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1 Kings Chapter
Nineteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 19
This
chapter gives us a further account of Elijah
of his being obliged to flee for
his life through the threats of Jezebel
1 Kings 19:1
of
the care the Lord took of him
providing food for him
in the strength of which
he went to Horeb
1 Kings 19:5
of
the Lord's appearance to him there
and conversation with him
1 Kings 19:9
of
some instructions he gave him to anoint a king over Syria
another over Israel
and a prophet in his room
1 Kings 19:15
and
of his finding Elisha
and throwing his mantle over him
who left his secular
employment
and followed him
and became his servant
1 Kings 19:19.
1 Kings 19:1 And
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done
also how he had executed all the
prophets with the sword.
YLT
1And Ahab declareth to
Jezebel all that Elijah did
and all how he slew all the prophets by the sword
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done
.... What
miracles he had wrought
how that not only fire came down from heaven
and consumed
the sacrifice
but even the stones and dust of the altar
and licked up great
quantities of water in the trench around it; and that it was at his prayer that
rain came down from heaven in such abundance
of which she was sensible; by all
which he got the people on his side
so that it was not in his power to seize
him and slay him; and this he said to clear himself
and make her easy:
and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword; the four
hundred and fifty prophets of Baal he had gathered to Carmel; the Targum calls
them false prophets
but Ahab would scarcely use that epithet to Jezebel; as
for the four hundred prophets of the grove
they were not present
and so not
included. Jezebel knew they were safe
being with her
she not suffering them
to go to Carmel.
1 Kings 19:2 2 Then Jezebel sent a
messenger to Elijah
saying
“So let the gods do to me
and more also
if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this
time.”
YLT
2and Jezebel sendeth a messenger
unto Elijah
saying
`Thus doth the gods
and thus do they add
surely about
this time to-morrow
I make thy life as the life of one of them.'
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah
.... In
Jezreel
or near it
to frighten him away; not caring to seize him
and
dispatch him
for fear of the people
in whom he had now a great interest; or
otherwise it is not easy to account for it that she should give him notice of
it; unless she scorned to do it privately
as some think
and was determined to
make a public example of him; but being not as yet prepared for it
sends him
word what he must expect
imagining that as he had the courage to appear
he
would not flee; no doubt there was an hand of Providence in it
be it which it
will
that he might have time to make his escape:
saying
so let the gods do to me
and more also; the gods she
served
Baal and Ashtaroth
and by whom she swore:
if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow
about this time; as one of the prophets Elijah had slain; she swore by her gods
and wished the greatest evils might befall her
if she did not lodge him in the
state of the dead where they were in the space of twenty four hours; though
Abarbinel thinks it is not an oath
but that the words and meaning of them are
so the gods do; it is their usual way
and they will go on to do so for the
future
because of the holiness of their name; and therefore do not boast of
slaying the prophets
or make use of that as an argument of their falsehood
for they will do the same by thee by tomorrow this time.
1 Kings 19:3 3 And when he saw that
he arose and ran for his life
and went to Beersheba
which belongs to
Judah
and left his servant there.
YLT
3And he feareth
and riseth
and goeth for his life
and cometh in to Beer-Sheba
that [is] Judah's
and
leaveth his young man there
And when he saw that
.... That her design and
resolution were to take away his life; the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and
Syriac versions read
"and he was afraid"; or frightened; he that had
such courage as not to be afraid to meet Ahab
and contend with four hundred
and fifty priests of Baal
and in the face of all Israel
who at first were not
inclined to take his part
is now terrified at the threats of a single woman;
which shows that the spirit and courage he had before were of the Lord
and not
of himself; and that those who have the greatest zeal and courage for religion
for God
and his worship
his truths and ordinances
if left to themselves
become weak and timorous; and whether this is the true reading
or not
it was
certainly his case by what follows:
he arose and went for his life; fled to save his life
at a time when he was much wanted to encourage and increase the reformation
from idolatry
and to preserve the people from relapsing who were converted;
and through the miracles that had been wrought by him
and for him
he had
great reason to trust in the Lord: or "he went unto"
or
"according to his own soul"F13אל
נפשו κατα την
ψυχην αυτου
Sept. "secundum animam suam"
Vatablus
Pagninus. ; according to his own mind and will
not taking counsel of God
or
any direction from him; and so Abarbinel interprets it:
and came to Beersheba
which belongeth to Judah; to the tribe
of Judah; for though it was in the inheritance of Simeon
yet that was within
the tribe of Judah
Joshua 19:1
or to
the kingdom of Judah
over which Jehoshaphat reigned
and so might think
himself safe
being out of the dominions of Ahab
and reach of Jezebel; but yet
he did not think so
his fears ran so high that he imagined she would send some
after him to search for him
and slay him privately
or make interest with
Jehoshaphat to deliver him up
there being friendship between him and Ahab; for
though this place was eighty four miles from Jezreel
as BuntingF14Travels
ut supra. (p. 204.) computes it
he left it:
and left his servant there; he took him not with
him
either lest he should betray him
or rather out of compassion to him
that
he might not share in the miseries of life that were like to come upon him.
