1 Kings 19:1-3

Elijah Runs for His Life

19:1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, including a detailed account of how he killed all the prophets with the sword. 19:2 Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, 1  “May the gods judge me severely 2  if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” 3 

19:3 Elijah was afraid, 4  so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there,

1 Kings 19:13-14

19:13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden 5  a voice asked him, “Why are you here, Elijah?” 19:14 He answered, “I have been absolutely loyal 6  to the Lord, the sovereign God, 7  even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, 8  torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life.” 9 

1 tn Heb “saying.”

2 tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”

3 tn Heb “I do not make your life like the life of one of them.”

4 tc The MT has “and he saw,” but some medieval Hebrew mss as well as several ancient versions support the reading “he was afraid.” The consonantal text (וַיַּרְא, vayyar’) is ambiguous and can be vocalized וַיַּרְא (from רָאָה, ra’ah, “to see”) or וַיִּרָא (vayyira’, from יָרֵא, yare’, “to fear”).

5 tn Heb “look.”

6 tn Or “very zealous.” The infinitive absolute preceding the finite verb emphasizes the degree of his zeal and allegiance.

7 tn Traditionally, “the God of hosts.”

8 tn Heb “abandoned your covenant.”

9 tn Heb “and they are seeking my life to take it.”