1 Kingschapter 19

Elijah Is Nourished by an Angel — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

A.A juniper tree, a death wish, and an angel's cakevv. 1-8

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!” 3 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. And strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

B.Not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire — a still small voicevv. 9-14

9 There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.” 11 Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts,” he replied, “but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well.”

C.Seven thousand knees that have not bowed to Baalvv. 15-18

15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go back by the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You are also to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu. 18 Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

D.Elisha burns his plow and followsvv. 19-21

19 So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him. 20 So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” 21 So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s equipment, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

← Back: 1 Kings 18 Continue: 1 Kings 20 →

Chapter summary

Jezebel's threat undoes the man Carmel could not.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

Jezebel's threat undoes the man Carmel could not. He goes a day's journey into the wilderness and asks to die under a juniper tree: 'It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.' Heaven answers with sleep, bread on hot stones, and water, twice. In that strength he walks forty days to Horeb and hears the question: 'What doest thou here, Elijah?' Wind, earthquake, and fire pass, and Jehovah is in none of them. Then 'a still small voice.' He is sent back with three commissions and word that seven thousand knees have not bowed to Baal (Romans 11:4). Elisha is plowing with twelve yoke when the mantle falls.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Jeremiah — 1 Kings overview

A. 1–8 A juniper tree, a death wish, and an angel's cake
B. 9–14 Not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire — a still small voice
C. 15–18 Seven thousand knees that have not bowed to Baal
D. 19–21 Elisha burns his plow and follows

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

2 Kings 23 verses
- 2 Kings 2:8And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
- 2 Kings 2:9After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
- 2 Kings 2:13Elisha also picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah, and he went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
- Read 2 Kings 2 →
1 Kings 182 verses
- 1 Kings 18:4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
- 1 Kings 18:40Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
- Read 1 Kings 18 →
1 Kings 212 verses
- 1 Kings 21:5Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
- 1 Kings 21:25(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
- Read 1 Kings 21 →
Matthew 262 verses
- Matthew 26:56But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
- Matthew 26:70But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.”
- Read Matthew 26 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Jonah 42 verses
- Jonah 4:3And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- Jonah 4:8As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
- Read Jonah 4 →
Exodus 342 verses
- Exodus 34:14For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
- Exodus 34:28So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
- Read Exodus 34 →
Exodus 332 verses
- Exodus 33:21The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock,
- Exodus 33:23Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.”
- Read Exodus 33 →
1 Kings 192 verses
- 1 Kings 19:9There Elijah entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- 1 Kings 19:19So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him.
- Read 1 Kings 19 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.