1 Kings 19:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 19:1-8

One would have expected, after such a public and sensible manifestation of the glory of God and such a clear decision of the controversy depending between him and Baal, to the honour of Elijah, the confusion of Baal's prophets, and the universal satisfaction of the people?after they had seen both fire and water come from heaven at the prayer of Elijah, and both in mercy to them, the one as it signified the acceptance of their offering, the other as it refreshed their inheritance, which was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:1

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done ,.... What miracles he had wrought, how that not only fire came down from heaven, and consumed the sacrifice, but even the stones and dust of the altar, and licked up great quantities of water in the trench around it; and that it was at his prayer that rain came down from heaven in such abundance, of which she was sensible; by all which he got the people on his side, so that it was not in his power to seize him and slay him; and this he said to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:2

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah ,.... In Jezreel, or near it, to frighten him away; not caring to seize him, and dispatch him, for fear of the people, in whom he had now a great interest; or otherwise it is not easy to account for it that she should give him notice of it; unless she scorned to do it privately, as some think, and was determined to make a public example of him; but being not as yet prepared for it, sends him word what he must expect, imagining that as he had the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:3

And when he saw that ,.... That her design and resolution were to take away his life; the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions read, "and he was afraid"; or frightened; he that had such courage as not to be afraid to meet Ahab, and contend with four hundred and fifty priests of Baal, and in the face of all Israel, who at first were not inclined to take his part, is now terrified at the threats of a single woman; which shows that the spirit and courage he had before were of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:4

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness ,.... Of Paran, which began near Beersheba, and was the wilderness of Arabia, in which the Israelites were near forty years; this day's journey carried him about twenty miles from Beersheba southward, as the above writer reckons: and came and sat down under a juniper tree ; Abarbinel supposes that Elijah chose to sit under this tree, to preserve him from venomous creatures, which naturalists say will not come near it; and Pliny ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:5

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree ,.... Being weary and fatigued with his journey, the same under which he sat; for there was but one, as that is said to be in the preceding verse: behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, arise, and eat ; so far was the Lord from granting his request to take away his life, that he made provision to preserve it; so careful was he of him, as to give an angel charge to get food ready for him, and then awake him to eat of it. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:6

And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baked on the coals ,.... Just took off the coals, quite hot. Bochart F17 Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 33. col. 528. thinks it should be rendered, "baked on hot stones"; and such was the way of baking cakes in some of the eastern countries; see Gill on Genesis 18:6 , the stones hereabout might be heated by a supernatural power, and the cake baked on them by an angel; these sort of cakes are in Hebrew called "huggoth", as some pronounce the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:7

And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him ,.... In order to awake him out of sleep: and said unto him, arise, and eat, because the journey is too great for thee ; which he had to go to Horeb, without eating more than he had; and there were no provisions to be had in a common way and manner in his road thither. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:8

And he arose, and did eat and drink ,.... Of what was left of the cake and cruse of water, before provided for him: and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God ; for so long he was going to that place, though it might have been gone in three or four days; but he went in byways, and wandered about in the wilderness, as the Israelites did, and that for the space of forty days, as they did near forty years; and all this while he had no other... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 19:1

Ahab told Jezebel - Probably with no evil design against Elijah. read more

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