EasyEnglish Bible 2018
1 Kings 17:1
1There was a prophet called Elijah who came from Tishbe in Gilead. He said to King Ahab, ‘I am a servant of the Lord, Israel's God. As surely as God lives, there will be no rain or dew for the next few years. Nothing will make the ground wet until I command it to happen.’
1 Kings 17:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
- New International Version (NIV)Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”
Context of 1 Kings 17:1
There was a prophet called Elijah who came from Tishbe in Gilead. He said to King Ahab, ‘I am a servant of the Lord, Israel's God. As surely as God lives, there will be no rain or dew for the next few years. Nothing will make the ground wet until I command it to happen.’ 2Then the Lord told Elijah, 3‘Leave here! Go to the east. Hide in the Kerith valley, east of the Jordan River.
Read all of 1 Kings 171 Kings 17:1 word by word
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- the Tishbiteתִּשְׁבִּיtishbîy · TishbiteH8664
- of the inhabitantsתּוֹשָׁבtôshâb tôshâb · sojournerH8453
- of Gileadגִּלְעָדgil‛âd · GileadH1568
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- whom I standעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- there shall not be dewטַלţal · dewH2919
- nor rainמָטַרmâţâr · rainH4306
- these yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- but accordingפֶּהpeh · lip: wordH6310
- to my wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
Cross-references for 1 Kings 17:1
- Matthew 11:14The prophets wrote about Elijah. They said he would come again, to prepare for the Messiah. They were writing about John, and you should believe their message.
- Matthew 16:14They replied, ‘Some people say that you are John the Baptist. Other people say that you are Elijah. And some other people say that you are Jeremiah, or another prophet of God.’
- Matthew 27:47Some people who were standing there heard him. They said to each other, ‘He is shouting to Elijah.’
- Luke 1:17John will prepare the people for the Lord to come to them. The Holy Spirit will lead John as he led Elijah. John will do powerful things as Elijah did. He will help fathers to love their children. He will teach people who do not obey God. Then they will know what things are right. And they will do them. Then they will be ready when the Lord comes.’
- Luke 4:25What I tell you is true. There were many widows in the country of Israel when Elijah was alive. At that time, it did not rain for three and a half years. So people were very hungry in all the country.
- Luke 9:30Then two men appeared and they were talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah.
- John 1:21So they asked him, ‘So who are you? Are you Elijah?’ John said, ‘No, I am not.’ They asked, ‘Are you the Prophet?’ John answered, ‘No.’
- Romans 11:2God chose who would be his people from the beginning. He has not turned against them now. Remember what the Bible tells us about Elijah. He wanted God to punish Israel's people. Elijah said:
- 1 Kings 22:14But Micaiah said, ‘I can only speak what the Lord tells me to say. As surely as the Lord lives, that is what I must do.’
- 2 Kings 3:14Elisha said to him, ‘I serve the Lord Almighty. I promise you, as surely as the Lord lives, I would never even look at you! But I do respect Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, who is with you. So I will help you.
- 2 Kings 5:16But Elisha replied, ‘I serve the Lord. I promise you, as surely as he lives, I will not accept a gift from you.’ Naaman asked him many times to accept a gift but Elisha refused.
- Isaiah 49:18Look all round you! See all your people as they return together.’ The Lord says, ‘I tell you clearly, as the God who lives, you will be happy with your people. They will make you beautiful again, like a bride with her beautiful jewels.
- Matthew 7:29When Jesus taught them, he showed that he had authority. That was not like the way that the teachers of God's Law taught people.
- Deuteronomy 10:8At that time, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi to carry the Lord's Covenant Box. He chose them to be his special servants. They had to pray for the Lord to bless his people. They still do these things today.
- Jeremiah 15:19So the Lord said this to me: ‘If you turn back to me, I will help you to be strong. Then you can continue to serve me. Speak valuable words instead of useless words. Then you can speak on my behalf. These people must change to be like you have been. You must not change to become like them.
- Luke 1:19The angel answered, ‘I am called Gabriel. My place is to stand in front of God. I am always ready to work for God. He has sent me to speak to you. He told me that I should tell you this good news.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 17:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Elijah the Tishbite - The history of this great man is introduced very abruptly; his origin is enveloped in perfect obscurity. He is here said to be a Tishbite. Tishbeh, says Calmet, is a city beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Gad, and in the land of Gilead. Who was his father, or from what tribe he sprang, is not intimated; he seems to have been the prophet of Israel peculiarly, as we never find him prophesying in Judah. A number of apocryphal writers have…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The name Elijah means “Yahweh is my God.” It is expressive of the truth which his whole life preached. The two words rendered “Tishbite” and “inhabitant” are in the original (setting aside the vowel points) “exactly alike.” The meaning consequently must either be “Elijah the stranger, of the strangers of Gilead,” or (more probably) “Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbi of Gilead.” Of Tishbi in Gilead there is no further trace in Scripture; it is to be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Elijah fed by ravens. (1-7) Elijah sent to Zarephath. (8-16) Elijah raises the widow's son to life. (17-24) Verses 1-7 God wonderfully suits men to the work he designs them for. The times were fit for an Elijah; an Elijah was fit for them. The Spirit of the Lord knows how to fit men for the occasions. Elijah let Ahab know that God was displeased with the idolaters, and would chastise them by the want of rain, which it was not in the power of the gods they…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Elijah was God's prophet to the northern kingdom during the reigns of the third-dynasty kings: Ahab, who ruled from 874 to 853 BC, Ahaziah, who ruled from 853 to 852 BC, and Joram, who ruled from 852 to 841 BC. Elijah showed his dedication to the Lord by declaring that he served the living God of Israel. Elijah stopped the dew and rain to challenge Baal, who supposedly controlled these natural forces. Their absence, until God instructed Elijah to speak…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-71Ki 17:1-7. Elijah, Prophesying against Ahab, Is Sent to Cherith. 1. Elijah the Tishbite--This prophet is introduced as abruptly as Melchisedek--his birth, parents, and call to the prophetic office being alike unrecorded. He is supposed to be called the Tishbite from Tisbeh, a place east of Jordan. who was of the inhabitants of Gilead--or residents of Gilead, implying that he was not an Israelite, but an Ishmaelite, as Michaelis conjectures, for there…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 17:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 17
- 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
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