1 Kings 18:42
in 1 Kings 18So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the summit of Carmel, bent down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.
KJV
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
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This verse in 1 Kings 18
Commentary
8 notes on this versePut his face between his knees - He kneeled down, and then bowed his head to the earth, so that, while his face was between his knees, his forehead touched the ground.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 2 -- On Faith · Written before 523.
proposed
Now in other places it is written that faith prayed and was afterwards heard, according to that which is written, "And he bowed himself, and put his face between his knees, and he sent his disciple to look by the way of the sea." And …
"And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel." He does not go to Jerusalem in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord, even though he knows the commandment of the law, which prevents the Jews from sacrificing outside the place that God had …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
9 And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? 10 As the L ORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v9-10
The top of Carmel - Where he might pour out his prayers unto God; and whence he might look towards the sea. He had a large prospect of the sea from hence.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He was recommended to refresh himself without a moment's delay; and, while the king was thus occupied, the prophet, far from taking rest, was absorbed in prayer for the fulfilment of the promise (1Ki 18:1). put his face between his knees--a posture of earnest supplication still used.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Ahab could feast; Elijah could not, or would not. Ascending Carmel not quite to the highest elevation 1Ki 18:43, but to a point, a little below the highest, from where the sea was not visible, he proceeded to pray earnestly for rain, as he had prayed formerly that it might not rain.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה | vaiyaaleh | and he went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אַחְאָ֖ב | ʾachav | Ahab | H256 → | 92 times |
| לֶאֱכֹ֣ל | leekhol | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְלִשְׁתּ֑וֹת | velishtot | and to drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ | veeliyahu | and Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| עָלָ֨ה | ʾalah | he went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| רֹ֤אשׁ | rosh | [the] top of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַכַּרְמֶל֙ | hakarmel | <the> Carmel | H3760 → | 22 times |
| וַיִּגְהַ֣ר | vaiyighar | and he crouched | H1457 → | |
| אַ֔רְצָה | ʾartzah | [the] ground towards | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וַיָּ֥שֶׂם | vaiyasem | and he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| פָּנָ֖יו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בֵּ֥ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| בִּרְכָּֽיו׃ | berakhov | knees his | H1290 → | 25 times |
וַיַּעֲלֶ֥הand he went up
vaiyaalehH5927 →890 times
אַחְאָ֖בAhab
ʾachavH256 →92 times
לֶאֱכֹ֣לto eat
leekholH398 →810 times
וְלִשְׁתּ֑וֹתand to drink
velishtotH8354 →217 times
וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּand Elijah
veeliyahuH452 →71 times
עָלָ֨הhe went up
ʾalahH5927 →890 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
רֹ֤אשׁ[the] top of
roshH7218 →599 times
הַכַּרְמֶל֙<the> Carmel
hakarmelH3760 →22 times
וַיִּגְהַ֣רand he crouched
vaiyigharH1457 →
אַ֔רְצָה[the] ground towards
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
וַיָּ֥שֶׂםand he put
vaiyasemH7760 →584 times
פָּנָ֖יוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
בֵּ֥יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
בִּרְכָּֽיו׃knees his
berakhovH1290 →25 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
Luke 6:12In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.
it leads to
- Mark 6:46
After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.
- Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His…
- Mark 1:35
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.
- Mark 14:34–36
Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”
- Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
- Mark 6:46
Through
Joshua 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
it leads to
- Genesis 37:29
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,
- Genesis 37:34
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- 2 Samuel 13:31
Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
- Genesis 37:29
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonDivided kingdomElijahThe Tishbite who shut heaven for three years and a half, called down fire on Carmel, heard the still small voice at Horeb, and wen…
- PersonDivided kingdomAhabSeventh king of the northern kingdom, son of Omri, who "did evil above all that were before him"; Elijah's chief antagonist, conde…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 18:42; 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 2 -- On Faith.