1 Kings 18:4
in 1 Kings 18for 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.)
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
KJV
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
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This verse in 1 Kings 18
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
We have no details of Jezebel’s deed of blood. Some have conjectured that it was the answer of Jezebel to Elijah’s threat, and that the command given him to hide in Cherith alone saved him from being one of the victims. This view receives some support from Obadiah’s act and words 1Ki 18:13. Fifty in a cave - The limestone formation of Judaea and Samaria abounds with large natural caverns, the size of which is easily increased by art.
This site's exposition
Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace
on 1 Kings 18:3-6
Inside the palace of Ahab, “Obadiah greatly feared the LORD”, and he has hidden a hundred prophets from Jezebel's slaughter, “fifty men per cave”. Ahab divides the land to search every spring and valley for grass to keep the horses alive. Obadiah's caves answer Elijah's later claim to be alone.
This site's exposition
Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets
Albert Barnes notes that this verse and verse 13 hold the only record of the slaughter of the prophets by Jezebel. He adds that the limestone hills of Samaria are full of large caves, easily enlarged by hand. Fifty men could hide in one.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Prophets - This name is not only given to such as are endowed with an extraordinary spirit of prophecy, but to such ministers as devoted themselves to the service of God in preaching, praying, and praising God.
For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord,....
Christianos ad leones--Away with Christians to the lions. But God made them know the contrary, for the famine continued till Baal's prophets were sacrificed, and so great a scarcity of water there was that the king himself and Obadiah went in person throughout the land to seek for grass for the cattle,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
(1Sa 10:10-12). fed them with bread and water--These articles are often used to include sustenance of any kind. As this succor must have been given them at the hazard, not only of his place, but his life, it was a strong proof of his attachment to the true religion.
Fed them with bread and water - By these are signified the necessaries of life, of whatsoever kind.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי֙ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְּהַכְרִ֣ית | behakhrit | when cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| אִיזֶ֔בֶל | ʾizevel | Jezebel | H348 → | 22 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נְבִיאֵ֣י | neviei | [the] prophets of | H5030 → | 314 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| עֹבַדְיָ֜הוּ | ʾoadyahu | Obadiah | H5662 → | 20 times |
| מֵאָ֣ה | meah | one hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| נְבִאִ֗ים | neviim | prophets | H5030 → | 314 times |
| וַֽיַּחְבִּיאֵ֞ם | vaiyachbiem | and he hid them | H2244 → | |
| חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים | chamishim | fifty | H2572 → | 163 times |
| אִישׁ֙ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה | bamearah | in the cave | H4631 → | 37 times |
| וְכִלְכְּלָ֖ם | vekhilkelam | and he supplied them | H3557 → | 38 times |
| לֶ֥חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וָמָֽיִם׃ | vamayim | and water | H4325 → | 581 times |
וַיְהִי֙and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בְּהַכְרִ֣יתwhen cut off
behakhritH3772 →288 times
אִיזֶ֔בֶלJezebel
ʾizevelH348 →22 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
נְבִיאֵ֣י[the] prophets of
nevieiH5030 →314 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
עֹבַדְיָ֜הוּObadiah
ʾoadyahuH5662 →20 times
מֵאָ֣הone hundred
meahH3967 →581 times
נְבִאִ֗יםprophets
neviimH5030 →314 times
וַֽיַּחְבִּיאֵ֞םand he hid them
vaiyachbiemH2244 →
חֲמִשִּׁ֥יםfifty
chamishimH2572 →163 times
אִישׁ֙man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
בַּמְּעָרָ֔הin the cave
bamearahH4631 →37 times
וְכִלְכְּלָ֖םand he supplied them
vekhilkelamH3557 →38 times
לֶ֥חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
וָמָֽיִם׃and water
vamayimH4325 →581 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 25:35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,
it leads to
- 1 John 3:16–19
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
- James 2:15–16
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
- Deuteronomy 15:7–11
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or…
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Ezekiel 18:7
He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.
- 1 John 3:16–19
Through
Matthew 21:35But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 36:15–16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place.
- Hebrews 11:36–37
Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
- Nehemiah 9:26
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15–16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.