New International Version
1 Kings 18:42
42So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
1 Kings 18:42 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
- New Living Translation (NLT)So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
Context of 1 Kings 18:42
40Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 41And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” 44The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”
Read all of 1 Kings 181 Kings 18:42 word by word
וַיַּעֲלֶ֥ה אַחְאָ֖ב לֶאֱכֹ֣ל וְלִשְׁתּ֑וֹת וְאֵ֨לִיָּ֜הוּ עָלָ֨ה אֶל־רֹ֤אשׁ הַכַּרְמֶל֙ וַיִּגְהַ֣ר אַ֔רְצָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם פָּנָ֖יו בֵּ֥ין בִּרְכָּֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- So Ahabאַחְאָב'ach'âb 'echâb · AhabH256
- went upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- and to drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- to the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- of Carmelכַּרְמֶלkarmel · (Mount) CarmelH3760
- and he cast himself downגָּהַרgâhar · to bend (down)H1457
- upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- and putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- between his kneesבֶּ֫רֶךְberek · kneeH1290
Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:42
- 1 Kings 18:19Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
- Matthew 14:23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone,
- Luke 6:12One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
- Acts 10:9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
- Genesis 24:52When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.
- Joshua 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.
- 2 Samuel 12:16David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.
- Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
- Mark 14:35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
- James 5:16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
- 1 Kings 19:13When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
- Ezra 9:6and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.
- Psalms 89:7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.
- Isaiah 6:2Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
- Isaiah 38:2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,
- Daniel 9:7“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 42Put his face between his knees - He kneeled down, and then bowed his head to the earth, so that, while his face was between his knees, his forehead touched the ground.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 42Ahab could feast; Elijah could not, or would not. Ascending Carmel not quite to the highest elevation 1 Kings 18:43, but to a point, a little below the highest, from where the sea was not visible, he proceeded to pray earnestly for rain, as he had prayed formerly that it might not rain.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 41-46Verses 41-46 Israel, being so far reformed as to acknowledge the Lord to be God, and to consent to the execution of Baal's prophets, was so far accepted, that God poured out blessing upon the land. Elijah long continued praying. Though the answer of our fervent and believing supplications does not come quickly, we must continue earnest in prayer, and not faint or give over. A little cloud at length appeared, which soon overspread the heavens, and watered…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 41-45The servant saw a small cloud on the horizon, about the size of a hand. It signaled the coming of a huge rainstorm.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4242. Ahab went up to eat and to drink--Ahab, kept in painful excitement by the agonizing scene, had eaten nothing all the day. He was recommended to refresh himself without a moment's delay; and, while the king was thus occupied, the prophet, far from taking rest, was absorbed in prayer for the fulfilment of the promise (1Ki 18:1). put his face between his knees--a posture of earnest supplication still used.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 18:42
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
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