New English Translation
1 Kings 19:2
2Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!”
1 Kings 19:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
- New International Version (NIV)So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”
Context of 1 Kings 19:2
1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, “May the gods judge me severely if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” 3Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 4while he went a day’s journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.”
Read all of 1 Kings 191 Kings 19:2 word by word
וַתִּשְׁלַ֤ח אִיזֶ֙בֶל֙ מַלְאָ֔ךְ אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂ֤וּן אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִפ֔וּן כִּֽי־כָעֵ֤ת מָחָר֙ אָשִׂ֣ים אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֔ כְּנֶ֖פֶשׁ אַחַ֥ד מֵהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Jezebelאִיזֶבֶל'îyzebel · JezebelH348
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- a messengerמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
- unto Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- So let the godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- and moreיָסַףyâsaph · to addH3254
- also, if I makeשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- not thy lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- of oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- of them by to morrowמָחָרmâchâr · tomorrowH4279
- about this timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
Cross-references for 1 Kings 19:2
- 1 Kings 2:28When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.
- 1 Kings 20:10Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.”
- Ruth 1:17Wherever you die, I will die – and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Only death will be able to separate me from you!”
- 2 Kings 6:31Then he said, “May God judge me severely if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!”
- Exodus 10:28Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me! Watch out for yourself! Do not appear before me again, for when you see my face you will die!”
- Exodus 15:9The enemy said, ‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’
- 2 Kings 19:10“Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, “Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”
- Daniel 3:15Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?”
- Proverbs 27:1Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
- Acts 12:4When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
- James 4:13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”
Commentaries on 1 Kings 19:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2So let the gods do - If I do not slay thee, let the gods slay me with the most ignominious death.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The prophet had not long to wait before learning the intentions of the queen. A priest‘s daughter herself, she would avenge the slaughtered priests; a king‘s wife and a king‘s child, she would not quail before a subject. That very night a messenger declared her determination to compass the prophet‘s death within the space of a day. So let the gods - A common oath about this time (marginal references). The Greek Version prefixes to this another clause…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah within a day by speaking a curse. Solomon had made a similar threat against his half-brother Adonijah (1 Kings 2:23), and the king of Aram later used the same approach against Elisha (2 Kings 6:31). Jezebel was determined and ruthless in achieving her goals (1 Kings 21:5–15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-31Ki 19:1-3. Elijah Flees to Beer-sheba. 3. he arose, and went for his life--He entered Jezreel full of hope. But a message from the incensed and hard-hearted queen, vowing speedy vengeance for her slaughtered priests, dispelled all his bright visions of the future. It is probable, however, that in the present temper of the people, even she would not have dared to lay violent hands on the Lord's servant, and purposely threatened him because she could do no…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 19:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 19
- 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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