1 Kings 19: Elijah flees to Horeb, the still small voice, and the call of Elisha
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What happens?
When Jezebel hears that Elijah has killed the prophets, she swears to take his life, and Elijah runs to Beersheba and then a day's journey into the wilderness, where he asks to die. An angel twice touches him and tells him to eat, and in the strength of that food he goes forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. There Yahweh asks him what he is doing there, and after a wind, an earthquake and a fire, in none of which Yahweh is, comes a still small voice (or: the sound of a gentle whisper). Yahweh sends Elijah to anoint Hazael, Jehu and Elisha, and says he has kept (or: will leave) seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed to Baal. Elijah finds Elisha plowing and puts his mantle on him, and Elisha follows him.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in gold in 7 of the 21 verses: Yahweh's word to Elijah at the cave in verse 9, his command to go out and stand on the mountain in verse 11, the voice that asks again in verse 13, and his words to Elijah in verses 15 to 18. Elijah answers Yahweh in verses 10 and 14, and asks Yahweh to take his life in verse 4; those are his own words. Jezebel's message is in verse 2. The angel's words in verses 5 and 7 are not printed in gold. Elisha and Elijah speak together in verse 20. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
In plain English: Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
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2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”
In plain English: Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods do this to me, and more, if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like the life of one of them!"
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3When he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
In plain English: When he saw that (or: he was afraid), he got up and ran for his life. He came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
The Hebrew word: "He saw" is from ra'ah, "to see". The same Hebrew letters can also be read as "he was afraid": they are the letters of "was afraid" in , "Saul was afraid of David". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "And Eliu feared".
What changes: Read as "he saw", Elijah saw the danger and ran. Read as "he was afraid", the text says Elijah was afraid of Jezebel. Either way, he ran for his life.
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4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”
In plain English: But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came and sat down under a broom bush (this Bible: juniper tree), and he asked that he might die. He said, "It is enough. Now, Yahweh, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."
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5He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat!”
In plain English: He lay down and slept under the broom bush (this Bible: juniper tree). Then an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat!"
The Hebrew word: "Angel" is malak, which the dictionary gives as "a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)". It is the same word as Jezebel's "messenger" in . In 1 Kings it is in 8 verses: this Bible says "messenger" or "messengers" in 5 and "angel" in 3. In he is called "the angel of Yahweh".
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6He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.
In plain English: He looked, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked on hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.
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7Yahweh’s angel came again the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
In plain English: The angel of Yahweh came back a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, because the journey is too much for you."
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8He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, God’s Mountain.
In plain English: He got up, ate and drank, and in the strength of that food he went forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.
Good to know: Horeb is called "God's mountain" in , where Moses meets God at the burning bush. Moses was on the mountain "forty days and forty nights" (), and was there with Yahweh "forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water" ().
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9He came to a cave there, and camped there; and behold, Yahweh’s word came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”God speaks
In plain English: There he came to a cave (literally: the cave) and spent the night (this Bible: camped) there. Then the word of Yahweh came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
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10He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
In plain English: He said, "I have been very zealous (this Bible: jealous) for Yahweh, the God of Armies. For the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are trying to take my life."
The Hebrew word: "Very jealous" is qana said twice, which the dictionary gives as "to be ... zealous, i.e. (in a bad sense) jealous or envious". Here Elijah uses it of his zeal for Yahweh. "The God of Armies" is the name explained in the note on .
Good to know: Elijah said the same words, "I, even I only, am left", on Mount Carmel (). tells that Obadiah hid one hundred of Yahweh's prophets in caves. Elijah gives the same answer again in .
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11He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.” Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.God speaks
In plain English: He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh." Then Yahweh passed by. A great and strong wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Yahweh, but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
Good to know: The words "Yahweh passed by" are also in , when Yahweh passed by before Moses on the mountain. The command "Go out and stand on the mountain" follows on from Yahweh's word to Elijah in verse 9, so it is in gold.
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12After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a still small voice.
In plain English: After the earthquake there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. After the fire there was a still small voice (or: a sound of a gentle whisper; word for word: a sound of thin quiet).
The Hebrew words: "A still small voice" is word for word "a sound (or: voice) of quiet, thin". "Voice" is qol, which the dictionary gives as "a voice or sound"; it is the same word as "a voice" in verse 13. "Still" is demamah, which the dictionary gives as "quiet". It is in only 3 verses; one is , "Silence, then I heard a voice". "Small" is daq, which the dictionary gives as "crushed, i.e. ... small or thin". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "the voice of a gentle breeze".
What changes: Read as "a still small voice", Elijah hears a quiet voice. Read as "a sound of a gentle whisper" or "a sound of thin quiet", it may be a soft sound, or something close to silence. The text does not say more. It says only that after the wind, the earthquake and the fire, Elijah heard it, covered his face, and went out ().
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13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle, went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”God speaks
In plain English: When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle (or: cloak), went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
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14He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
In plain English: He said, "I have been very zealous (this Bible: jealous) for Yahweh, the God of Armies. For the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are trying to take my life."
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15Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.God speaks
In plain English: Yahweh said to him, "Go back the way you came, to the wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria (the Hebrew has: Aram).
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16Anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place.God speaks
In plain English: Anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel. And anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, from Abel Meholah, to be prophet in your place.
Good to know: 1 Kings does not tell of Elijah anointing Hazael or Jehu. In 2 Kings, Elisha tells Hazael, "Yahweh has shown me that you will be king over Syria" (), and one of the sons of the prophets, sent by Elisha, pours oil on Jehu's head (, ). calls him "Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi".
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17He who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.God speaks
In plain English: Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill. And whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.
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18Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”God speaks
In plain English: Yet I have kept (or: I will leave) seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him."
The Hebrew word: "I reserved" is from sha'ar, "to leave" or "to be left". The Hebrew can be read as "I have left" or as "I will leave". The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "And thou shalt leave in Israel seven thousand men". quotes it: "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
What changes: Read as "I have kept", there are already seven thousand who have not bowed to Baal. Read as "I will leave", Yahweh says he will leave seven thousand alive after the sword of verse 17. Either way, Elijah is not alone, as he said he was in verses 10 and 14.
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19So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and put his mantle on him.
In plain English: So Elijah left there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs (this Bible: yoke) of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his mantle (or: cloak) on him.
Good to know: "Mantle" is addereth, which the dictionary gives as "something ample (as ... a wide dress)". It is the same mantle Elijah wraps his face in at verse 13. In , when Elijah is taken up, Elisha "took up Elijah's mantle that fell from him".
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20Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
In plain English: Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." Elijah said to him, "Go, go back, for what have I done to you?"
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21He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, killed them, and boiled their meat with the oxen’s equipment, and gave to the people; and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
In plain English: Elisha turned back from following him. He took the pair (this Bible: yoke) of oxen and killed (or: sacrificed) them. He cooked their meat using the oxen's gear (this Bible: equipment), and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, went after Elijah, and served him.
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