1 Kings 18:41

41 Elijah said to Ahab, "Go. Eat and drink. I can hear the sound of a heavy rain."

1 Kings 18:41 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:41

And Elijah said unto Ahab, get thee up
From the brook and valley where the execution of the prophets had been made; either up to his chariot, or to the tent or pavilion erected on the side of the mount, where the whole scene of things was transacted;

eat and drink;
which he had no leisure for all the day, from the time of the morning sacrifice to the evening sacrifice, which was taken up in attending to the issue of the several sacrifices; but now he is bid to eat and refresh himself, and that in token of joy and gladness, as became him, both for the honour of the true God, which had been abundantly confirmed, and for the near approach of rain, of which he assures him:

for there is a sound of abundance of rain;
the wind perhaps began to rise, and blow pretty briskly, which was a sign of it F6; besides, according to the Tyrian annals F7, there were loud claps of thunder at this time, at least when the heavens became very black, as in ( 1 Kings 18:45 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F6 "Fit fragor, hinc densi----nimbi", Ovid. Metamorph. l. 1. Fab. 8. v. 269.
F7 Apud Joseph, Antiqu. l. 8. c. 13. sect. 2.

1 Kings 18:41 In-Context

39 All of the people saw it. Then they fell down flat with their faces toward the ground. They cried out, "The LORD is the one and only God! The LORD is the one and only God!"
40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one of them get away!" So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.
41 Elijah said to Ahab, "Go. Eat and drink. I can hear the sound of a heavy rain."
42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. He bent down toward the ground. Then he put his face between his knees.
43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. So he went up and looked. "I don't see anything there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."
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