1 Kings 18:3

1 Kings 18:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly:
• New International Version (NIV)and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.

Context of 1 Kings 18:3

1After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.” 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, 4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”

1 Kings 18:3 word by word

וַיִּקְרָ֣א אַחְאָ֔ב אֶל־עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַבָּ֑יִת וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֛א אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

• and Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
• and Ahabאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• summonedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• Obadiahעֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ‛ôbadyâh ‛ôbadyâhû · ObadiahH5662
• whoאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• was in charge ofעַל‛al · uponH5921
• the palaceבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• greatlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• fearedהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• fearedיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:3

• Genesis 24:2So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
• Genesis 39:4Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted him with everything he owned.
• Genesis 41:40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
• 1 Kings 18:12I do not know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you off when I leave you. Then when I go and tell Ahab and he does not find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared the LORD from my youth.
• Genesis 22:12“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
• Genesis 42:18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
• 2 Kings 4:1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
• Nehemiah 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God.
• Nehemiah 7:2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
• Proverbs 14:26He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge.
• Malachi 3:16At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.
• Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
• Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Obadiah feared the Lord greatly - He was a sincere and zealous worshipper of the true God, and his conduct towards the persecuted prophets was the full proof both of his piety and humanity.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Obadiah‘s name, “servant of Yahweh,” indicates his religious character. It corresponds to the modern Arabic name Abdallah. Ahab could scarcely have been ignorant of Obadiah‘s faithfulness to Yahweh; and it tells in favor of the monarch‘s tolerance that he should have maintained an adherent of the old religion in so important an office. There seems to be no doubt that the worst deeds of Ahab‘s reign sprang less from his own free will and natural…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-6Because of the severe drought, Ahab and Obadiah, his chief officer (see 1 Kings 4:6; 16:9), went to find enough water and grass for the king’s horses. These supplies were essential for military readiness. Assyrian King Shalmaneser III wrote that Ahab used about 2,000 horse-drawn chariots in the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC. Solomon also had many horses and chariots (1 Kings 10:26).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Obadiah feared the Lord greatly--Although he did not follow the course taken by the Levites and the majority of pious Israelites at that time of emigration into Judah (2Ch 11:13-16), he was a secret and sincere worshipper. He probably considered the violent character of the government, and his power of doing some good to the persecuted people of God as a sufficient excuse for his not going to worship in Jerusalem.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 18:3

• Elijah
• Fear of God
• Israel
• Obadiah
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Obadiah
• Answer
• Carmel
• Cut
• Either
• Follow
• Halt
• Lord
• Quotations

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18

• 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