1 Kings 18:1

1 Kings 18:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”

Context of 1 Kings 18:1

When there had been no rain for three years, the Lord told Elijah, ‘Go and meet King Ahab. After that, I will send rain to make the ground wet again.’ 2So Elijah went to meet Ahab. At that time, the famine in Samaria was very bad. 3King Ahab told his officer Obadiah to come and meet him. Obadiah had authority over the king's palace. Obadiah obeyed the Lord very faithfully.

1 Kings 18:1 word by word

וַיְהִי֙ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה הָיָה֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ית לֵאמֹ֑ר לֵ֚ךְ הֵרָאֵ֣ה אֶל־אַחְאָ֔ב וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה מָטָ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• manyרַבrab · manyH7227
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• came to Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
• in the thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• shewרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• thyself unto Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
• and I will sendנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• rainמָטַרmâţâr · rainH4306
• uponפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
• the earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: countryH127

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:1

• 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.
• James 5:17For example, God's prophet Elijah was an ordinary person, as we are. He prayed to God that it would not rain. He continued to pray and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
• Revelation 11:2But do not measure the yard that is outside God's house. Do not measure it, because God has given that yard to Gentiles who do not believe in him. They will stamp all over God's own city for 42 months and they will destroy it.
• 1 Kings 17:1There 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 18:2So Elijah went to meet Ahab. At that time, the famine in Samaria was very bad.
• Leviticus 26:4If they do, I will send rain at the proper time. Plants for food will grow in the ground. Fruit will grow on your trees.
• Deuteronomy 28:12The Lord will send rain from the clouds where he stores it. He will cause the rain to fall at the time when the land needs it. He will bless all the work that you do. You will lend money to the people of many nations. But you will not need anyone to lend money to you.
• Psalms 65:9You take care of the land. You send rain to make the earth good for plants. Your rivers are full of water. You cause the earth to give good crops so that the people have grain to eat.
• Isaiah 5:6I will make the land become useless. Nobody will take care of the vines. Nobody will dig the ground. Weeds and thorn bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds, ‘Do not drop any rain on it.’
• Jeremiah 10:13When he shouts like thunder, the water in the sky roars. He causes clouds to rise from the far places of the earth. He causes bright lightning to show in the storms. He opens his rooms so that the wind comes out and it blows everywhere.
• Jeremiah 14:22The idols of other nations are useless. None of them can cause rain to fall. And the sky itself does not make rain. No, it is you, Lord, our God, who sends rain. You alone do all these things, so we trust you to help us.’
• Joel 2:23Shout with joy, people in Zion! Be very happy because of the things that the Lord your God has done. He has given you just enough autumn rain. He has given you the winter rain, and the summer rain, as before.
• Amos 4:7‘Three months before your food was ready to pick, I did not send rain. So all the food became too dry. Sometimes I sent rain to one city, but I did not send it to other cities. I sent rain to one person's land, but I did not send it to another person's land. So that other person's land became too dry.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1After many days - in the third year - We learn from our Lord, Luke 4:25, that the drought which brought on the famine in Israel lasted three years and six months. St. James, James 5:17, gives it the same duration. Probably Elijah spent six months at the brook Cherith, and three years with the widow at Sarepta. I will send rain upon the earth - The word האדמה haadamah should be translated the ground or the land, as it is probable that this drought did not…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The third year - i. e., in the third year of his sojourn with the widow. The whole period of drought was three years and a half Luke 4:25; James 5:17: of this, probably about one year was passed by Elijah in the torrent-course of Cherith, and two years and a half at Sarepta.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Elijah sends Ahab notice of his coming. (1-16) Elijah meets Ahab. (17-20) Elijah's trial of the false prophets. (21-40) Elijah, by prayer, obtains rain. (41-46) Verses 1-16 The severest judgments, of themselves, will not humble or change the hearts of sinners; nothing, except the blood of Jesus Christ, can atone for the guilt of sin; nothing, except the sanctifying Spirit of God, can purge away its pollution. The priests and the Levites were gone to Judah…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-46The prophet Elijah's work was closely tied to his spiritual growth. Elijah challenged Israel's interest in Baal, the Canaanite storm god. During this conflict, Elijah saw God's power and support, unlike Baal's weakness. This was shown in Elijah's contest with Baal's prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:1–46). After fleeing from Jezebel, God renewed Elijah's mission at Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:1–18). Elijah's mission was finished by his successor, Elisha (1…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-161Ki 18:1-16. Elijah Meets Obadiah. 1. the third year--In the New Testament, it is said there was no rain "for the space of three years and six months" [Jas 5:17]. The early rain fell in our March, the latter rain in our October. Though Ahab might have at first ridiculed Elijah's announcement, yet when neither of these rains fell in their season, he was incensed against the prophet as the cause of the national judgment, and compelled him, with God's…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 18:1

• Elijah
• Famine
• Israel
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Elijah
• 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