1 Kings 18

1 Kings, chapter 18 1 Kings 18 1 Kings 17 chapter 17 1 Kings 19 chapter 19 First book of Kings Old Testament 11 Nevi'im 4 Former Prophets Leningrad-codex-09-kings.pdf 250px The pages containing the Books of Kings (1 & 2 Kings) Leningrad Codex (1008 CE). 1 Kings 18 is the eighteenth chapter of the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.Halley 1965 198Collins 2014 288 The book is a compilation of various annals recording the acts of the kings of Israel and Judah by a Deuteronomic compiler in the seventh century BCE, with a supplement added in the sixth century BCE.McKane 1993 324 This chapter belongs to the section comprising 1 Kings 16:15 to 2 Kings 8:29 which documents the period of Omri's dynasty.Dietrich 2007 244 The focus of this chapter is the activity of prophet Elijah during the reign of king Ahab in the northern kingdom.Dietrich 2007 245 Text This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and since the 16th century is divided into 46 verses. Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).Würthwein 1995 35-37 There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).Würthwein 1995 73-74The whole book of 1 Kings is missing from the extant Codex Sinaiticus.Codex Sinaiticus Elijah and Obadiah (18:1–16) The main theme of the narrative is drought and rain.Dietrich 2007 245 As the land of Israel including the king suffered under the drought, YHWH sent for Elijah to bring about the crisis and then the solution to the conflict between the worship of two deities.Dietrich 2007 245 Before Elijah faced Ahab, one (God-fearing) minister, named Obadiah (meaning: 'servant of Yahweh') became an intermediate. Obadiah was also the one helping to hide Yahweh's servants during a purge of prophets by queen Jezebel (apparently the reason of Elijah's journey to the river of Kerith into the foreign territory of Phoenicia in Zarephath), so when Elijah unexpectedly standing before him, Obadiah fell to the ground in fear and respect.Dietrich 2007 245 Similar miraculous transport of God's prophets is noted in Ezekiel 3:14, 11:1, cf. 2 Kings 2:11.Coogan 2007 523 Hebrew Bible Verse 1 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.”1 Kings 18:1 ESV ESV "The third year": The Jewish tradition preserved in the New Testament (Luke 4:25; James 5:17) reckons this not from the beginning of the drought (which is said to have lasted for three years and six months), but to be the third year after the restoration of the widow's son in Zarephath.Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. 1 Kings 18. Accessed 28 April 2019.Ellicott, C. J. (Ed.) (1905). Ellicott's Bible Commentary for English Readers. 1 Kings 18. London : Cassell and Company, Limited, [1905-1906] Online version: (OCoLC) 929526708. Accessed 28 April 2019. Elijah and the competition between the deities on Mount Carmel (18:17–40) right|thumb|150px|Mount Carmel at sunset, as seen from the entrance of Kibbutz Ma'agan Michael. thumb|right|150px|Elijah's offering is consumed by fire from heaven in a stained glass window at St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charleston, South Carolina. As soon as Ahab met Elijah, he tried to hold the prophet responsible for the calamity befallen Israel, calling Elijah 'the troubler of Israel' (verse 17; cf. Joshua 6:18; 7:25 concerning Achan, whose sin brought God's judgment on Israel) .Coogan 2007 523 Hebrew Bible Elijah immediately threw the accusation back at Ahab for the apostasy sin of him and his father's house forsaking Yahweh and following the Baals.Coogan 2007 523 Hebrew BibleDietrich 2007 245–246 In Joshua 7, the identity of the true 'troubler of Israel' was revealed in public before "all Israel", so in this case, Elijah wanted "all Israel" to gather on Mount Carmel, a place near to the Phoenician border, to resolve the matter.Coogan 2007 523–524 Hebrew BibleDietrich 2007 246 The people of Israel at this point seemed not to hold YHWH monotheism anymore as they didn't react to the choice Elijah offering at all: 'YHWH or Baal' alone, but they agreed to witness the competition (while the prophets of Baal didn't reply to the challenge).Dietrich 2007 246 A miracle must bring truth to light, and it was quickly revealed that the Baals are incapable of doing this, even after their priests performing the whole cultic and ritual activities of Baalistic religion (as reliably reported in this narrative: the 'prayer, rhythmic movements, and self-mortification building up to ecstasy', verses 26–29).Dietrich 2007 246 This violent cultic frenzy of Baalistic activities with 'swords and lances' (=spears) was attested by an Egyptian traveller "Wen-Amon" or "Wenamun", who around 1100 BCE witnessed it in Byblos, a Phoenician coastal city