God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 18:3
3Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a devout worshiper of the Lord.
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
1A while later in the third year of the drought, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: “Present yourself to Ahab. I will allow rain to fall on the ground.” 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was particularly severe in Samaria. Ahab sent for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a devout worshiper of the Lord. 4(When Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 prophets in caves. He put 50 prophets in each cave and kept them alive by providing bread and water for them.) 5Ahab told Obadiah, “Let’s go throughout the countryside to every spring and stream. If we can find grass, then we can keep the horses and mules alive and not lose any animals.”
Read all of 1 Kings 181 Kings 18:3 word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֣א אַחְאָ֔ב אֶל־עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הַבָּ֑יִת וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ הָיָ֥ה יָרֵ֛א אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:3
- Genesis 24:2So Abraham said to the senior servant of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “Take a solemn oath.
- Genesis 39:4Potiphar liked Joseph so much that he made him his trusted servant. He put him in charge of his household and everything he owned.
- Genesis 41:40You will be in charge of my palace, and all my people will do what you say. I will be more important than you, only because I’m Pharaoh.”
- 1 Kings 18:12This is what will happen: When I leave you, the Lord’s Spirit will take you away to some unknown place. I’ll tell Ahab, but he won’t be able to find you. Then he will kill me. “I have been faithful to the Lord since I was a child.
- Genesis 22:12“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you did not refuse to give me your son, your only son.”
- Genesis 42:18On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this, and you will live. I, too, fear God.
- 2 Kings 4:1One of the wives of a disciple of the prophets called to Elisha, “Sir, my husband is dead! You know how he feared the Lord. Now a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.”
- Nehemiah 5:15Those who were governors before me had made life difficult for the people by taking from them food and wine plus one pound of silver. Even the governors’ servants took advantage of their power over the people. But I didn’t do that, because I feared God.
- Nehemiah 7:2I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a trustworthy man, and he feared God more than most people do.
- Proverbs 14:26In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have a place of refuge.
- Malachi 3:16Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord paid attention and listened. A book was written in his presence to be a reminder to those who feared the Lord and respected his name.
- Matthew 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
- Acts 10:2He and everyone in his home were devout and respected God. Cornelius gave many gifts to poor Jewish people and always prayed to God.
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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