1 Kings 18:7
in 1 Kings 18Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Is it thou, my lord Elijah?
KJV
And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
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This verse in 1 Kings 18
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd as Obadiah was in the way,.... In his district, making his observations: behold, Elijah met him: where is not said; but he was, no doubt, upon the road from Zarephath to Samaria: and he knew him that is, Obadiah knew Elijah, having seen him at Ahab's court before he absconded: and fell on his face, and said, art thou that my lord Elijah? thus doing him honour and reverence both by words and gesture, as being an extraordinary prophet of the Lord.
This site's exposition
Art thou that my lord Elijah
on 1 Kings 18:7-14
Obadiah's long protest is the chapter's measure of Elijah's reputation: no nation or kingdom where Ahab has not sought him, oaths taken from kings that he was not there, and the standing assumption that the Spirit of the LORD carries the prophet where no messenger can follow. A man who has spent three years hiding prophets by fifty is still afraid that this errand will cost his head. The fear is reasonable, and the text lets it speak at full length before Elijah answers it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Prophets should be called seers, and shepherds, and watchmen, and ministers, rather than lords, as those that mind duty more than dominion. [2.] He bids Obadiah go and tell the king that he is there to speak with him: Tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is forth-coming,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Art thou he that troubleth Israel--A violent altercation took place. Ahab thought to awe him into submission, but the prophet boldly and undisguisedly told the king that the national calamity was traceable chiefly to his own and his family's patronage and practice of idolatry. But, while rebuking the sins, Elijah paid all due respect to the high rank of the offender.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עֹבַדְיָ֙הוּ֙ | ʾoadyahu | Obadiah | H5662 → | 20 times |
| בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ | baderekh | on the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֥ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ | ʾeliyahu | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| לִקְרָאת֑וֹ | likrato | to meet him | H7122 → | 139 times |
| וַיַּכִּרֵ֙הוּ֙ | vaiyakirehu | and he recognized him | H5234 → | 49 times |
| וַיִּפֹּ֣ל | vaiyipol | and he fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פָּנָ֔יו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַאַתָּ֥ה | haatah | ¿ you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| זֶ֖ה | zeh | [is] this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֥י | ʾadoni | O lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ | ʾeliyahu | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
וַיְהִ֤יand he was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
עֹבַדְיָ֙הוּ֙Obadiah
ʾoadyahuH5662 →20 times
בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְon the way
baderekhH1870 →707 times
וְהִנֵּ֥הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
אֵלִיָּ֖הוּElijah
ʾeliyahuH452 →71 times
לִקְרָאת֑וֹto meet him
likratoH7122 →139 times
וַיַּכִּרֵ֙הוּ֙and he recognized him
vaiyakirehuH5234 →49 times
וַיִּפֹּ֣לand he fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פָּנָ֔יוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּ֕אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הַאַתָּ֥ה¿ you
haatahH859 →1094 times
זֶ֖ה[is] this
zehH2088 →1180 times
אֲדֹנִ֥יO lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃Elijah
ʾeliyahuH452 →71 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 11:8Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.
it leads to
- Matthew 3:4
John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
- 2 Kings 1:8
“He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.
- Matthew 3:4
Through
Genesis 44:16“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and…
it leads to
- Genesis 44:9
If any of your servants is found to have it, he must die, and the rest will become slaves of my lord.”
- Daniel 9:7
To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel near and far, in all the countries to which You…
- Numbers 32:23
But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.
- Genesis 44:9
Through
Genesis 50:18His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
it leads to
- Genesis 37:7–11
We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.”
- Genesis 42:6
Now Joseph was the ruler of the land; he was the one who sold grain to all its people. So when his brothers arrived, they bowed down before him with their faces to the…
- Genesis 27:29
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you…
- Genesis 37:7–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.