1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of those dead prophets by tomorrow about this time.” 3 When Elijah heard that, he arose and fled for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. He requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough, now, Yahweh; take away my life, for I am no better than my dead ancestors.” 5 So he lay down and slept under a broom tree. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6 Elijah looked, and near his head was bread that had been baked on coals and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of Yahweh came again a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, because the journey will be too much for you.” 8 So he arose and ate and drank, and he traveled in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 He went to a cave there and stayed in it. Then the word of Yahweh came to him and said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 Elijah replied, “I have been very zealous for Yahweh, God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, destroyed your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I, only I, am left and they are also trying to take my life.” 11 Yahweh replied, “Go out and stand on the mountain before me.” Then Yahweh passed by, and a very strong wind struck the mountains and broke rocks into pieces before Yahweh, but Yahweh was not in the wind. Then after the wind, an earthquake came, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake. 12 Then after the earthquake a fire came, but Yahweh was not in the fire. Then after the fire, a still small voice came. 13 When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his cloak, went out, and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 Elijah replied, “I have been very zealous for Yahweh, God of hosts, because the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, destroyed your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I, only I, am left and they are also trying to take my life.” 15 Then Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you arrive you will anoint Hazael to be king over Aram, 16 and you will anoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king over Israel, and you will anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place. 17 It will happen that Jehu will kill whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, and that Elisha will kill whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu. 18 But I will leave for myself seven thousand people in Israel, whose knees have not bent down to Baal, and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 19 So Elijah left from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he himself was plowing with the twelfth yoke. Elijah walked over to Elisha and draped his cloak on him. 20 Then Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah; he said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back, but think about what I have done to you.” 21 So Elisha returned from Elijah and took the yoke of oxen, killed the animals, and cooked the meat with the wood from the ox yoke. Then he gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose, went after Elijah and served him.
1 Kings · Unlocked Literal Bible
1 Kings 19 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Elijah the Tishbite
A prophet among the settlers of Gilead who announced a drought to Ahab, was fed by ravens, revived the widow's son at Zarephath, defeated Baal's prophets on Mount Carmel, heard…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:36; 1 Kings 19:9
Elisha
Son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah, found plowing with twelve teams of oxen when Elijah threw his cloak around him, who inherited a double portion of Elijah's spirit, worked many…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:16; 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 2:9
Hazael
An Aramean sent by Ben-hadad to Elisha, whom Elisha foretold would be king over Aram; he smothered Ben-hadad, reigned in his place, and defeated Israel throughout its territory.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:15; 2 Kings 8:9; 2 Kings 8:15
Jehu
An army commander anointed king by a young prophet sent by Elisha, who killed Joram, Ahaziah of Judah and Jezebel, wiped out Ahab's house and Baal's worshipers, but did not turn…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 9:2; 2 Kings 9:6
Jezebel
Daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians and wife of Ahab, who slaughtered the LORD's prophets, threatened Elijah, had Naboth stoned on false testimony, and was thrown down from…
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Kings 19:2
Nimshi
Named as the father of Jehoshaphat and so the forefather of Jehu, who is often called 'son of Nimshi'.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 9:2; 2 Kings 9:14
Shaphat
Named as the father of the prophet Elisha, from Abel-meholah.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 19:16; 1 Kings 19:19; 2 Kings 3:11
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Kings 18:40; 1 Kings 21:25; 1 Kings 21:5–7; 1 Kings 16:31
- 2 Ruth 1:17; 1 Kings 20:10; 2 Kings 6:31; Proverbs 27:1; Exodus 10:28
- 3 Genesis 21:31; Matthew 26:70–74; Matthew 26:56; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Isaiah 51:12–13
- 4 Jonah 4:3; Numbers 11:15; Jonah 4:8; Jeremiah 20:14–18; Philippians 1:21–24
- 5 Psalm 34:7; Acts 12:7; Hebrews 13:5; Genesis 28:11–15; Daniel 10:9–10
- 6 Matthew 4:11; 1 Kings 17:6; John 21:9; Mark 8:2–3; Matthew 6:32
- 7 Psalm 103:13–14; Deuteronomy 33:25
- 8 Deuteronomy 9:18; Exodus 34:28; Exodus 24:18; Exodus 3:1; Matthew 4:2
- 9 Genesis 3:9; 1 Kings 19:13; Jeremiah 2:18; Genesis 16:8; Exodus 33:21–22
- 10 1 Kings 18:4; Exodus 34:14; 1 Kings 18:22; Romans 11:2–4; 1 Kings 18:30
- 11 Ezekiel 1:4; Psalm 50:3; Isaiah 30:30; Job 38:1; Hebrews 12:26
- 12 Job 4:16; Zechariah 4:6; Deuteronomy 4:33; Deuteronomy 4:11–12; Job 33:7
- 13 1 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 6:2; John 21:15–17; Genesis 16:8
- 14 Daniel 11:30; Hosea 6:7; 1 Kings 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 31:20; Isaiah 1:4
- 15 Jeremiah 1:10; Isaiah 45:1; 2 Kings 8:7–15; Genesis 14:15; Amos 1:4
- 16 2 Kings 9:1–14; 2 Kings 2:9; 1 Kings 19:19–21; 2 Kings 2:15; Judges 7:22
- 17 2 Kings 13:22; 2 Kings 13:3; 2 Kings 8:12; Hosea 6:5; 2 Kings 10:32
- 18 Romans 11:4–5; Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 10:20–22; Hosea 13:2; Psalm 2:12
- 19 2 Kings 2:8; 2 Kings 2:13–14; Psalm 78:70–72; 1 Samuel 28:14; 1 Kings 19:13
- 20 Matthew 8:21–22; Luke 9:61–62; Acts 20:37; Matthew 4:20; Matthew 19:27
- 21 2 Samuel 24:22; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 13; Exodus 24:13; Luke 5:28–29
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… Lord [was] not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord [was] not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord [was] not in the fire; and after the fire a scarcely audible voice" (vox auræ tenuis). For by such means was the prophet--very indignant, because of the transgression of the people …
Even there, when Elijah said, "O Lord, they have slain Thy prophets, they have digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life," it was answered that seven thousand men were there who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Chapter 23.--Of the Varying Condition of Both the Hebrew Kingdoms, Until the People of Both …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And if thou knowest not of them, it is nothing marvellous, since Elias too supposed he was alone, but was told, "I have left unto myself seven thousand men." Whence it is manifest that even now there are many who show forth the apostolical life; like as the "three thousand" then, and the "five thousand." And if we believe not, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The wounds of man's nature pass our healing. They slew Thy Prophets, and cast down Thine altars.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
To Elias neither the strong wind, nor the fire, nor the earthquake, as you learn from the story, but a light breeze adumbrated the Presence of God, and not even this His Nature.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)