‏ 1 Kings 17

Summary for 1Kgs 17:1-19:21: 17:1–19:21  ^a The ministry of the prophet Elijah was intimately connected to his own spiritual journey. Elijah confronted Israel’s flirtation with the Canaanite storm-god, Baal. As the struggle ensued, Elijah learned of God’s power and provision in contrast to Baal’s impotence, as demonstrated during Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (18:1-46  ^b). Elijah’s subsequent flight from Jezebel led to God’s renewal of his prophetic commission at Mount Sinai (19:1-18  ^c). Elijah’s commission was completed by his successor, Elisha (19:19-21  ^d). 17:1  ^e Elijah was God’s prophet to the northern kingdom during the reigns of the third-dynasty kings Ahab (874–853 BC) and Ahaziah (853–852 BC) and into that of Joram (852–841 BC).

• Elijah showed his commitment to the Lord by declaring that he served the living God of Israel.

• Elijah withheld the dew and rain as a direct affront to Baal, who supposedly controlled these natural forces. Their absence until God led Elijah to give the word initiated the contest with Baal that would reach a climax on Mount Carmel (ch 18  ^f).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:2-7: 17:2-7  ^g Kerith Brook provided a haven for Elijah during the divinely instituted drought (see 18:10  ^h). The supply of food and water assured Elijah of God’s protection.

• When Elijah’s source of water dried up, a change of location was necessary.
Summary for 1Kgs 17:9-16: 17:9-16  ⁱ Elijah’s faith was tested further. At Kerith Brook, God had supplied his needs directly. With these supplies cut off, Elijah now had to depend on a foreign woman’s response to a divine test. The account details the setting (17:8-10a  ^j), Elijah’s test for the widow (17:10b-14  ^k), the woman’s compliance, and God’s reward (17:15-16  ^l).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:9-11: 17:9-11  ^m Zarephath was in Phoenician territory about seven miles south of Sidon, away from Ahab’s jurisdiction. Ironically, God provided Elijah a place of refuge in Jezebel’s homeland, which was associated with worship of Baal.

• So he went: Elijah again (see 17:5  ⁿ) obeyed the Lord’s command. Obedience (1 Sam 15:22  ^o; Ps 40:1-6  ^p; Isa 1:10-20  ^q), trust (Ps 37:3  ^r; Prov 3:5-6  ^s), and faithfulness (Ps 18:25  ^t; Rev 2:10  ^u) are foundational attributes for successful spiritual service.

• God’s ongoing provision for Elijah and the widow of Zarephath demonstrated God’s concern for all people who put him first.

• water ... bread: Elijah asked for the basic staples of life, but these were in scarce supply as the drought spread into Phoenician territory.
17:12  ^v by the Lord your God (literally as surely as the Lord your God lives): The wording reflects Elijah’s oath and pronouncement to Ahab (17:1  ^w). The Gentile woman’s oath does not necessarily claim that the Lord is her god, but it does affirm to Elijah that what she says is the truth.
Summary for 1Kgs 17:13-14: 17:13-14  ^x Despite the woman’s dwindling supplies (17:12  ^y), Elijah asked her to serve him before herself and her son. Like the poor widow who gave two small coins (Luke 21:1-4  ^z), this woman was asked to give all that she had to the Lord’s prophet. True faithfulness means placing God’s Kingdom ahead of personal concerns (Matt 6:33  ^aa).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:15-16: 17:15-16  ^ab She did as Elijah said, and God rewarded her act of faith. The fresh supply of the widow’s daily necessities reminded her of God’s faithfulness and goodness (Lam 3:22-24  ^ac; Phil 4:19  ^ad).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:17-24: 17:17-24  ^ae This narrative begins with the woman’s doubts about Elijah (17:17-18  ^af) and ends with her acknowledging the authority of God’s word as spoken by Elijah (17:24  ^ag). Ironically, this Gentile widow affirmed God’s miraculous power when God’s own people, Israel, had forgotten his mighty works. 17:17  ^ah he died: All attempts to explain away the subsequent miracle fly in the face of the plain statement.
17:18  ^ai my sins: The widow held to the common idea that suffering and misfortune are always the result of personal sin (see Job 4:7  ^aj; Luke 13:1-4  ^ak; John 9:1-3  ^al).
17:19  ^am Following ancient Near Eastern custom, Elijah’s quarters were probably situated in a separate room accessed by an outside stairway. This arrangement maintained the woman’s reputation and offered Elijah a measure of privacy.
17:20  ^an why have you brought tragedy: Elijah plaintively expressed to God the fear that his presence caused the child’s death.
17:21  ^ao While it is unclear what life-giving power Elijah was trying to convey by his physical contact with the deceased boy, it is clear that his confidence was in the Lord. Elisha later performed a similar physical ritual when the Lord restored the dead son of the woman from Shunem (2 Kgs 4:32-37  ^ap).
Summary for 1Kgs 17:22-24: 17:22-24  ^aq The miracle of the child’s raising rewarded the faith of Elijah and confirmed the mother’s initial confidence in God’s prophet. Her testimony may indicate that she put her faith in the Lord. Jesus cited her as an example of God’s concern for non-Israelites and as an indication that God’s messengers are often more easily received by others than by their own countrymen (Luke 4:24-26  ^ar). The Scriptures repeatedly mention God’s care of widows as illustrating his care for needy people (Exod 22:21  ^as; Deut 10:18  ^at; 27:19  ^au; Ps 68:5  ^av; Isa 1:17  ^aw; Jas 1:27  ^ax).

