Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 Kings 18:2

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Elijah;   Israel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Famine;   Rain;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ahab;   Obadiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dearth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Famine and Drought;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Samaria, Samaritans;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Haggai;   Prophecy, Prophets;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Obadiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Famine;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Famine;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
Hebrew Names Version
Eliyah went to show himself to Ach'av. The famine was sore in Shomron.
King James Version
And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
English Standard Version
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
New Century Version
So Elijah went to meet Ahab. By this time there was no food in Samaria.
New English Translation
So Elijah went to make an appearance before Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
Amplified Bible
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
New American Standard Bible
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Eliiah went to shew himselfe vnto Ahab, and there was a great famine in Samaria.
Legacy Standard Bible
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
Complete Jewish Bible
When Eliyahu went to present himself to Ach'av, the famine in Shomron had become severe.
Darby Translation
And Elijah went to shew himself to Ahab. And the famine was severe in Samaria.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Elijah went to meet with Ahab. The famine was very bad in Samaria.
George Lamsa Translation
And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And there was a severe famine in Samaria.
Good News Translation
So Elijah started out. The famine in Samaria was at its worst,
Lexham English Bible
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
Literal Translation
And Elijah went to be seen by Ahab. And the famine in Samaria was severe.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Elias wente to shewe him selfe vnto Achab. But there was a greate derth i Samaria.
American Standard Version
And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And the famine was sore in Samaria.
Bible in Basic English
So Elijah went to let Ahab see him. Now there was no food to be had in Samaria.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Elias went to shewe him selfe vnto Ahab: and there was a great famishment in Samaria.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And the famine was sore in Samaria.
King James Version (1611)
And Eliiah went to shew himselfe vnto Ahab, and there was a sore famine in Samaria.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Eliu went to appear before Achaab: and the famine was severe in Samaria.
English Revised Version
And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And the famine was sore in Samaria.
Berean Standard Bible
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Elie yede to schewe hym silf to Achab; forsothe greet hungur was in Samarie.
Young's Literal Translation
and Elijah goeth to appear unto Ahab. And the famine is severe in Samaria,
Update Bible Version
And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And the famine was intense in Samaria.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. And [there was] a grievous famine in Samaria.
World English Bible
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was sore in Samaria.
New King James Version
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.
New Living Translation
So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria.
New Life Bible
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the time without food was very hard in Samaria.
New Revised Standard
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Elijah went, to show himself unto Ahab. Now, the famine, was severe in Samaria.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Elias went to shew himself to Achab, and there was a grievous famine in Samaria.
Revised Standard Version
So Eli'jah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Sama'ria.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

Contextual Overview

1A long time passed. Then God 's word came to Elijah. The drought was now in its third year. The message: "Go and present yourself to Ahab; I'm about to make it rain on the country." Elijah set out to present himself to Ahab. The drought in Samaria at the time was most severe. 3Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah feared God —he was very devout. Earlier, when Jezebel had tried to kill off all the prophets of God , Obadiah had hidden away a hundred of them in two caves, fifty in a cave, and then supplied them with food and water. 5Ahab ordered Obadiah, "Go through the country; locate every spring and every stream. Let's see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules from dying." So they divided the country between them for the search—Ahab went one way, Obadiah the other. 7 Obadiah went his way and suddenly there he was—Elijah! Obadiah fell on his knees, bowing in reverence, and exclaimed, "Is it really you—my master Elijah?" 8 "Yes," said Elijah, "the real me. Now go and tell your boss, ‘I've seen Elijah.'" 9Obadiah said, "But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me. As surely as your God lives, there isn't a country or kingdom where my master hasn't sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, ‘We can't find him; we've looked high and low,' he would make that country or kingdom swear that you were not to be found. And now you're telling me, ‘Go and tell your master Elijah's found!' The minute I leave you the Spirit of God will whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you'll have disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I've served God devoutly since I was a boy! Hasn't anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the prophets of God , how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a cave, and made sure they got food and water? And now you're telling me to draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, ‘Elijah's been found.' Why, he'll kill me for sure." 15 Elijah said, "As surely as God -of-the-Angel-Armies lives, and before whom I take my stand, I'll meet with your master face-to-face this very day." 16 So Obadiah went straight to Ahab and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

went to show: Psalms 27:1, Psalms 51:4, Proverbs 28:1, Isaiah 51:12, Hebrews 13:5, Hebrews 13:6

a sore: Leviticus 26:26, Deuteronomy 28:23, Deuteronomy 28:24, 2 Kings 6:25, Jeremiah 14:2-6, Jeremiah 14:18, Joel 1:15-20

Reciprocal: Ruth 1:1 - a famine 2 Samuel 21:1 - a famine 1 Kings 16:24 - the name of the city 1 Kings 18:1 - Go 2 Kings 8:1 - the Lord Amos 4:6 - and want Luke 4:25 - when the

Cross-References

Genesis 18:3
He said, "Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I'll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I'll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path." They said, "Certainly. Go ahead."
Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread."
Genesis 18:7
Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.
Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"
Genesis 18:16
When the men got up to leave, they set off for Sodom. Abraham walked with them to say good-bye.
Genesis 19:1
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting at the city gate. He saw them and got up to welcome them, bowing before them and said, "Please, my friends, come to my house and stay the night. Wash up. You can rise early and be on your way refreshed." They said, "No, we'll sleep in the street."
Genesis 23:7
Then Abraham got up, bowed respectfully to the people of the land, the Hittites, and said, "If you're serious about helping me give my wife a proper burial, intercede for me with Ephron son of Zohar. Ask him to sell me the cave of Machpelah that he owns, the one at the end of his land. Ask him to sell it to me at its full price for a burial plot, with you as witnesses."
Genesis 32:24
But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint.
Genesis 43:26
When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought and bowed respectfully before him.
Genesis 43:28
They said, "Yes—your servant our father is quite well, very much alive." And they again bowed respectfully before him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab,.... Which showed his cheerful and ready obedience to the will of God, and his great courage and magnanimity, to face a king enraged against him, and that sought his life:

and there was a sore famine in Samaria; the metropolis of the kingdom, where Ahab kept his court, and therefore must be sensible of it, and bore the greater indignation against the prophet who had foretold it.


 
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