1Und es war eine lange Zeit, dann erging das Wort des Ewigen an Elijahu im dritten Jahr, besagend: «Geh, zeige dich Ah'ab, und ich will Regen geben auf dem Erdboden.» 2Da ging Elijahu hin, sich Ah'ab zu zeigen. Der Hunger war aber stark in Schomeron. 3Und Ah'ab berief Obadjahu, der über das Haus (gesetzt) war, und Obadjahu ehrfürchtete den Ewigen sehr; 4es war aber, als Isebel die Begeisteten des Ewigen ausrottete, da hatte Obadjahu hundert Gottbegeistete genommen, je fünfzig Mann in einer Höhle verborgen und sie mit Brot und Wasser versorgt. 5Nun sprach Ah'ab zu Obadjahu: «Geh im Land zu allen Wasserquellen und zu allen Flußtälern, vielleicht findet sich Gras, daß wir Pferd und Maultier am Leben erhalten und nichts vom Vieh zugrunde gehn lassen.» 6Und sie teilten sich das Land, es zu durchstreifen, Ah'ab ging auf einem Weg allein, und Obadjahu ging auf einem Weg allein. 7Als nun Obadjahu auf dem Weg war, sieh, da kam ihm Elijahu entgegen. Er erkannte ihn, fiel auf sein Antlitz und sprach: «Bist du es, mein Herr Elijahu?» 8Da sprach er zu ihm: «Ich bin es, geh, sage deinem Herrn: ,Da ist Elijahu!'» 9Da sprach er: «Was habe ich gesündigt, daß du deinen Knecht in die Hand Ah'abs gibst, mich zu töten? 10Es lebt der Ewige, dein Gott! Ob es Volk oder Reich gibt, dahin mein Herr nicht geschickt hat, dich zu suchen! Und sagten sie, er ist nicht da, so ließ er das Reich und das Volk schwören, daß es dich nicht gefunden. 11Und jetzt sagst du: ,Geh, sage deinem Herrn, da ist Elijahu.' 12Dann wird es sein, wenn ich nun von dir gehe, und der Geist des Ewigen trägt dich, ich weiß nicht wohin, und ich komme, Ah'ab zu melden, und er findet dich nicht vor, so bringt er mich um. Dein Knecht aber ehrfürchtet den Ewigen von Jugend an. 13Ist meinem Herrn nicht gemeldet worden, was ich getan, als Isebel die Begeisteten des Ewigen umbrachte, wie ich von den Begeisteten des Ewigen hundert Mann, je fünfzig, fünfzig Mann in einer Höhle verbarg und sie mit Brot und Wasser versorgte? 14Und jetzt sagst du zu mir: ,Geh, sage deinem Herrn, da ist Elijahu!' Da wird er mich umbringen.» 15Da sprach Elijahu: «Es lebt der Ewige der Scharen, vor dem ich gestanden! Heute werde ich mich ihm zeigen.» 16Da ging Obadjahu Ah'ab entgegen und meldete es ihm. Dann ging Ah'ab Elijahu entgegen. 17Es war nun, als Ah'ab Elijahu erblickte, da sprach Ah'ab zu ihm: «Bist du das, Unglücksbringer Jisraëls?» 18Da sprach er: «Nicht ich habe Jisraël Unglück gebracht, sondern du und das Haus deines Vaters, indem ihr die Gebote des Ewigen verließet und du den Baalen nachgingst. 19Jetzt aber sende hin, versammle zu mir ganz Jisraël zum Berg Karmel, und die Begeisteten des Baal, vierhundertfünfzig, und die Begeisteten der Baumgottheit, vierhundert, die am Tisch Isebels essen.» 20Da schickte Ah'ab unter alle Kinder Jisraël hin und versammelte die Begeisteten zum Berg Karmel. 21Und Elijahu trat heran zu dem ganzen Volk und sprach: «Wie lange noch geht ihr an beiden Seiten vorbei? Ist der Ewige Gott, so folgt ihm, und ist es Baal, so folgt dem.» Aber das Volk antwortete ihm mit keinem Wort. 22Da sprach Elijahu zu dem Volk: «Ich allein bin übriggeblieben als Begeisteter des Ewigen, und der Begeisteten des Baal sind vierhundertfünfzig Mann. 23So gebe man uns zwei Stiere; sie sollen sich den einen Stier wählen, ihn zerstücken und auf das Holz legen, aber kein Feuer daran tun, und ich will den einen Stier bereiten und auf die Holzstücke legen, aber kein Feuer daran tun. 24Dann ruft ihr den Namen eures Gottes an, und ich will den Namen des Ewigen anrufen, und es gelte: Der Gott, der mit Feuer antwortet, der ist Gott.» Da antwortete alles Volk und sprach: «Gut ist es.» 25Dann sprach Elijahu zu den Begeisteten des Baal: «Wählt euch den einen Stier und bereitet ihn zuerst, denn ihr seid die Vielen, und ruft den Namen eures Gottes an, aber tut kein Feuer daran.» 