1 Kings 19:4

1 Kings 19:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
• New International Version (NIV)while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Context of 1 Kings 19:4

2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and even more, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the life of one of them.” 3And Elijah was afraid and arose and ran for his life, and he came to Beersheba which belongs to Judah, and he left his servant there. But he himself traveled a day’s journey into the wilderness, and he came and sat down under a juniper tree and asked [God] that he might die. He said, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5He lay down and slept under the juniper tree, and behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6He looked, and by his head there was a bread cake baked on hot coal, and a pitcher of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.

1 Kings 19:4 word by word

וְהֽוּא־הָלַ֤ךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ י֔וֹם וַיָּבֹ֕א וַיֵּ֕שֶׁב תַּ֖חַת רֹ֣תֶם אֶחָ֑ד וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ רַ֗ב עַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ קַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֔י כִּֽי־לֹא־ט֥וֹב אָנֹכִ֖י מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But he himself wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• a day’sיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• journeyדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• into the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• and cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and sat downיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• under aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• juniper treeרֹ֫תֶםrethem rôthem · broomH7574
• and he requestedשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
• for himselfנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
• that he might dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• It is enoughרַבrab · manyH7227
• now, O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• take awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• my lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• not betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• than my fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1

Cross-references for 1 Kings 19:4

• 1 Kings 13:14and he went after the man of God. And he found him sitting under an oak (terebinth) tree, and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”
• Genesis 21:15When the water in the skin was all gone, Hagar abandoned the boy under one of the bushes.
• John 4:6and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (noon).
• 1 Kings 19:3And Elijah was afraid and arose and ran for his life, and he came to Beersheba which belongs to Judah, and he left his servant there.
• Numbers 11:15So if this is the way You are going to deal with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”
• 2 Kings 2:11As they continued along and talked, behold, a chariot of fire with horses of fire [appeared suddenly and] separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
• Job 3:20“Why is the light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter in soul,
• Jeremiah 20:14Cursed be the day on which I was born; Do not bless the day on which my mother gave birth to me!
• Jonah 4:3Therefore now, O Lord, just take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
• Philippians 1:21For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].
• Amos 6:2Go over to Calneh [in Babylonia] and look, And from there go [north of Damascus] to the great city of Hamath; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms [of yours], Or is their territory greater than yours?
• Nahum 3:8Are you better than Thebes, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose defense was the sea (the Nile), Whose wall consisted of the sea?
• Matthew 6:26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?
• Romans 3:9Well then, are we [Jews] better off than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are under the control of sin and subject to its power.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 19:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A day's journey into the wilderness - Probably in his way to Mount Horeb. See 1 Kings 19:8. Juniper tree - A tree that afforded him a shade from the scorching sun. It is enough - I have lived long enough! I can do no more good among this people; let me now end my days.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Elijah did not feel himself safe until he was beyond the territory of Judah, for Ahab might demand him of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 18:10, with whom he was on terms of close alliance 1 Kings 22:4. He, therefore, proceeds southward into the desert, simply to be out of the reach of his enemies. A juniper-tree - The tree here mentioned רתם rethem is not the juniper but a species of broom (Genista monosperma ), called “rethem” by the Arabs, which abounds in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Although technically a shrub, the broom tree can grow up to ten feet tall. Its small leaves still offer enough shade for a tired traveler in the wilderness. Like Jonah (Jonah 4:3), Elijah completed his mission but felt disappointed with the outcome. no better: God's prophet, seeking refuge, felt he achieved little and thought he would be better off dead.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-184-18. went a day's journey into the wilderness--on the way from Beer-sheba to Horeb--a wide expanse of sand hills, covered with the retem (not juniper, but broom shrubs), whose tall and spreading branches, with their white leaves, afford a very cheering and refreshing shade. His gracious God did not lose sight of His fugitive servant, but watched over him, and, miraculously ministering to his wants, enabled him, in a better but not wholly right frame of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 19:4

• Day
• Death
• Despondency
• Elijah
• Juniper
• Life
• Minister, Christian
• Miracles
• Murmuring
• Prudence
• Trouble

In the dictionaries

• Day's Journey
• Ahab
• Elijah
• Jealous
• Juniper
• Quotations
• Set
• Broom
• Cattle
• Soul

Commentaries on 1 Kings 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings