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Saturday, July 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

1 Kings 18:5

So then Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go, and let us pass throughout the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the ravines, peradventure we may find grass, and save alive horse and mule, and not have more of the beasts cut off.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Elijah;   Israel;   Obadiah;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ahab;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Brooks;   Famine;   Fountains and Springs;   Grass;   Horse, the;   Mule, the;   Water;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Mule;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Obadiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Grass;   Mowing;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mule;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Grass;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Obadiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Famine;   Haggai;   Mule;   Obadiah;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Obadiah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Obadiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Jezebel;   Leek;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Obadi'ah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Leek;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elijah;   Grass;   Mule;   Obadiah;   Rain;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.”
Hebrew Names Version
Ach'av said to `Ovadyah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.
King James Version
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
English Standard Version
And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals."
New Century Version
Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let's check every spring and valley in the land. Maybe we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive and not have to kill our animals."
New English Translation
Ahab told Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill some of the animals."
Amplified Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go into the land to all the sources of water and to all the streams; perhaps we may find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle."
New American Standard Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the river valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ahab saide vnto Obadiah, Goe into the land, vnto all the fountaines of water, and vnto all the riuers, if so be that we may finde grasse to saue the horses and the mules aliue, lest we depriue the lande of the beastes.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to cut down some of the cattle."
Contemporary English Version
and said, "We have to find something for our horses and mules to eat. If we don't, we will have to kill them. Let's look around every creek and spring in the country for some grass.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ach'av said to ‘Ovadyah, "Go throughout the land, and check all the springs and vadis; maybe we can find grass somewhere, so that we can keep the horses and mules alive and not lose all the animals."
Darby Translation
and Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the fountains of water and to all the torrents, perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and the mules alive, so that we may not have to destroy some of [our] beasts.
Easy-to-Read Version
King Ahab said to Obadiah, "Come with me. We will look at every spring and every stream in the land. We will see if we can find enough grass to keep our horses and mules alive. Then we will not have to kill our animals."
George Lamsa Translation
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all fountains of water and to all brooks; perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we may not lose all the beasts.
Good News Translation
Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let us go and look at every spring and every stream bed in the land to see if we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Maybe we won't have to kill any of our animals."
Lexham English Bible
Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis. Perhaps we may find green grass that we may keep horses and mules alive and that we might not lose any of the animals."
Literal Translation
and Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land to all the fountains of water, and to all the torrents; perhaps we may find grass and keep alive horse and mule, and will not cut off any of the livestock.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Achab now sayde vnto Abdia: Go thorow the londe vnto all the welles of water & ryuers, yf happlye we maye finde hay, & to saue ye horses & mules, yt all the catell perishe not.
American Standard Version
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
Bible in Basic English
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Come, let us go through all the country, to all the fountains of water and all the rivers, and see if there is any grass to be had for the horses and the transport beasts, so that we may be able to keep some of the beasts from destruction.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ahab saide vnto Obadia: Go into the lande, vnto all fountaines of water, and vnto all brookes, if happyly we may finde grasse to saue the horses and mules aliue, and that we destroy not [some of] the beastes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Ahab said unto Obadiah: 'Go through the land, unto all the springs of water, and unto all the brooks; peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.'
King James Version (1611)
And Ahab said vnto Obadiah, Goe into the land, vnto all fountaines of water, and vnto all brookes: peraduenture we may finde grasse to saue the horses and mules aliue, that we leese not all the beasts.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Achaab said to Abdiu, Come, and let us go through the land, and to the fountains of water, and to the brooks, if by any means we may find grass, and may save the horses and mules, and so they will not perish from the tents.
English Revised Version
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Achab seide to Abdie, Go thou in to the lond, to alle wellis of watris, and in to alle valeis, if in hap we moun fynde gras, and saue horsis and mulis; and werk beestis perische not outirli.
Young's Literal Translation
and Ahab saith unto Obadiah, `Go through the land, unto all fountains of waters, and unto all the brooks, if so be we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the cattle.'
Update Bible Version
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the fountains of water, and to all the brooks: perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we do not lose all the beasts.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all brooks: it may be we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
World English Bible
Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.
New King James Version
And Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock."
New Living Translation
Ahab said to Obadiah, "We must check every spring and valley in the land to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules."
New Life Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the wells of water and to all the valleys. It may be that we will find grass and keep the horses and donkeys alive, and not lose some of the animals.
New Revised Standard
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals."
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.
Revised Standard Version
And Ahab said to Obadi'ah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals."
THE MESSAGE
Ahab 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.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle."

Contextual Overview

1 And it came to pass, after many days, that, the word of Yahweh, came unto Elijah, in the third year, saying, - Go, shew thyself unto Ahab, that I may send rain upon the face of the ground. 2 And Elijah went, to show himself unto Ahab. Now, the famine, was severe in Samaria. 3 And Ahab had called for Obadiah, who was over his house. Now, Obadiah, was one who revered Yahweh, exceedingly. 4 And so it came to pass, when Jezebel was cutting off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifties in caves, and sustained them, with bread and water. 5 So then Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go, and let us pass throughout the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the ravines, peradventure we may find grass, and save alive horse and mule, and not have more of the beasts cut off. 6 So they divided to them the land, to pass through it, - Ahab, went one way, by himself, and, Obadiah, went another way, by himself. 7 And so it was, as Obadiah was on the road, that lo! Elijah, met him, - and he recognised him, and fell upon his face, and said - Now art, thou, my lord Elijah? 8 And he said to him - I, am! Go, say to thy lord: Here, is, Elijah! 9 And he said - How have I sinned, - that, thou, art delivering thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to put me to death? 10 By the life of Yahweh thy God, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee, and, when they have said - Nay! he hath taken an oath of the kingdom or the nation, that no one could find thee;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

grass: Psalms 104:14, Jeremiah 14:5, Jeremiah 14:6, Joel 1:18, Joel 2:22, Habakkuk 3:17, Romans 8:20-22

we lose not all the beasts: Heb. we cut not off ourselves from the beasts

Reciprocal: Genesis 46:32 - their trade hath been to feed cattle Genesis 47:13 - so that Deuteronomy 11:15 - And I will 1 Kings 10:25 - and mules Psalms 107:33 - watersprings Jeremiah 14:3 - their nobles Joel 1:20 - the rivers Amos 4:8 - two

Cross-References

Genesis 19:8
Behold, I pray you, I, have two daughters who have not known man, I must needs now bring, them, forth unto you, and do ye to them, as may be good in your eyes, - Only to these men, ye may do nothing; for on this account, have they come under the shade of my roof.
Genesis 33:10
Then said Jacob, Nay, I pray thee, if, I pray thee, have found favour in thine eyes, then thou wilt take my present at my hand, - For on this account, hath my seeing thy face been like seeing the face of God in that thou wast well-pleased with me.
Judges 6:18
Do not, I beseech thee, withdraw from hence, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said: I, will tarry until thou return.
Judges 13:15
And Manoah said unto the messenger of Yahweh, - I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready for thy presence, a kid.
Judges 19:5
And it came to pass, on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, and gat up to go, that the father of the damsel said unto his son-in-law, - Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread, and, afterwards, ye shall go your way.
Psalms 104:15
And, wine, may rejoice the heart of man, Making radiant his well-nourished face, - And, food, may, the heart of man, sustain.
Isaiah 3:1
For lo! the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, removing from Jerusalem and from Judah, The stay and staff, - The whole stay of bread, And the whole stay of water:
Matthew 6:11
Our needful bread, give us, this day;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Ahab said unto Obadiah, go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks,.... To observe in what condition they were, and the places adjoining to them, the meadows and valleys:

peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive; particularly those which belonged to the king's stables, to find provisions for which it was found difficult:

that we lose not all the beasts; many of them, doubtless, were lost through the drought already, and there was great danger of the rest, and so, in time, of there being none to procreate and preserve their species, and to prevent which Ahab proposed to take this method.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks - Rather, “to all springs of water and to all torrent-courses.” The former are the perennial streams; the latter are the torrent-courses which become dry in an ordinary summer.

All the beasts - Rather, some, or, “a portion of our beasts.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 18:5. Unto all fountains of water — All marshy or well-watered districts, where grass was most likely to be preserved.


 
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