26Da nahmen sie den Stier, den er ihnen überlassen hatte, bereiteten ihn und riefen den Namen des Baal an vom Morgen bis zum Mittag, sprechend: «Baal, erhöre uns!» Aber: Kein Laut, kein Rufer; und sie gingen um den Altar herum, den man gemacht hatte. 27Als es aber Mittag war, narrte sie Elijahu und sprach: «Ruft mit lauter Stimme, er ist ja ein Gott, hat ja Geschäft, hat Gemächt, hat eine Reise; vielleicht schläft er, so soll er erwachen.» 28Und sie riefen mit lauter Stimme und machten sich nach ihrer Weise Schnitte mit Schwertern und Spießen, bis das Blut an ihnen herabfloß. 29Da wars, als Mittag vorüber war, und sie begeisteten sich bis (zur Zeit) da das Mehlopfer aufsteigt; aber: Kein Laut, kein Rufer, kein Lauschen. 30Da sprach Elijahu zum ganzen Volk: «Tretet her zu mir!» Und alles Volk trat zu ihm. Dann machte er den umgerissenen Altar des Ewigen wieder heil. 31Und Elijahu nahm zwölf Steine nach der Zahl der Stämme der Söhne Jaakobs, an den das Wort des Ewigen ergangen war, besagend: «Jisraël soll dein Name sein.» 32Und er baute aus den Steinen einen Altar mit dem Namen des Ewigen, machte einen Graben im Maß zweier Sea Aussaat rings um den Altar, 33schichtete das Holz, zerstückte den Stier, legte ihn auf das Holz 34und sprach: «Füllt vier Krüge mit Wasser, daß man es auf das Hochopfer und auf die Holzstücke gieße.» Dann sprach er: «Noch einmal!» Dann taten sie es wieder, dann sprach er: «Zum dritten Mal!» Da taten sie es zum dritten Mal. 35So ging das Wasser rings um den Altar, und auch den Graben füllte er mit Wasser. 36Es war aber, (zur Zeit) wenn das Mehlopfer aufsteigt, da trat Elijahu, der Gottbegeistete, heran und sprach: «Ewiger, Gott Abrahams, Jizhaks und Jisraëls, möge heute kund werden, daß du Gott bist in Jisraël, und ich dein Knecht, und daß ich auf dein Wort all diese Dinge getan. 37Erhöre mich, Ewiger, erhöre mich, auf daß dieses Volk erkenne, daß du, Ewiger, Gott bist, und du ihre Herzen zurückgelenkt hast.» 38Da fiel Feuer des Ewigen herab und verzehrte das Hochopfer und das Holz und die Steine und die Erde und leckte das Wasser auf, das im Graben war. 39Als alles Volk das sah, fielen sie auf ihr Angesicht und sprachen: «Der Ewige, er ist Gott! Der Ewige, er ist Gott!» 40Und Elijahu sprach zu ihnen: «Greift die Begeisteten des Baal, keiner soll von ihnen entrinnen.» Und sie griffen sie, und Elijahu brachte sie zum Fluß Kischon hinab und schlachtete sie dort. 41Dann sprach Elijahu zu Ah'ab: «Zieh hinauf, iß und trink, denn es tönt das Brausen des Regens!» 42So zog Ah'ab hinauf, zu essen und zu trinken. Elijahu aber stieg hinauf zur Spitze des Karmel, krümmte sich zur Erde und tat sein Gesicht zwischen seine Knie. 43Dann sprach er zu seinem Burschen: «Geh doch hinauf, und schau in Richtung zum Meer.» Der ging, schaute und sprach: «Da ist nichts.» und er sprach: «Geh wieder!» Siebenmal. 44Es war nun beim siebten Mal, da sprach er: «Sieh, da, eine kleine Wolke, wie eines Mannes Hand, steigt auf vom Meer her.» Da sprach er: «Geh, sprich zu Ah'ab: Schirr an und fahr hinab, daß dir nicht der Regen wehrt.» 45Es war aber während dem und dem, da verdüsterte sich der Himmel in Wolken und Wind, und es kam ein großer Regen. Und Ah'ab saß auf und ging nach Jisreel. 46Die Hand des Ewigen aber war an Elijahu, er schürzte seine Lenden und lief vor Ah'ab her bis gegen Jisreel hin.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 ELIJAH MEETS OBADIAH. (1Ki. 18:1-16)
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 direction, to consult his safety in flight. This was six months after the king was told there would be neither dew nor rain, and from this period the three years in this passage are computed.
