1 Kings 18:46

Contextual Overview

⁴¹ And Eliiah sayde vnto Ahab, Get thee vp, eate and drinke, for there is a sound of much rayne. ⁴¹ Eliyah said to Ach'av, Get you up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain. ⁴¹ Then Elijah said to King Ahab, "Now go eat and drink. A heavy rain is coming." ⁴¹ And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain." ⁴¹Now Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of the roar of an abundance of rain." ⁴¹ And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain. ⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, Up! take food and drink, for there is a sound of much rain. ⁴¹ Elijah told Ahab, "Get something to eat and drink. I hear a heavy rain coming." ⁴¹ Then Eliyahu said to Ach'av, "Get up, eat, and drink, because I hear the sound of heavy rain." ⁴¹ And Elijah said unto Ahab: 'Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the hand: 2 Kings 3:15, Isaiah 8:11, Ezekiel 1:3, Ezekiel 3:14

he girded: 2 Kings 4:29, 2 Kings 9:1, Job 38:3, Jeremiah 1:17, Ephesians 6:14, 1 Peter 1:13

ran before: Matthew 22:21, 1 Peter 2:17

to the entrance of: Heb. till thou come to

Reciprocal: Genesis 12:10 - was a Joshua 17:16 - Jezreel 1 Samuel 8:11 - run 1 Samuel 29:1 - Jezreel 1 Kings 4:12 - Jezreel 1 Kings 14:27 - guard 2 Chronicles 6:26 - the heaven Proverbs 31:17 - girdeth Jeremiah 10:13 - He causeth Luke 1:66 - And the Luke 12:35 - your loins

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah,.... Giving him more than common strength of body, as well as courage and fortitude of mind; so the Targum, the spirit of strength from the Lord was with him:

and he girded up his loins; gathered up his long loose garment, and girt it about him, that he might be more fit for travelling:

and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel; reckoned about sixteen miles from Carmel l; this showed his humility, that he was not elated with the wonderful things God had done by him, and that he bore no ill will to Ahab, but was ready to show him all honour and respect due to him as a king; and that it were his sins, and not his person, he had an aversion to; and that he was not afraid of Jezebel, and her prophets, but entered into the city where she was, to instruct the people, and warn them against her idolatries; though some think he went no further than the gate of the city, prudently avoiding falling into her hands.

l Bunting's Travels, &c. p. 204.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Divinely directed, and divinely upheld, Elijah, instead of resting, ran in advance of the king’s chariot the entire distance of at least 16 miles to the entrance of Jezreel. He thus showed himself ready to countenance and uphold the irresolute monarch, if he would turn from his evil courses, and proceed to carry out the religious reformation which the events of the day had inaugurated.

The entrance of Jezreel - Modern “Zerin.” Ahab had not removed the capital from Samaria 1 Kings 22:10, 1 Kings 22:37; but he had built himself a palace at Jezreel 1 Kings 21:1, and appears to have resided there ordinarily. A contemporary Assyrian inscription speaks of him as “Ahab of Jezreel.”

Elijah’s caution in accompanying Ahab only to “the entrance” is like that of the modern Arabs, who can seldom be induced to trust themselves within walls. He rested on the outskirts of the town, waiting to learn what Jezebel would say or do, knowing that it was she, and not Ahab, who really governed the country.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 18:46. Ran before Ahab — Many think that Elijah ran before the king in order to do him honour; and much learned labour has been spent on this passage in order to show that Elijah had put himself at the head of a company of chanters who ran before the king reciting his praises, or the praises of God; a custom which still exists in Arabian countries! I believe all these entirely mistake the writer's meaning: Ahab yoked his chariot, and made all speed to Jezreel. The hand of the Lord, or, as the Targum says, the spirit of strength, came upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins, that is, tucked up his long garments in his girdle, and ran; and notwithstanding the advantage the king had by means of his chariot, the prophet reached Jezreel before him. There is no intimation here that he ran before the horses' heads. All this was intended to show that he was under the peculiar influence and inspiration of the Almighty, that the king might respect and fear him, and not do or permit to be done to him any kind of outrage.