1 Kings 19:4 4 But he himself went a
day’s journey into the wilderness
and came and sat down under a broom tree.
And he prayed that he might die
and said
“It is enough! Now
Lord
take my life
for I am no better than my fathers!”
YLT
4and he himself hath gone
into the wilderness a day's Journey
and cometh and sitteth under a certain
retem-tree
and desireth his soul to die
and saith
`Enough
now
O Jehovah
take my soul
for I [am] not better than my fathers.'
But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness
.... Of Paran
which began near Beersheba
and was the wilderness of Arabia
in which the
Israelites were near forty years; this day's journey carried him about twenty
miles from Beersheba southward
as the above writer reckons:
and came and sat down under a juniper tree; Abarbinel
supposes that Elijah chose to sit under this tree
to preserve him from
venomous creatures
which naturalists say will not come near it; and PlinyF15Nat.
Hist. l. 24. c. 8. indeed observes
that it being burnt will drive away
serpents
and that some persons anoint themselves with the oil of it
for fear
of them; and yet VirgilF16"Juniperi gravis umbra----" Bucol.
Eclog. 10. ver. 76. represents the shade of a juniper tree as noxious; hence
some interpreters take this to be a piece of carelessness and indifference of
the prophet's
where he sat:
and he requested for himself that he might die; for though he
fled from Jezebel to preserve his life
not choosing to die by her hands
which
would cause her prophets to exult and triumph
yet was now desirous of dying by
the hand of the Lord
and in a place where his death would not be known:
it is enough
now
O
Lord
take away my life; intimating that he had lived long enough
even as long as he
desired; and he had done as much work for God as he thought he had to do; he
supposed his service and usefulness were at an end
and therefore desired his
dismission:
for I am not better than my fathers that he should
not die
or live longer than they; but this desire was not like that of the
Apostle Paul's
but like that of Job and of Jonah; not so much to be with God
and Christ
as to be rid of the troubles of life.
1 Kings 19:5 5 Then as he lay and slept
under a broom tree
suddenly an angel[a] touched
him
and said to him
“Arise and eat.”
YLT
5And he lieth down and
sleepeth under a certain retem-tree
and lo
a messenger cometh against him
and saith to him
`Rise
eat;'
And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree
.... Being
weary and fatigued with his journey
the same under which he sat; for there was
but one
as that is said to be in the preceding verse:
behold
then an angel touched him
and said unto him
arise
and
eat; so far was the Lord from granting his request to take away his
life
that he made provision to preserve it; so careful was he of him
as to
give an angel charge to get food ready for him
and then awake him to eat of
it.
1 Kings 19:6 6 Then he looked
and there
by his head was a cake baked on coals
and a jar of water. So he ate and
drank
and lay down again.
YLT 6and he looketh attentively
and lo
at his bolster a cake [baken on] burning stones
and a dish of water
and he eateth
and drinketh
and turneth
and lieth down.
And he looked
and
behold
there was a cake baked on the
coals
.... Just took off the coals
quite hot. BochartF17Hierozoic.
par. 1. l. 2. c. 33. col. 528. thinks it should be rendered
"baked on hot
stones"; and such was the way of baking cakes in some of the eastern
countries; see Gill on Genesis 18:6
the
stones hereabout might be heated by a supernatural power
and the cake baked on
them by an angel; these sort of cakes are in Hebrew called "huggoth"
as some pronounce the word
and are said to be now common in Bulgaria
where
they are called "hugaces"F18Busbequius apud Calmet on the
word "Bread". :
and a cruse of water at his head; to drink of in eating
the cake; which cruse or pot a learned manF19Schacchi Elaeochrism.
