1 Kings 18:41-46
New English Translation
41 Then Elijah told Ahab, “Go on up and eat and drink, for the sound of a heavy rainstorm can be heard.”[a] 42 So Ahab went on up to eat and drink, while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel. He bent down toward the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 He told his servant, “Go on up and look in the direction of the sea.” So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.”[b] Seven times Elijah sent him to look.[c] 44 The seventh time the servant[d] said, “Look, a small cloud, the size of the palm of a man’s hand, is rising up from the sea.” Elijah[e] then said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up the chariots and go down, so that the rain won’t overtake you.’”[f] 45 Meanwhile the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind blew, and there was a heavy rainstorm. Ahab rode toward[g] Jezreel. 46 Now the Lord energized Elijah with power;[h] he tucked his robe into his belt[i] and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 18:41 tn Heb “for [there is] the sound of the roar of the rain.”
- 1 Kings 18:43 sn So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.” Several times in this chapter those addressed by Elijah obey his orders. In vv. 20 and 42 Ahab does as instructed, in vv. 26 and 28 the prophets follow Elijah’s advice, and in vv. 30, 34, 40 and 43 the people and servants do as they are told. By juxtaposing Elijah’s commands with accounts of those commands being obeyed, the narrator emphasizes the authority of the Lord’s prophet.
- 1 Kings 18:43 tn Heb “He said, ‘Return,’ seven times.”
- 1 Kings 18:44 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Kings 18:44 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Kings 18:44 tn Heb “so that the rain won’t restrain you.”
- 1 Kings 18:45 tn Heb “rode and went to.”
- 1 Kings 18:46 tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah.”
- 1 Kings 18:46 tn Heb “and girded up his loins.” The idea is that of gathering up the robes and tucking them into the sash or belt so that they do not get in the way of the legs when running (or working or fighting).
1 Kings 18:41-46
Expanded Bible
The Rain Comes Again
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Now, go, eat, and drink, ·because a heavy rain is coming [L for there is the sound of rushing rain].” 42 So King Ahab went to eat and drink. At the same time Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel, where he bent down to the ground with his ·head [L face] between his knees.
43 Then Elijah said to his servant, “Go and look toward the sea.”
The servant went and looked. “I see nothing,” he said.
Elijah told him to go and look again. This happened seven times. 44 The seventh time, the servant said, “I see a small cloud, the size of a ·human fist [man’s hand], ·coming [rising] from the sea.”
Elijah told the servant, “Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and go ·home [L down] now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him.”
45 After a short time the sky ·was covered with dark [grew black with] clouds. The wind began to blow, and soon a ·heavy [torrential] rain began to fall [C showing that it was the Lord, not Baal, that supplied the rain]. Ahab got in his chariot and started back to Jezreel. 46 ·The Lord gave his power to [L The hand of the Lord was on] Elijah, who ·tightened his clothes around him [T girded up his loins] and ·ran ahead of King [outran] Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
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