north of Jezebel's hometown of Sidon.Coogan 2007 524 Hebrew Bible By contrast, YHWH-religion only requires the spoken word (prayer) to immediately produce miracles.Dietrich 2007 246 The people who saw the demonstration of divine power quickly turned to YHWH's side with a call of faith, 'The LORD indeed is God', which unmistakably recalls Elijah's name ('my God is YHWH'), so the personal conviction of Elijah then became that of the people of Israel.Dietrich 2007 246 Verse 19 [Elijah answered] "Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table."1 Kings 18:19 ESV ESV "Mount Carmel": also known in Arabic as "Mount Mar Elias" (ar جبل مار إلياس, Jabal Mar Ilyas, lit. "Mount Saint Elias/Elijah"), a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast, about 35 km northwest of Jezreel.Coogan 2007 524 Hebrew BibleCheyne and Black, Encyclopedia BiblicaJewish encyclopedia Verse 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."1 Kings 18:31 NKJV NKJV "Twelve stones": reminding the people of their true identity as the special people of the Lord (cf. Genesis 35:10).Coogan 2007 524 Hebrew Bible Elijah brings rain (18:41–46) The triumph of Elijah on Mount Carmel seems to make king Ahab even listen to Elijah's word, that the king should eat and drink while expecting the rain to come soon.Dietrich 2007 246 The return of the rains is another triumph for Elijah, who called for rain seven times (verses 42–44) and as the rain started to pour, Elijah had the 'hand of the LORD' grasping him so he could run ahead of the royal chariots for more than 20 km from Carmel to Jezreel.Dietrich 2007 246 Thus, the opening conflict of 16:32–33 and 17:1 is resolved by proving YHWH to be the only effective God.Dietrich 2007 246 Verse 46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.1 Kings 18:46 KJV KJV "Girded up his loins": or "Tucked the skirts of his robe in his belt in preparation for quick travel"Note on 1 Kings 18:46 in NKJV "To the entrance of Jezreel": Jezreel is located in the valley southeast of Mount Carmel; a place where Ahab and Jezebel had a palace (1 Kings 21:1).Coogan 2007 525 Hebrew Bible Elijah went there presumably because he thought that the war was over.Coogan 2007 525 Hebrew Bible See also 22em Abraham Asherah Baal Idolatry Isaac Israel Jezreel Kishon Prophet Samaria Twelve Tribes of Israel Related Bible parts: Genesis 35, 1 Kings 16, 1 Kings 17, 2 Chronicles 17, Luke 4, James 5 Notes References Sources Collins John J. Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures Chapter 14: 1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 25 277–296 Fortress Press 2014 https://books.google.com/books?id=fbsoBAAAQBAJ 978-1451469233 Coogan Michael David Michael D. Coogan The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 Coogan Michael David Marc Zvi Brettler Carol Ann Newsom Pheme Perkins Augmented 3rd Oxford University Press 2007 978-0195288810 https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ Dietrich Walter 13. 1 and 2 Kings The Oxford Bible Commentary John Barton John Barton (theologian) John Muddiman John Muddiman Oxford University Press first (paperback) 2007 232–266 978-0199277186 https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ February 6, 2019 Halley Henry H. Henry Hampton Halley Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary 24th (revised) Zondervan Publishing House 1965 https://archive.org/details/halleysbiblehand00henr registration 0-310-25720-4 Hayes Christine Introduction to the Bible Yale University Press 2015 https://books.google.com/books?id=SKbkXYHxvlAC 978-0300188271 Leithart Peter J. 1 & 2 Kings Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible Brazos Press 2006 https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_gvin9G7LgC 978-1587431258 McKane William Kings, Book of Metzger Bruce M Bruce M. Metzger Coogan Michael D The Oxford Companion to the Bible https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458 registration Oxford University Press 1993 409–413 978-0195046458 Metzger Bruce M Bruce M. Metzger Coogan Michael D The Oxford Companion to the Bible Oxford University Press 1993 978-0195046458 Würthwein Ernst Ernst Würthwein The Text of the Old Testament Wm. B. Eerdmans Grand Rapids, MI 1995 Erroll F. Rhodes 0-8028-0788-7 https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC January 26, 2019 External links Jewish translations: Melachim I - I Kings - Chapter 18 (Judaica Press). Hebrew text and English translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org Christian translations: Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English) 1 Kings chapter 18. Bible Gateway 18 Category:Hebrew Bible chapters about Elijah Category:Mount Carmel Category:Baal Category:Jezebel