Go, show thyself unto Ahab--The king had remained obdurate and impenitent. Another opportunity was to be given him of repentance, and Elijah was sent in order to declare to him the cause of the national judgment, and to promise him, on condition of his removing it, the immediate blessing of rain.
2 Elijah went--a marvellous proof of the natural intrepidity of this prophet, of his moral courage, and his unfaltering confidence in the protecting care of God, that he ventured to approach the presence of the raging lion.
there was a sore famine in Samaria--Elijah found that the famine was pressing with intense severity in the capital. Corn must have been obtained for the people from Egypt or the adjoining countries, else life could not have been sustained for three years; but Ahab, with the chamberlain of his royal household, is represented as giving a personal search for pasture to his cattle. On the banks of the rivulets, grass, tender shoots of grass, might naturally be expected; but the water being dried up, the verdure would disappear. In the pastoral districts of the East it would be reckoned a most suitable occupation still for a king or chief to go at the head of such an expedition. Ranging over a large tract of country, Ahab had gone through one district, Obadiah through another.
3 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 (
2Chr 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.
4 an hundred prophets--not men endowed with the extraordinary gifts of the prophetic office, but who were devoted to the service of God, preaching, praying, praising, &c. (
1Sam 10:10-12).
fed them with bread and water--These articles are often used to include sustenance of any kind. As this succor must have been given them at the hazard, not only of his place, but his life, it was a strong proof of his attachment to the true religion.
7 Obadiah was in the way . . . Elijah met him--Deeming it imprudent to rush without previous intimation into Ahab's presence, the prophet solicited Obadiah to announce his return to Ahab. The commission, with a delicate allusion to the perils he had already encountered in securing others of God's servants, was, in very touching terms, declined, as unkind and peculiarly hazardous. But Elijah having dispelled all the apprehensions entertained about the Spirit's carrying him away, Obadiah undertook to convey the prophet's message to Ahab and solicit an interview. But Ahab, bent on revenge, or impatient for the appearance of rain, went himself to meet Elijah.
17 Art thou he that troubleth Israel--A violent altercation took place. Ahab thought to awe him into submission, but the prophet boldly and undisguisedly told the king that the national calamity was traceable chiefly to his own and his family's patronage and practice of idolatry. But, while rebuking the sins, Elijah paid all due respect to the high rank of the offender. He urged the king to convene, by virtue of his royal mandate, a public assembly, in whose presence it might be solemnly decided which was the troubler of Israel. The appeal could not well be resisted, and Ahab, from whatever motives, consented to the proposal. God directed and overruled the issue.
19 gather . . . the prophets of Baal . . . the prophets of the groves--From the sequel it appears that the former only came. The latter, anticipating some evil, evaded the king's command.
which eat at Jezebel's table--that is, not at the royal table where she herself dined, but they were maintained from her kitchen establishment (see on
1Sam 20:25 and
1Kgs 4:22). They were the priests of Astarte, the Zidonian goddess.
20 mount Carmel--is a bold, bluff promontory, which extends from the western coast of Palestine, at the bay of Acre, for many miles eastward, to the central hills of Samaria. It is a long range, presenting many summits, and intersected by a number of small ravines. The spot where the contest took place is situated at the eastern extremity, which is also the highest point of the whole ridge. It is called El-Mohhraka, "the Burning," or "the Burnt Place." No spot could have been better adapted for the thousands of Israel to have stood drawn up on those gentle slopes. The rock shoots up in an almost perpendicular wall of more than two hundred feet in height, on the side of the vale of Esdraelon. This wall made it visible over the whole plain, and from all the surrounding heights, where gazing multitudes would be stationed.
