1 Kings 18:8 — Word Study
WLCוַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ אָ֑נִי לֵ֛ךְ אֱמֹ֥ר לַאדֹנֶ֖יךָ הִנֵּ֥ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
BSA[It is] Iʼănîy [I am, I exist, the one speaking] he answeredʼâmar▸ [said, spoke, declared] tellʼâmar your masterʼâdôwn [the one in authority over you] ElijahʼÊlîyâh [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] is herehinnêh [present, among you, arrived]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | and he said | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| ל֖וֹ | to him | Preposition, suffix |
| אָ֑נִי | [it is] I | Pronoun |
| לֵ֛ךְ | go | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine singular |
| אֱמֹ֥ר | say | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine singular |
| לַאדֹנֶ֖יךָ | to master your | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| הִנֵּ֥ה | here! | Particle |
| אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃ | Elijah | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’” |
| KJV | And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. |
| ASV | And he answered him, It is I: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. |
| YLT | And he saith to him, 'I [am]; go, say to thy lord, Lo, Elijah.' |
| WEB | He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’” |
| BBE | And Elijah in answer said, It is I; now go and say to your lord, Elijah is here. |
Translations generally agree on the meaning of אֲנִי — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by an imperative command and a direct speech, clearly outlining Elijah's message.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאֲנִי
verbאָמַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Kings 18:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Elijah's Encounter with Obadiahgenerated
1 Kings 18:8 captures a pivotal moment where Elijah reveals his identity to Obadiah, who is fearful of the repercussions of this encounter. This passage highlights the tension between the prophet and the ruling authority of Ahab, setting the stage for the prophetic challenge that follows. The context emphasizes the courage of Elijah as he prepares to confront the king after a long period of drought and divine judgment.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Kings 18:3 | and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, |
| 2 | Romans 13:7 | Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. |
| 3 | 1 Peter 2:17–18 | Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֲנִי, 'A.nigenerated
The word אֲנִי (aniy) is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It serves as a declaration of identity, emphasizing the speaker's presence and authority in the moment. This word is foundational in Hebrew, often used to assert oneself in various contexts, such as in declarations of faith or in personal testimony.
In this verse, Elijah's use of אֲנִי underscores his role as a prophet of God, affirming his identity and mission as he prepares to engage with Obadiah and, ultimately, King Ahab.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses It is I for אֲנִי, aligning with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (vai.Yo.mer), meaning 'and he said,' governs the sentence, with a series of phrases following. The structure is straightforward, with the subject, Elijah, clearly identified and the imperative commands following in sequence.
The sentence flows from Elijah's declaration of identity to his command to Obadiah, showcasing the urgency and authority of the prophet's words.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew וַיֹּ֥אמֶר is rendered as εἶπεν (eipen), which also means 'he said.' This choice reflects a direct translation of the Hebrew, maintaining the narrative's clarity.
The use of εἶπεν emphasizes the spoken nature of Elijah's declaration, consistent with the Hebrew text's intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Kings 18:8 shows Elijah identifying himself to Obadiah and instructing him to tell his master that he is present. This moment is significant as it sets the stage for Elijah's confrontation with Ahab, highlighting the prophet's role during a time of crisis.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Elijah is asserting his identity and presence, indicating that he is the prophet who has returned to confront Ahab.
Elijah wants Ahab to know that he has come back, setting the stage for a prophetic confrontation regarding the nation's idolatry.
Elijah's return signifies God's active involvement in Israel's affairs, especially in challenging the worship of Baal.
Obadiah recognizes Elijah and shows respect, falling facedown, indicating both his fear and reverence for the prophet.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does Elijah's declaration of 'I am' teach us about identity and purpose in our own lives?
- How can we respond to God's call as Elijah did, with courage and readiness to act?
- In what ways can we support those who may be fearful in their faith, like Obadiah in this passage?
- What lessons can we learn about authority and obedience from Elijah's interaction with Obadiah?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 18:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he answered him, I am,.... He did not desire to be concealed, his orders were to show and make himself known to Ahab, and Obadiah was one of his domestic servants: go tell thy lord, behold,
Read John Gill on 1 Kings 18 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 18 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleTell thy lord, Ahab; whom, though a very wicked man, he owns for Obadiah’ s lord and king; thereby instructing him that he did well in owning him as such, and that the wickedness of kings doth not exempt their subjects from obedience to their lawful commands.
Read Matthew Poole on 1 Kings 18 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Kings 18:8 And he answered him, I [am]: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah [is here].Ver. 8. Behold, Elijah is here.] Not ashamed to show my face; but of his mind who said, Malo miserandum quam erubescendum. Memorable was that speech of John Frith to the archbishop’ s men that would have let him go and shift for himself; If you should both leave me here, and go to Croyden, declaring to the bishops that you had lost Frith, I would surely follow as fast after as I might, and bring them news that I had found and brought Frith again. Do you think that I am afraid to declare mine opinion to the bishops of England in a manifest truth? Act. and Mon., 1927.
Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 18 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. I am] R.V. It is I. To correspond with the change in the preceding verse. tell thy lord] It would be news of great interest to the king of Israel, as is clearly shewn by the efforts which he had already made to find Elijah.
Read Cambridge on 1 Kings 18 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”
He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’”
“It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”
He replied, “Yes, go and say to your master, ‘Elijah is back.’”
Tyndale line
And he answered him, I am: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And he answered him, It is I: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And he answered him, It is I: go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
And he answered him, I am : go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here .
And he answered him, Yea, goe tell thy lord, Behold, Eliiah is here.
Strictly literal
And he said to him, I [am he]: go, say to thy lord, Behold Elijah!
And he saith to him, 'I [am]; go, say to thy lord, Lo, Elijah.'
And he says to him, “I [am]; go, say to your lord, Behold, Elijah.”
And he said unto him, I am: go, say unto thy Lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
Elijah answered him, “It is I. Go tell your master, 'Look, Elijah is here.'”
From the Latin
And he answered: I am. Go, and tell thy master: Elias is here.
Simplified
“It's me,” Elijah replied. “Go and tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”
And Elijah in answer said, It is I; now go and say to your lord, Elijah is here.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all eight words matched in the Hebrew and Greek texts. This consistency underscores the reliability of the transmission of this passage.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ אָ֑נִי לֵ֛ךְ אֱמֹ֥ר לַאדֹנֶ֖יךָ הִנֵּ֥ה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 18:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
Pron — PronounHPp1bs
הָלַךְ (halak) means 'to go,' 'come,' or 'walk,' and covers a wide range of literal and figurative uses, including aspects of life and death. It can describe physical movement, moral conduct, and even influence on character. The verb appears in various forms, such as Qal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances like leading or traversing.
הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk
Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך
lit.
of persons
Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations
in like manner of inanimate things
The inf. abs. is often used
as in other vbs., quite independently
to intensify meaning of finite form
most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.
with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance
with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)
in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance
twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion
quite by itself
13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.
akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.
In combination with other verbal forms
Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:
pass away, die
H1980 הָלַךְ go, come, walk .Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך . lit. . of persons
. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations
. in like manner of inanimate things
. The inf. abs. is often used . as in other vbs., quite independently
. to intensify meaning of finite form
. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs. . with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance
. with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)
. in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. + adj. denoting progress, advance
. twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion
. quite by itself
. 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.
. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.
. In combination with other verbal forms
1980 halak haw-lak'
akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety
of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along,
apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant,
depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth,
forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on,
out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead,
march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away),
be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread,
still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad,
on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax,
(way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.
see HEBREW for 03212
הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: went.
: went/go[away]
1) to go, walk, come
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to walk
1b2) to walk (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to traverse
1c2) to walk about
1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: come.
: come[nearer]
1) to go, walk, come
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to walk
1b2) to walk (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to traverse
1c2) to walk about
1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk
הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) — to go: walk.
: walk/move
1) to go, walk, come
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away
1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.)
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to walk
1b2) to walk (fig.)
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to traverse
HVqv2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singularHVqv2ms
(halakh, yalakh, bo', yatsa'; ago, hupago, anabaino, erchomi, aperchomai, poreuomai): "Go" ("went," etc.) occurs very frequently in the English Bible, and is the translation of a great many different Hebrew and Greek terms. As the word implies movement of all kinds, physical and mental, it has naturally many applications.
1. In the Old Testament:
In the Old Testament halakh and yalakh are among the commonest words, meaning "to go" in its original sense of "to walk," but also in the most varied senses, according to the verbal conjugations, etc., the preposition attached, and the words in connection with which the terms stand; halakh and yalakh are often used figuratively (translated "to walk," etc.) for to live, to pursue a way of life, e.g. "to walk ever in his ways" (De 19:9; compare
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singularHVqv2ms
The Hebrew word אָדוֹן (*'adown*) means 'lord' and is derived from a root meaning to rule. It covers a range of meanings, referring to both human and divine authority, including terms like master, king, and superintendent. Variations exist for divine references, such as אֲדֹנָי (*Adonai*), distinguishing God from human lords.
אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
base
H113 אָדוֹן lord
113 'adown aw-done'
or (shortened) adon {aw-done'}; from an unused root (meaning
to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):--
lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with
"Adoni-".
אָדוֹן (a.don) — lord.
1) firm, strong, lord, master
1a) lord, master
1a1) reference to men
1a1a) superintendent of household, of affairs
1a1b) master
1a1c) king
1a2) reference to God
1a2a) the Lord God
1a2b) Lord of the whole earth
1b) lords, kings
1b1) reference to men
1b1a) proprietor of hill of Samaria
1b1b) master
1b1c) husband
1b1d) prophet
1b1e) governor
1b1f) prince
1b1g) king
1b2) reference to God
1b2a) Lord of lords (probably = "thy husband, Yahweh")
1c) my lord, my master
1c1) reference to men
1c1a) master
1c1b) husband
1c1c) prophet
1c1d) prince
1c1e) king
1c1f) father
1c1g) Moses
1c1h) priest
1c1i) theophanic angel
1c1j) captain
1c1k) general recognition of superiority
1c2) reference to God
1c2a) my Lord, my Lord and my God
1c2b) Adonai (parallel with Yahweh)
Prep | N-mp | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncmpc/Sp2ms
הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.
הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!
base
H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!
2009 hinneh hin-nay'
prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.
see HEBREW for 02005
הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.
behold, lo, see, if
Part — ParticleHTj
her, in composition:
אֵלִיָּה (Eliyah) means "Yah(u) is God" and refers primarily to the prophet Elijah, known for his role during the reign of Ahab. The name also applies to a Benjamite, a son of Elam, and a priest from Ezra's time. The entries consistently highlight Elijah's significance, with no notable disagreements among the lexicons.
אֵלִיָּה; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ n.pr.m. (Yah(u) is God)
Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab
Benjamite
a priest of Ezra’s time
a son of Elam
base
H452 אֵלִיָּה; אֵלִיָּ֫הוּ (Yah(u) is God) . Elijah, the great prophet of the reign of Ahab
. Benjamite
. a priest of Ezra’s time
. a son of Elam
452 'Eliyah ay-lee-yaw'
or prolonged tEliyahuw {ay-lee-yaw'-hoo}; from 410 and 3050;
God of Jehovah; Elijah, the name of the famous prophet and of
two other Israelites:--Elijah, Eliah.
see HEBREW for 0410
see HEBREW for 03050
אֵלִיָּה (e.liy.yah) — Elijah.
A prophet living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.17.1
Also named: Hēlias (Ἡλίας "Elijah" G2243)
§ Elijah or Eliah = "my God is Jehovah" or "Yah(u) is God"
1) the great prophet of the reign of Ahab
2) Benjamite son of Jeroham
3) a son of Elam with foreign wife during exile
4) a son of Harim, and priest, with foreign wife during exile
אֵלִיָּה (e.liy.yah) — Elijah.
A man of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.8.27;
son of: Jeroham (H3395H);
brother of: Shamsherai (H8125), Shehariah (H7841), Athaliah (H6271H), Jaareshiah (H3298) and Zichri (H2147J)
§ Elijah or Eliah = "my God is Jehovah" or "Yah(u) is God"
1) the great prophet of the reign of Ahab
2) Benjamite son of Jeroham
3) a son of Elam with foreign wife during exile
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias):
Contents
I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH
1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordeal by Prayer 3. At Horeb 4. The Case of Naboth 5. Elijah and Ahaziah 6. Elijah Translated 7. The Letter to Jehoram
II. THE WORK OF ELIJAH
III. CHARACTER OF THE PROPHET
IV. MIRACLES IN THE ELIJAH NARRATIVES
V. ELIJAH IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
VI. LITERATURE
(1) The great prophet of the times of Ahab, king of Israel. Elijah is identified at his first appearance (1Ki 17:1) as "Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead." Thus his native place must have been called Tishbeh. A Tishbeh (Thisbe) in the territory of Naphtali is known from Tobit 1:2; but if (with most modern commentators) the reading of the Septuagint in…
Elijah
Whose God is Jehovah. (1.) “The Tishbite,” the “Elias” of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made of a town called Thisbe, south of Kadesh, but it is impossible to say whether this was the place referred to in the name given to the prophet.
Having delivered his message to Ahab, he retired at the command of God to a hiding-place by the brook Cherith, beyond Jordan, where he was fed by ravens. When the brook dried up God sent him to the widow of Zarephath, a city of Zidon, from whose scanty store he was supported for the space of two years. During this period the widow’s son died, and was restored to life by Elijah (1 Kings 17: 2-24).
(my God is Jehovah) has been well entitled "the grandest and the most romantic character that Israel ever produced." "Elijah the Tishbite,... of the inhabitants of Gilead" is literally all that is given us to know of his parentage and locality. Of his appearance as he "stood before" Ahab (B.C. 910) with the suddenness of motion to this day characteristic of the Bedouins from his native hills, we can perhaps realize something from the touches, few but strong, of the narrative. His chief characteristic was his hair, long and thick, and hanging down his back. His ordinary clothing consisted of a girdle of skin round his loins, which he tightened when about to move quickly. (1 Kings 18:46) But in addition to this he occasionally wore the "mantle" or cape of sheepskin which has supplied us with one of our most familiar figures of speech.…
The prophet, a native of Tishbeh in Gilead, 1Ki 17:1. His parentage and early history are unknown. His bold faithfulness provoked the wrath of Ahab and Jezebel, especially when he threatened several years of drought and famine as a punishment for the sins of Israel, B. C. 908. By the divine direction the prophet took refuge on the bank of the brook Cherith, where he was miraculously fed by ravens. Thence he resorted to Zarephath, in Phoenicia; where one miracle provided him with sustenance and another restored to life the child of his hostess. Returning to King Ahab, he procured the great assembling at mount Carmel, where God "answered by fire," and the prophets of Baal were destroyed. Now too the long and terrible drought was broken, and a plentiful rain descended at the prophet’s prayer. Finding that not even these mighty works of…