' Ps.ii.—C.
2 Or, he meditateth.
k Ps.121.4.
28 And they cried aloud, and lcut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when mid-day was past, and they mprophesied3 until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was nneither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
m 1 Sa.18.10. ch.22.10. Ac.16.16,17.
3 Worshipped, a sense in which prophesying is sometimes used, 1 Sa.10.5,6,10,13. 1 Ch.25.2,3.—C.
n Je.10.15. Ps.115.4-7; 135.15-18. 2 Ti.3.9. 1 Co.8.4; 12.2. Is.45.20; 46.1,2. Hab.2.19.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD4 that was obroken down.
4 Some ancient altar erected to Jehovah, the emblem of a revived and reformed church.—C.
o ch.19.10,14. 2 Ki.16.17.
31 And Elijah took ptwelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, qIsrael shall be thy name;
32 And with the stones he rbuilt an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
r Ju.21.4. 1 Sa.7.9,17. 1 Co.10.31. Col.3.17. 1 Pe.2.4,5. Mi.4.5. ver.36.
33 And he sput the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and tpour it on the burnt-sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time: and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time: and they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran5 round about the altar; and he filled the utrench also with water.
A.M. 3098. B.C. 906.
5 Heb. went.
u ver.32,38.
36 And it came to pass, xat the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice,6 that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, yLORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, zlet it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
x Ezr.9.5. Ex.29.39,41.
6 The prophet waits to demonstrate the reality of the miracle to the excited and continued attention of the people.—C.
y Ge.26.24. Ex.3.6. 1 Ch.29.18.
z Ps.9.16; 58.11; 83.18. Jos.24.17,23. Ex.32.16. Jn.3.2. He.2.4.
37 Heara me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast bturned their heart back again.
38 Thenc the fire of the LORD fell,7 and consumed the burnt-sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.8
c Le.9.24. Ju.6.21. 1 Ch.21.26. 2 Ch.7.1.
7 The fire fell and did not ascend, to show that it was by the power of God from heaven.—C.
8 All was consumed as additional proof that it was no ordinary and earthly fire.—C.
39 And when all the people saw it, they dfell on their faces: and ethey said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
d Le.9.24. Ju.13.20. 1 Ch.21.16.
40 And Elijah said unto them, fTake the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook gKishon, and slew them there.9
f Or, apprehend, Je.48.10. 2 Ki.10.25. De.13.5; 18.20. Ca.2.15. Re.2.2.
g Ju.4.7,13; 5.21. Ps.83.9,10.
9 As leaders in idolatry, they were liable to death by the law of God; but, as heathen priests, they were the abettors, counsellors, and most probably the agents of the murderous Jezebel; and as such, were liable to capital punishment, Ge.9.6. De.13.2,5.—C.
41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, heat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.1
h Jos.7.6. 2 Sa.21.14. Ac.27.34. Ec.9.7.
1 Most probably a peculiar sound from the sea, by which, according to the quarter from which it seems to come, rain is often prognosticated with great accuracy.—C.
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink: and iElijah went up to the top of Carmel; and hek cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, lGo up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, mGo again seven times.
44 And it came to pass, at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth na little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare2 thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
45 And it came to pass, in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and othere was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to pJezreel.3
o Nu.16.50; 25.8. 2 Sa.21.14. ver.39,40. Ja.5.16. Mal.3.10. Joel 2.23. Je.10.13; 51.16. Job 37.6.
p Jos.19.13. ch.21.1.
3 Jezreel stood at the eastern side of the great plain of Esdraelon, on a projecting western spur of Mount Gilboa. The site was a noble one. Upon it now stands a wretched village, with a few ruins, and a large number of subterranean magazines for storing grain. The name of the village is Zerain, an Arabic corruption of Jezreel.—P.
Notes
[Ver. 40. The site of Elijah's sacrifice is pointed out by local tradition; and its present name, el-Muhrakah, 'the sacrifice,' connected with the general features of the district, leaves no doubt as to its identity. It is a rocky projection, overlooking the plain of Esdraelon, and forming the eastern termination of the ridge of Carmel. Here in a thicket of evergreens is a terrace of natural rock, in the midst of which are the remains of a building of large hewn stones. Upon this spot stood the altar of the Lord which Jezebel broke down and Elisha repaired. Close beneath, on a wide upland sweep, round a copious fountain, which may have supplied the water which the prophet poured on the altar, must have been ranged the people of Israel headed by Ahab. Before them opened the whole plain of Esdraelon, with the city of Jezreel visible on its eastern border. Beneath them, at the base of the mountain, flowed the Kishon. On the bank of the river is a mound called 'the hill of slaughter,' which probably marks the scene, as it preserves the memory, of the slaughter of the 850 prophets of Baal. The Mediterranean is not visible from the place of sacrifice on the mountain brow; the view being intercepted by a projecting peak. That peak, however, can be ascended in a few minutes, and then a full view of the sea is gained. From it, doubtless, the prophet's servant saw, on his seventh visit, the little cloud 'like a man's hand.' P.]
Reflections.—God can turn a fruitful land into barrenness for the sins of them that dwell therein: but judgments, instead of humbling, enrage the impenitent. When persecutors cannot wreak their malice and fury on God they do it upon his servants. But what a mercy is it that God, even in wicked courts, hath those who fear him and protect his ministers. It is very honourable when saints are so faithful in relative duties that such who hate their religion cannot but show them distinguished regard; and when persons in high station lay out their influence or wealth for the support of God's faithful ministers and people. But God often, when his people's condition is seemingly desperate, raises up helpers where they could be least expected. It is proper that saints be cautious in dealing with enraged persecutors: but sometimes they are apt to overdo in their caution. The faithful servants of Christ are often calumniated as enemies to the state: and even when they bring the best of tidings the impenitent brand them as their troublers. But they who by their sins provoke God against a nation, are the real troublers of it, and ought faithfully to be told it. God can overrule the hearts of his most inveterate enemies, and make them to grant what his servants demand for his honour. Unsettled notions of religion lead to unsound practices: and there can be no communion betwixt Christ and Belial. Let us then never, in inclination, profession, or practice, halt between God and his rivals. Nor must the ministers of Christ be discouraged when they see multitudes against them: it is enough that God is on their side. He can take the wise in their own craftiness, and turn the counsel of the froward headlong; and the hope of the hypocrite perishes. It is a poor religion that consists chiefly in externals; and a devilish one that requires inhuman severities. Nothing, neither disappointment nor public shame, will undeceive those whom God hath given up to strong delusions. But how condescending was it in God to put his own pre-eminence, or rather Godhead, to the trial! Graciously he answers the fervent prayers of his zealous servants: and gloriously he overcomes when he is judged. Dreadful is the ruin of such as obstinately dispute his supremacy. But when false prophets and evil ministers are removed from a land God will return and refresh it. Secret, importunate, and repeated prayers must indeed be used to draw down the promised blessings; and great mercies may arise from the very smallest beginnings. But distinguished humility, and dependence upon an all-strengthening God, ought to attend upon and flow from the receipt of such most distinguishing honours.