‏ 1 Kings 18

18:2  ^ay Elijah continued to obey the Lord’s commands (see 17:5  ^az, 10  ^ba), despite the personal danger of appearing before Ahab.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:3-6: 18:3-6  ^bb Due to the severity of the continuing drought, Ahab and Obadiah, his chief officer (cp. 4:6  ^bc; 16:9  ^bd), set out to locate sufficient water and grass for the king’s horses. These provisions were crucial for military preparedness. Assyrian king Shalmaneser III wrote that Ahab put some 2,000 horse-drawn chariots into the Battle of Qarqar (853 BC). Solomon had also had many horses and chariots (10:26  ^be).
18:4  ^bf Obadiah’s care for 100 of the Lord’s prophets may indicate a group of prophets such as had existed since Samuel’s time (1 Sam 10:5-18  ^bg; 19:20  ^bh, 24  ^bi). Such groups met together for study and mutual spiritual encouragement and are mentioned several times (2 Kgs 4:1  ^bj, 38  ^bk; 9:1  ^bl). Elijah and Elisha apparently exercised leadership in some of these groups (2 Kgs 2:3-7  ^bm, 15  ^bn; 6:1-7  ^bo).
18:10  ^bp every nation and kingdom: Ancient Near Eastern protocol called for the extradition of fugitives or runaway slaves, as noted in the famous treaty between Pharaoh Ramses II and the Hittite king Hattusilis (see ANET 200b, 203a). But Elijah had not had to seek asylum with a foreign king. God provided for his safety at Kerith Brook (17:3  ^bq) and with the widow at Zarephath (17:9  ^br).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:12-15: 18:12-15  ^bs As a true believer, Obadiah recognized that the Spirit of the Lord operated within God’s prophets (Judg 6:34  ^bt; Ezek 3:12  ^bu, 14  ^bv; 11:1  ^bw). Obadiah feared that the Lord’s Spirit would carry Elijah away while he was reporting Elijah’s whereabouts to Ahab. The king would then interpret his inability to produce Elijah as a sign that he was hiding Elijah, and he would kill him.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:16-18: 18:16-18  ^bx troublemakers: Although Elijah announced the onset of the drought (17:1  ^by), it was Ahab and his family who brought God’s judgment upon Israel by their violations of the covenant and their sponsorship of Baal worship (see Lev 26:19  ^bz; Deut 28:15  ^ca, 23  ^cb; 2 Chr 7:13  ^cc; Jer 14:1-7  ^cd; Amos 4:7-8  ^ce).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:19-20: 18:19-20  ^cf Mount Carmel lies on a ridge dividing the coastal plain of Palestine. The site was known for Canaanite idol worship; an altar to the Lord had also been built there earlier (18:30  ^cg). It was a natural location for the contest with Baal. Although the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) may indicate that the prophets of Asherah attended the ensuing contest on Mount Carmel, the Hebrew text does not (cp. 18:22  ^ch).
18:21  ^ci The Hebrew word translated waver means “to be lame” or “to limp.” Elijah compared the people’s hobbling between the worship of the Lord and of Baal to a person who limps awkwardly from one foot to the other. Elijah may have also been referring to the ritual dance performed by Baal’s prophets as they attempted to gain the storm-god’s attention (18:26  ^cj).
18:22  ^ck the only prophet of the Lord: Obadiah had previously hidden two groups of fifty prophets to protect them from Jezebel’s purge (18:4  ^cl, 13  ^cm). However, Elijah’s public stature must have left him feeling alone in his struggle against false religion (see 19:10  ^cn, 14  ^co); certainly, he did stand alone in confronting the 450 prophets of Baal.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:23-24: 18:23-24  ^cp The Lord’s presence was attested by fire (Exod 9:23  ^cq; 19:18  ^cr; 40:38  ^cs; Deut 4:24  ^ct; 2 Chr 7:1  ^cu; Isa 66:15  ^cv; Amos 7:4  ^cw), which could have been lightning (cp. Ps 18:12-13  ^cx; Ezek 1:13-14  ^cy; Zech 9:14  ^cz). The contest would demonstrate whether the Canaanite storm-god Baal or the God of Israel was the true God; only the true God could set fire to the wood (cp. Lev 9:24  ^da).
18:27  ^db is relieving himself: Elijah’s sarcastic taunts mocked the personification of the gods as having human needs. Egyptian priests awakened their god, then fed, washed, and dressed the idol in fresh clothing. They even put rouge on the idol’s face and placed the proper emblem of royalty on it.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:28-29: 18:28-29  ^dc shouted ... cut themselves ... raved: The prophets of Baal demonstrated ecstatic behavior common in ancient pagan religions, but their efforts produced no response. Of course, there is only one true God (Deut 4:35  ^dd; 6:4  ^de; Isa 44:8  ^df); all other hopes are doomed to failure (Isa 45:22  ^dg).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:31-32: 18:31-32  ^dh The twelve stones that Elijah used to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord should have reminded the people that God had a prior claim as the redeemer of all Israel (cp. Josh 4:1-11  ^di; see Isa 41:14  ^dj; 49:26  ^dk).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:33-35: 18:33-35  ^dl Elijah avoided any hint of deception by dousing the offering and the wood with great quantities of water, perhaps taken from the nearby Mediterranean Sea or Kishon River.
18:36  ^dm At the appointed time of sacrifice to the Lord, Elijah prayed. He did not imitate the ecstatic behavior of the prophets of Baal but simply prayed to God in light of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 50:24  ^dn; Exod 3:6  ^do, 15  ^dp; 4:5  ^dq; Num 32:11  ^dr; Deut 9:27  ^ds).
18:37  ^dt The call-answer motif appears frequently in the Old Testament, often depicting the petitioner’s intimate relationship to the Lord (Job 14:15  ^du; Pss 4:1  ^dv; 91:15  ^dw; 102:2  ^dx; Isa 65:24  ^dy; Jer 33:3  ^dz).
Summary for 1Kgs 18:38-39: 18:38-39  ^ea Whether by lightning strike or more supernatural means, the Lord sent fire to consume everything, including all the water in the trench. This was convincing proof that the Lord is God. The continuing story demonstrates conclusively that the Lord, not Baal, has control over fire, water, and the weather.
Summary for 1Kgs 18:41-45: 18:41-45  ^eb The servant ... saw a little cloud on the horizon that appeared to be the size of a hand. Yet it heralded the approach of a terrific rainstorm.
18:46  ^ec He tucked his cloak into his belt so he could run more easily ahead of Ahab’s chariot. The Hebrew idiom refers to doing anything vigorously or enthusiastically (2 Kgs 4:29  ^ed).

