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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 19:9-18

Here is, I. Elijah housed in a cave at Mount Horeb, which is called the mount of God, because on it God had formerly manifested his glory. And perhaps this was the same cave, or cleft of a rock, in which Moses was hidden when the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed his name, Exod. 33:22. What Elijah proposed to himself in coming to lodge here, I cannot conceive, unless it was to indulge his melancholy, or to satisfy his curiosity and assist his faith and devotion with the sight of that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:11

And he said, go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord ,.... Who would appear there as he had to Moses formerly, though not in the same manner: and, behold, the Lord passed by ; or was about to pass, for as yet he had not; his messengers first went before him: and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; strong enough to do all this, and so it might: but the Lord was not in the wind ; as he sometimes is, Nahum 1:3 , he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:12

And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire ,.... As he was when he descended on this mount, and spake to Moses, Exodus 19:1 , the Targum, and so Jarchi, interpret all these appearances of angels, and not amiss; the wind, of an host of angels of wind; the earthquake, of an host of angels of commotion; the fire, of an host of angels of fire; see Psalm 104:4 , these ministers of the Lord went before him, to prepare the way of his glorious Majesty; which emblems may... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 19:11

Stand upon the mount before the Lord - God was now treating Elijah nearly in the same way that he treated Moses; and it is not unlikely that Elijah was now standing on the same place where Moses stood, when God revealed himself to him in the giving of the law. See Exodus 19:9 , Exodus 19:16 . The Lord passed by - It appears that the passing by of the Lord occasioned the strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire; but in none of these was God to make a discovery of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 19:1-18

The Desponding Prophet. A marvellous change has come over Elijah. It is difficult to imagine a more complete contrast than is presented by his moral attitude in this and the previous chapters. He who just before has so boldly confronted the proud king, and defied the priests of Baal, standing without fear before his flaming altar, and sternly carrying out the judgment of God on the corrupters of His people, is now filled with dismay, and flies from the post of duty and of danger. So... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 19:1-18

The Desponding Prophet. A marvellous change has come over Elijah. It is difficult to imagine a more complete contrast than is presented by his moral attitude in this and the previous chapters. He who just before has so boldly confronted the proud king, and defied the priests of Baal, standing without fear before his flaming altar, and sternly carrying out the judgment of God on the corrupters of His people, is now filled with dismay, and flies from the post of duty and of danger. So... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 19:9-18

Elijah at Horeb. Elijah went in the strength of the refreshment he had received from the Angel-Jehovah a forty days' journey to Horeb. He was now on holy ground. It was the "mount of God" on which Moses had seen the Angel-Jehovah in the bush, and was within sight of Sinai, memorable for the giving of the law. On Horeb he lodges in a cave, perhaps the very recess from which Moses witnessed the Shechinah (see Exodus 32:22 ), and here becomes the subject of Divine communications and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 19:9-18

Elijah at Horeb. I. How GOD DEALS WITH THE DESPAIRING . 1 . Elijah ' s mistake . Because Jezebel's enmity remained unsubdued the straggle was at once given over as hopeless; "and he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there." The same mistake is made by those who labour on with unexpectant toil, whose wrestling with God is given up, whose feeble thought and listless tones proclaim their hopelessness: by those who have laid down the work to which God called... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 19:11

And he said, Go forth [The LXX . inserts αὔριον , which, however, is destitute of authority, and was probably inserted from Exodus 34:2 , to explain the difficulty which the prophet's apparent disregard of this command creates], and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed, by [Heb. passeth by . Only used here and in Exodus 33:22 ; Exodus 34:6 of the Divine Being. The beatific vision must be transient. An abiding presence, a שֹׁכֵן , was more than... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 19:11

" Stand … before the Lord ." Only thus can we know ourselves, and self-knowledge must be our first aim. " E caelo descendit, γνῶθι σεαυτόν ." "In thy light shall we see light." We compare ourselves with pigmies when we compare ourselves with others ( 2 Corinthians 10:12 ). It is only in the presence of our Maker that we learn our nothingness and sinfulness. "Now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" ( Job 42:6 , Job 42:6 ). "Beholding... read more

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