Myrothec. l. 1. c. 44. col. 224. thinks was Elijah's
not brought by the angel
only water put into it by him; see 1 Samuel 26:11
and
he did eat and drink; but not all that was set before him:
and laid him down again; to take some more sleep
for his greater refreshment.
1 Kings 19:7 7 And the angel[b] of the Lord came back the
second time
and touched him
and said
“Arise and eat
because the
journey is too great for you.”
YLT
7And the messenger of
Jehovah turneth back a second time
and cometh against him
and saith
`Rise
eat
for the way is too great for thee;'
And the angel of the Lord came again the second time
and touched
him
.... In order to awake him out of sleep:
and said unto him
arise
and eat
because the journey is too
great for thee; which he had to go to Horeb
without eating more than he had;
and there were no provisions to be had in a common way and manner in his road
thither.
1 Kings 19:8 8 So he arose
and ate and
drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as
far as Horeb
the mountain of God.
YLT
8and he riseth
and eateth
and drinketh
and goeth in the power of that food forty days and forty nights
unto the mount of God -- Horeb.
And he arose
and did eat and drink
.... Of what was left of
the cake and cruse of water
before provided for him:
and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights
unto Horeb the mount of God; for so long he was going to that place
though it might have been gone in three or four days; but he went in byways
and wandered about in the wilderness
as the Israelites did
and that for the
space of forty days
as they did near forty years; and all this while he had no
other sustenance than what he had taken under the juniper tree
from whence he
set out
which must be supernatural; for it is saidF20Macrob. in
Soma Scipion. l. 1. c. 6.
a man cannot live without food beyond seven days;
see Gill on Exodus 24:18 the
food either staying in his stomach all this while
or however the nutritive
virtue of it
by which he was supported
and held out till he came to Horeb or
Sinai; called the mount of the Lord
because here he had appeared to Moses in
the bush
and from hence gave the law to the children of Israel. Abarbinel is
of opinion that this term of forty days was consumed in his whole journey to
Horeb
his stay there
and return to the land of Israel.
1 Kings 19:9 9 And there he went into a
cave
and spent the night in that place; and behold
the word of the Lord came to
him
and He said to him
“What are you doing here
Elijah?”
YLT
9And he cometh in there
unto the cave
and lodgeth there
and lo
the word of Jehovah [is] unto him
and saith to him
`What -- to thee
here
Elijah?'
And he came thither unto a cave
and lodged there
.... This
cave
some travellers sayF21Egmont and Heyman's Travels
vol. 2. p.
166.
is to be seen at this day
not far from a church dedicated to the
prophet Elijah
and that the cave itself has the appearance of a chapel; but a
more particular account of it is given in a journalF23Journal from
Cairo to Mount Sinai in 1722
p. 26. Ed. 2. lately published
which says
this
cave exists to this very day
and is situated at the foot of Mount Sinai
and
is now enclosed in a church built of red and white granite marble
the entrance
into which is from the west; the dimensions of this cave are in length five
feet
in depth four feet
and in height four and a half. The Jewish writers are
of opinion that this was the cleft of the rock in which Moses was put
when the
Lord passed before him; but
if so
there would have been no need of Elijah to
have gone forth to and stand upon the mount when the Lord passed by
1 Kings 19:11
and
behold
the word of the Lord came to him; an articulate
voice was heard by him:
and he said unto him
what dost thou here
Elijah? this is not a
proper place for a prophet to be in
in a wilderness
in a mountain
in a cave
in it: what work could he do for God? or what service to his people? in the
land of Israel he might bear his testimony against idolatry
and so be a means
of reclaiming backsliders
and of establishing those that were in the true
religion; but of what usefulness could he be here? Abarbinel takes it to be a
reproof of Elijah
for going into a place so holy as it was
and in which
Moses
the chief of the prophets
had been
and that it did not become such a
man as he was to be in such a place.
1 Kings 19:10 10 So he said
“I have been
very zealous for the Lord
God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant
torn down
Your altars
and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they
seek to take my life.”
