1 Kings 19
19
Flight to Horeb.#The story of Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb begins as a flight from danger, but takes a surprising turn. The prophet makes his solitary way to the mountain where the Lord had appeared to Moses and the Israelites (“Horeb” is an alternate name for “Sinai”). Like Moses on the holy mountain, Elijah experiences a theophany and receives a commission. 1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done—that he had murdered all the prophets by the sword. 2Jezebel then sent a messenger to Elijah and said, “May the gods do thus to me and more, if by this time tomorrow I have not done with your life what was done to each of them.” 3Elijah was afraid and fled for his life, going to Beer-sheba of Judah. He left his servant there 4#Jon 4:6–9. and went a day’s journey into the wilderness, until he came to a solitary broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: “Enough, Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” 5He lay down and fell asleep under the solitary broom tree, but suddenly a messenger#Sound asleep, Elijah is startled awake by an unspecified “messenger.” Only in v. 7 is the figure identified as a messenger (or “angel”) of the Lord. touched him and said, “Get up and eat!” 6He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, 7but the angel of the Lord came back a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” 8#Ex 34:28. He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.
9There he came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the Lord came to him: Why are you here, Elijah? 10He answered: “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.” 11#Ex 33:18–23; 34:5–6. Then the Lord said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord;#To “stand before the Lord” is a literal translation of a Hebrew idiom meaning “to serve the Lord”; Elijah has used this idiom twice before to describe himself as the Lord’s servant (17:1; 18:15). The Lord’s command, then, means that Elijah is to take up once again the prophetic service to which he has been appointed. The Lord’s question, “Why are you here?” (v. 9, repeated in v. 13), could imply an accusation that he is abandoning his prophetic office. In v. 15, the Lord tells him to go back. the Lord will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord—but the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12after the earthquake, fire—but the Lord was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound.#Compare these divine manifestations to Elijah with those to Moses on the same mountain (Ex 19:16–19; 33:18–23; 34:5–6; Dt 4:10–15). Though various phenomena, such as wind, storms, earthquakes, fire, accompany the divine presence, they do not constitute the presence itself which, like the “silent sound,” is mysterious and ultimately ungraspable. Moses and Elijah, the two figures who experienced God’s theophany on this mountain, reappear with Jesus on another mountain at his transfiguration (Mt 17:1–9; Mk 9:2–9; Lk 9:28–36).
13When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, Why are you here, Elijah? 14#Rom 11:3. He replied, “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.” 15#Elijah himself carried out only the last of the three commissions entrusted to him (vv. 19–21); Elisha performed the first himself (2 Kgs 8:7–19), and the second, the anointing of Jehu, through one of his followers (2 Kgs 9:1–10). #2 Kgs 8:7–15. The Lord said to him: Go back! Take the desert road to Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of Aram. 16#2 Kgs 2:1–15; 9:1–10. You shall also anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of Israel, and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet to succeed you. 17Anyone who escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill. Anyone who escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18#Rom 11:4. But I will spare seven thousand in Israel—every knee that has not bent to Baal, every mouth that has not kissed him.
19#Elijah’s act of throwing his mantle over the shoulders of Elisha associates him with Elijah as a servant (v. 21). Elisha will later succeed to Elijah’s position and prophetic power (2 Kgs 2:1–15). Elisha’s prompt response, destroying his plow and oxen, signifies a radical change from his former manner of living. Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak on him. 20#Lk 9:61–62. Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please, let me kiss my father and mother good-bye, and I will follow you.” Elijah answered, “Go back! What have I done to you?” 21Elisha left him and, taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh, and gave it to the people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah to serve him.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Kings 19
19
Elijah Runs Away from Ahab and Jezebel
1Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. 2She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I'm going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don't do it by this time tomorrow.”
3Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4#Jon 4.3. then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord, “I've had enough. Just let me die! I'm no better off than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.” 6Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.
7Soon the Lord's angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you'll get too tired to travel.” 8So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.
The food and water made him strong enough to walk 40 more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai,#19.8 Sinai: Hebrew “Horeb.” the mountain of God, 9and he spent the night there in a cave.
The Lord Appears to Elijah
While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the Lord asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”
10 #
Ro 11.3. He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
11“Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to be there when I pass by.”
All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
Finally, there was a gentle breeze,#19.12 a gentle breeze: Or “a soft whisper” or “hardly a sound.” 13and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
A voice asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”
14Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
15 #
2 K 8.7-13. The Lord said:
Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint#19.15 appoint: This would have included a ceremony in which olive oil would be poured on his head to show that he was now king. Hazael to be king of Syria. 16#2 K 9.1-6. Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat#19.16 Shaphat: Hebrew “Shaphat from Abel-Meholah.” to take your place as my prophet.
17Hazael will start killing the people who worship Baal. Jehu will kill those who escape from Hazael, and Elisha will kill those who escape from Jehu.
18 #
Ro 11.4. But 7,000 Israelites have refused to worship Baal, and they will live.
Elisha Becomes Elijah's Assistant
19Elijah left and found Elisha plowing a field with a pair of oxen. There were eleven other men in front of him, and each one was also plowing with a pair of oxen. Elijah went over and put his own coat on Elisha.#19.19 put … Elisha: This was a sign that Elijah wanted Elisha to follow him and become a prophet.
20Elisha stopped plowing and ran after him. “Let me kiss my parents goodbye, then I'll go with you,” he said.
“You can go,” Elijah said. “But remember what I've done for you.”
21Elisha left and took his oxen with him. He killed them and boiled them over a fire he had made with the wood from his plow. He gave the meat to the people who were with him, and they ate it. Then he left with Elijah and became his assistant.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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