• Jezreel was between Megiddo and Beth-shan in the southeastern portion of the valley of Jezreel, about seventeen miles from Mount Carmel.

‏ 1 Kings 19

19:2  ^ee Speaking a curse, Jezebel reinforced her threat to kill Elijah within a day. Solomon had made a similar declaration regarding his half-brother Adonijah (2:23  ^ef), and the king of Aram later issued an edict against Elisha with the same formula (2 Kgs 6:31  ^eg). Jezebel acted with cold-blooded resolve to accomplish her purposes (1 Kgs 21:5-15  ^eh).
19:3  ^ei Elijah was afraid: The NLT follows the Greek Old Testament and a majority of scholars in translating Elijah’s reaction as one of fear, proposing a reading of wayyira’ (“he feared”) in the original Hebrew. The Hebrew text as we have it reads, “he saw it” (wayyare’)—i.e., the danger in Jezebel’s threat. Rather than a warm reception after the spectacular victory, and a hoped-for repentance beginning with the royal house, Elijah faced a death threat.

• Beersheba lay at the southern end of the country. A familiar formula described the limits of the land as “from Dan . . . to Beersheba” (4:25  ^ej; 2 Sam 24:2  ^ek).
19:4  ^el Though technically a shrub, the broom tree can reach a height of ten feet. Its leaves are small, but it provides adequate shade for a weary traveler in the wilderness. Like Jonah (Jon 4:3  ^em), Elijah had successfully carried out his commission, but he felt a sense of defeat with the results.