21 Elijah said unto all the people, How long halt ye?--They had long been attempting to conjoin the service of God with that of Baal. It was an impracticable union and the people were so struck with a sense of their own folly, or dread of the king's displeasure, that they "answered not a word." Elijah proposed to decide for them the controversy between God and Baal by an appeal, not to the authority of the law, for that would have no weight, but by a visible token from Heaven. As fire was the element over which Baal was supposed to preside, Elijah proposed that two bullocks should be slain and placed on separate altars of wood, the one for Baal, and the other for God. On whichever the fire should descend to consume it, the event should determine the true God, whom it was their duty to serve. The proposal, appearing every way reasonable, was received by the people with unanimous approval. The priests of Baal commenced the ceremony by calling on their god. In vain did they continue invoking their senseless deity from morning till noon, and from noon till evening, uttering the most piercing cries, using the most frantic gesticulations, and mingling their blood with the sacrifice. No response was heard. No fire descended. Elijah exposed their folly and imposture with the severest irony and, as the day was far advanced, commenced his operations. Inviting the people to approach and see the entire proceeding, he first repaired an old altar of God, which Jezebel had demolished. Then, having arranged the cut pieces of the bullock, he caused four barrels or jars of water to be dashed all over the altar and round in the trench. Once, twice, a third time this precaution was taken, and then, when he had offered an earnest prayer, the miraculous fire descended (
Lev 9:24;
Judg 6:21;
Judg 13:20;
1Chr 21:26;
2Chr 7:1), and consumed not only the sacrifice, but the very stones of the altar. The impression on the minds of the people was that of admiration mingled with awe; and with one voice they acknowledged the supremacy of Jehovah as the true God. Taking advantage of their excited feelings, Elijah called on them to seize the priestly impostors, and by their blood fill the channel of the river (Kishon), which, in consequence of their idolatries, the drought had dried up--a direction, which, severe and relentless as it seems, it was his duty as God's minister to give (
Deut 15:5;
Deut 18:20). The natural features of the mount exactly correspond with the details of this narrative. The conspicuous summit, 1635 feet above the sea, on which the altars were placed, presents an esplanade spacious enough for the king and the priests of Baal to stand on the one side, and Elijah on the other. It is a rocky soil, on which there is abundance of loose stones, to furnish the twelve stones of which the altar was built--a bed of thick earth, in which a trench could be dug; and yet the earth not so loose that the water poured into it would be absorbed; two hundred fifty feet beneath the altar plateau, there is a perennial fountain, which, being close to the altar of the Lord, might not have been accessible to the people; and whence, therefore, even in that season of severe drought, Elijah could procure those copious supplies of water which he poured over the altar. The distance between this spring and the site of the altar is so short, as to make it perfectly possible to go thrice thither and back again, whereas it would have been impossible once in an afternoon to fetch water from the sea [VAN DE VELDE]. The summit is one thousand feet above the Kishon, which nowhere runs from the sea so close to the base of the mount as just beneath El-Mohhraka; so that the priests of Baal could, in a few minutes, be taken down to the brook (torrent), and slain there.
42 ELIJAH, BY PRAYER, OBTAINS RAIN. (
1Kgs 18:41-46)
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 (
1Kgs 18:1).
put his face between his knees--a posture of earnest supplication still used.
43 Go up now, look toward the sea--From the place of worship there is a small eminence, which, on the west and northwest side, intercepts the view of the sea [STANLEY; VAN DE VELDE]. It can be ascended in a few minutes, and presents a wide prospect of the Mediterranean. Six times the servant went up, but the sky was clear--the sea tranquil. On the seventh he described the sign of approaching rain [
1Kgs 18:44].
44 Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand--The clearness of the sky renders the smallest speck distinctly visible; and this is in Palestine the uniform precursor of rain. It rises higher and higher, and becomes larger and larger with astonishing celerity, till the whole heaven is black, and the cloud bursts in a deluge of rain.
Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not--either by the river Kishon being suddenly so swollen as to be impassable, or from the deep layer of dust in the arid plain being turned into thick mud, so as to impede the wheels.
45 Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel--now Zerin, a distance of about ten miles. This race was performed in the midst of a tempest of rain. But all rejoiced at it, as diffusing a sudden refreshment over all the land of Jezreel.
46 Elijah . . . girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab--It was anciently, and still is in some countries of the East, customary for kings and nobles to have runners before their chariots, who are tightly girt for the purpose. The prophet, like the Bedouins of his native Gilead, had been trained to run; and, as the Lord was with him, he continued with unabated agility and strength. It was, in the circumstances, a most proper service for Elijah to render. It tended to strengthen the favorable impression made on the heart of Ahab and furnished an answer to the cavils of Jezebel for it showed that he who was so zealous in the service of God, was, at the same time, devotedly loyal to his king. The result of this solemn and decisive contest was a heavy blow and great discouragement to the cause of idolatry. But subsequent events seem to prove that the impressions, though deep, were but partial and temporary.
