1 Kings 19

This chapter belongs to the Elijah narratives in the latter part of 1 Kings, set during the reign of Ahab, king of the northern kingdom of Israel. In the preceding chapter, 1 Kings 18, the prophets of Baal were put to death after the contest on Mount Carmel. This chapter opens as Jezebel hears the news and threatens Elijah.

Outline

• Verses 1–4: Jezebel swears to kill Elijah by the same time the next day. Elijah flees to Beersheba in Judah and leaves his servant there. He then goes a day's journey farther into the wilderness and, under a broom tree (KJV "juniper tree"), asks to die.
• Verses 5–8: An angel wakes him twice and gives him a cake baked on coals and water to drink. In the strength of that food Elijah travels forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
• Verses 9–14: While Elijah lodges in a cave, the LORD asks him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" Elijah answers that he alone is left. A wind, an earthquake, and a fire pass by, but the LORD is not in them; after them comes a still small voice. The same question and answer are exchanged a second time.
• Verses 15–18: The LORD commands Elijah to anoint Hazael king over Aram, Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha prophet in his place. He also declares that He will leave seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
• Verses 19–21: Elijah casts his mantle upon Elisha, who is plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. Elisha slaughters a yoke of oxen and feeds the people, then follows Elijah and ministers to him.

Key Verses

• 1 Kings 19:4, "now, O LORD, take away my life": This verse candidly reveals the despair the prophet experienced immediately after a great victory.
• 1 Kings 19:12, "after the fire a still small voice": This scene is frequently cited to show that God reveals Himself in ways other than dramatic phenomena.
• 1 Kings 19:18, "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel": This is a representative text for the concept of the remnant.

Characters and Places

• Elijah: The central figure of the chapter.
• Ahab and Jezebel: The king and queen of the northern kingdom of Israel.
• Hazael: Later becomes king of Aram (2 Kings 8).
• Jehu: The son of Nimshi, who later becomes king of the northern kingdom and brings down the house of Ahab.
• Elisha: The son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who becomes Elijah's successor.
• Beersheba: A town at the southern edge of Judah.
• Horeb: "The mount of God," commonly identified with Mount Sinai.
• Damascus: The chief city of Aram.

Points for Reflection

• Because the elements of forty days and nights, Mount Horeb, and a cave converge here, many interpreters read this scene alongside Moses' experience at Sinai (Exodus 24:18; 33:22).
• The Hebrew expression rendered "still small voice" can also be translated "a sound of thin silence," so interpretations of it vary.
• In the text, the only commission Elijah carries out himself is the call of Elisha. The matters concerning Hazael and Jehu are fulfilled in 2 Kings 8–9 through Elisha and one of his disciples (see anointing).
• Elijah's words in verse 20, "Go back again: for what have I done to thee?" are read by some as permission to say farewell and by others as a reminder of the weight of the call. They are often compared with Jesus' words to a man who wished to bid farewell to his family (Luke 9:61–62).
• In Romans 11:2 and following, Paul cites the seven thousand of this chapter to explain the remnant chosen by grace.

In the Korean Church

• The chapter is frequently used as a sermon text addressing weary and discouraged believers and ministers. The expression "under the broom tree" is sometimes used to signify rest and restoration.
• The verse about the seven thousand is often cited in sermons urging a faith that does not compromise with the currents of the age.