• no better: God’s refugee prophet felt that he had accomplished little and would be better off dead.
Summary for 1Kgs 19:5-7: 19:5-7  ^en The angel of the Lord provided Elijah with precisely what he needed at the moment (17:2-6  ^eo, 10-12  ^ep). God often sent an angel to minister to one of his servants (Ps 34:7  ^eq; Heb 1:14  ^er).
19:8  ^es Elijah’s determination to go to Mount Sinai took him on a journey of approximately 200 miles. The trip would not have required forty days and forty nights, so Elijah may have set a pace that was symbolic of Israel’s past. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai, and Israel subsequently wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Num 14:33-34  ^et; Deut 1:2-3  ^eu). Forty sometimes represented a period of full testing (Gen 7:4  ^ev; Ps 95:10  ^ew; Jon 3:4  ^ex; Matt 4:1-2  ^ey).
Summary for 1Kgs 19:9-10: 19:9-10  ^ez a cave (literally the cave): Some have suggested that Elijah came to the very place where God appeared to Moses (Exod 33:21-23  ^fa).

• What are you doing here, Elijah? The Lord’s question may have a double implication: Why had Elijah come, and did he understand the significance of the spot where he stood? Elijah replied to the former part of the question. Elijah had boldly announced that he was alone in his stand for the Lord (1 Kgs 18:22  ^fb); now, that feeling turned to self-pity.
Summary for 1Kgs 19:11-12: 19:11-12  ^fc The powerful physical phenomena that sometimes signal God’s presence (Exod 3:2  ^fd; 19:18  ^fe; Pss 68:7-8  ^ff; 114:4  ^fg; Heb 3:6-7  ^fh) did not herald God’s approach on this occasion. Instead, Elijah sensed God’s presence when he heard the sound of a gentle whisper.
Summary for 1Kgs 19:13-14: 19:13-14  ^fi What are you doing here? The Lord repeats his question (see 19:9  ^fj), and Elijah gives exactly the same response as earlier. Elijah’s answer gives no indication that he understood how God was working through all that had happened. Paul makes reference to this interchange in Rom 11:3-4  ^fk.
Summary for 1Kgs 19:15-17: 19:15-17  ^fl Go back ... and travel: In loving patience, God renewed his prophet’s commission (cp. John 21:15-19  ^fm). God directed Elijah to retrace his steps back to the place where he had strayed from God’s mission; from there he could move forward.

• Hazael and Jehu both became instruments of God’s judgment (2 Kgs 8:7-15  ^fn; 9:14-37  ^fo).

• Elisha, Elijah’s successor, would bring spiritual discernment and the Lord’s further judgment to Israel (2 Kgs 3:10-19  ^fp; 8:7-15  ^fq; 9:1–10:31  ^fr; 13:3  ^fs, 15-19  ^ft).

• Abel-meholah was located south of Beth-shan, where the valley of Jezreel and the Jordan Valley come together (see 1 Kgs 4:12  ^fu; Judg 7:22  ^fv).
19:18  ^fw The Lord corrected Elijah’s thinking; the prophet was not alone. Earlier he had forgotten the 100 prophets protected by Obadiah (18:4  ^fx, 13  ^fy). Now he learned that there were 7,000 others who remained faithful to the Lord.

• bowed down ... or kissed him: These common forms of submission in the ancient Near East (2 Kgs 21:3  ^fz; Isa 46:6  ^ga; 60:14  ^gb; Hos 13:2  ^gc) are often mentioned in the annals of victorious kings or in the ancient epics. Ashurbanipal reported that on his sixth campaign, an Elamite king kissed his royal feet and tidied up the ground with his beard. In the Mesopotamian creation epic (Enuma Elish, V 86), even the great gods bowed down and kissed the feet of Marduk, the victorious head of the pantheon.
Summary for 1Kgs 19:19-21: 19:19-21  ^gd The anointing of Elisha is an epilogue to the Lord’s charge to Elijah. The two other anointings that God assigned to Elijah (19:15-16  ^ge) were carried out by Elisha instead (2 Kgs 8:7-15  ^gf; 9:1-10  ^gg). 19:19  ^gh Twelve teams of oxen would indicate that Elisha came from a wealthy family.

• Elisha understood that Elijah’s power from God would come upon him with the prophet’s cloak.
19:21  ^gi Elisha burned his plow and slaughtered his oxen to signal a complete break from the past in his present calling. From now on, he would serve the Lord. His meal with family and friends may have been a thanksgiving sacrifice to God capped by a communal meal in joyful celebration of God’s claim upon Elisha’s life.

• Elisha would first serve as Elijah’s assistant. Great leaders often begin as good learners. Joshua was Moses’ assistant (Exod 24:13  ^gj) before becoming his successor (Num 27:18-23  ^gk; Deut 34:9  ^gl) and assuming command of the forces of Israel (Josh 1:1-9  ^gm). Later, Elisha had an assistant named Gehazi (2 Kgs 4:12  ^gn).