1 Kings 18:5

1 Kings 18:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
• New International Version (NIV)Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.”

Context of 1 Kings 18:5

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. 4At one time, Ahab's wife Jezebel was killing many of the Lord's prophets. While she was doing this, Obadiah had kept 100 prophets safe. He had hidden them in two caves, with 50 prophets in each cave. He had also given them food and water. Now Ahab said to Obadiah, ‘Go through all the land to where there are valleys and springs of water. See if we can find some grass to feed the horses and mules. Then we will not have to kill our animals.’ 6So Ahab and Obadiah went to different parts of the country. Ahab went in one direction and Obadiah went in another direction. 7While Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized Elijah. He bent his body down towards the ground in front of Elijah. Obadiah said, ‘Is it really you, my master, Elijah?’

1 Kings 18:5 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַחְאָב֙ אֶל־עֹ֣בַדְיָ֔הוּ לֵ֤ךְ בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶל־כָּל־מַעְיְנֵ֣י הַמַּ֔יִם וְאֶ֖ל כָּל־הַנְּחָלִ֑ים אוּלַ֣י׀ נִמְצָ֣א חָצִ֗יר וּנְחַיֶּה֙ ס֣וּס וָפֶ֔רֶד וְל֥וֹא נַכְרִ֖ית מֵהַבְּהֵמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Obadiahעֹבַדְיָ֫הוּ‛ôbadyâh ‛ôbadyâhû · ObadiahH5662
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• into the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• unto all fountainsמַעְיָןma‛yân ma‛yenô ma‛yânâh · springH4599
• of waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• and unto all brooksנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
• peradventureאוּלַי'ûlay 'ûlay · perhapsH194
• we may findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• grassחָצִירchâtsîyr · grassH2682
• to saveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• the horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and mulesפֶּ֫רֶדpered · muleH6505
• that we loseכָּרַתkârath · to cut: lackH3772
• not all the beastsבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:5

• Psalms 104:14You give grass for farm animals to eat. You give crops for people to plant. In that way, people get food from the ground.
• Jeremiah 14:5There is no grass in the fields for the deer to eat. So the mother deer runs away from her new baby.
• Joel 1:18The cows make a sad noise. They all move about because they cannot find any grass. Even groups of sheep are hungry.
• Joel 2:22Do not be afraid, wild animals. The fields in the wilderness are becoming green. Fruit is growing on the trees. The fig tree and the vine are giving much fruit.
• Habakkuk 3:17Whatever happens, I will continue to thank the Lord. If there are no flowers on the fig trees, if there are no grapes on the vines, if there are no olives on the olive trees, if there are no crops in the fields, if the sheep are dying in the hills, if there are no cows on the farms,
• Romans 8:20God has caused everything in the universe to lose its purpose. It did not choose to be like that. It was God who decided that it should be like that. Then it could hope for something better in a future time.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Unto all fountains of water - All marshy or well-watered districts, where grass was most likely to be preserved.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks - Rather, “to all springs of water and to all torrent-courses.” The former are the perennial streams; the latter are the torrent-courses which become dry in an ordinary summer. All the beasts - Rather, some, or, “a portion of our beasts.”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. 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 18:5

• Elijah
• Israel
• Obadiah

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Obadiah
• Answer
• Carmel
• Cut
• Either
• Follow
• Grass
• Halt
• Leek

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