YLT
10And he saith
`I have been
very zealous for Jehovah
God of Hosts
for the sons of Israel have forsaken
Thy covenant -- Thine altars they have thrown down
and Thy prophets they have
slain by the sword
and I am left
I
by myself
and they seek my life -- to take
it.'
And he said
I have been jealous for the Lord God of hosts
.... Through
zeal for the glory of God he had slain four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal
and this had stirred up the malice and revenge of Jezebel against him
who
sought his life
and which had obliged him to flee
and come to this place for
shelter; this is the first part of his answer
others follow:
for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant; the law
especially the two first commandments delivered in this very place; and
therefore he could hope for no protection from them
but was forced to leave
his country:
thrown down thy altars: which had been built in
times past for the worship of God
to sacrifice thereon to him
but were now
demolished
that those that would not bow the knee to Baal
and could not go to
Jerusalem
might make no use of them:
and slain thy prophets with the sword; which was
done by Jezebel
the Israelites conniving at it
and consenting to it
and not
daring to oppose her; slain all she had knowledge of
or even were known by the
prophet: hence it follows
and I
even I only am left
and they seek my life to take
it away: all this Elijah said
as it seems
not only to excuse himself
for fleeing
and taking up his abode where he was
but to stir up the
indignation of God against Israel for their idolatries and murders
and to put
him upon inflicting his judgments on them for the same.
1 Kings 19:11 11 Then He said
“Go out
and
stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold
the Lord passed by
and
a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces
before the Lord
but the Lord
was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake
but the Lord was not
in the earthquake;
YLT
11And He saith
`Go out
and
thou hast stood in the mount before Jehovah.' And lo
Jehovah is passing by
and a wind -- great and strong -- is rending mountains
and shivering rocks
before Jehovah: -- not in the wind [is] Jehovah; and after the wind a shaking:
-- not in the shaking [is] Jehovah;
And he said
go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord
.... Who would
appear there as he had to Moses formerly
though not in the same manner:
and
behold
the Lord passed by; or was about to pass
for as yet he had not; his messengers first went before him:
and a great and strong wind rent the mountains
and brake in
pieces the rocks before the Lord; strong enough to do all
this
and so it might:
but the Lord was not in the wind; as he sometimes is
Nahum 1:3
he spake
to Job out of a whirlwind
Job 38:1
and after the wind an earthquake; that shook the earth all
around
and the mountain also
as it did when the law was given on it
Psalm 68:8.
but the Lord was not in the earthquake; as he was
when it trembled in the times of Moses
Exodus 19:18.
1 Kings 19:12 12 and after the earthquake a
fire
but the Lord
was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
YLT
12and after the shaking a
fire: -- not in the fire [is] Jehovah; and after the fire a voice still small;
And after the earthquake a fire
but the Lord was not in
the fire
.... As he was when he descended on this mount
and spake to
Moses
Exodus 19:1
the
Targum
and so Jarchi
interpret all these appearances of angels
and not
amiss; the wind
of an host of angels of wind; the earthquake
of an host of
angels of commotion; the fire
of an host of angels of fire; see Psalm 104:4
these
ministers of the Lord went before him
to prepare the way of his glorious
Majesty; which emblems may represent the power of God
the terribleness of his
majesty
and the fury of his wrath
which he could display
if he would
to the
destruction of his enemies; and could as easily destroy the idolatrous kingdom
of Israel
which Elijah seems to be solicitous of
as the wind rent the
mountains
and broke the rocks
and the earthquake shook the earth
and the
fire consumed all in its way; but he chose not to do it now
but to use lenity
and show mercy
signified by the next emblem:
and after the fire a still small voice: not rough
but gentle
more like whispering than roaring; something soft
easy
and
musical; the Targum is
the voice of those that praise God in silence; and all
this may be considered as showing the difference between the two dispensations
of law and Gospel; the law is a voice of terrible words
and was given amidst a
tempest of wind
thunder
and lightning
attended with an earthquake
Hebrews 12:18
but
the Gospel is a gentle voice of love
grace
and mercy
of peace
pardon
righteousness
and salvation by Christ; and may also point at the order and
manner of the Lord's dealings with the souls of men
who usually by the law
breaks the rocky hearts of men in pieces
shakes their consciences
and fills
their minds with a sense of fiery wrath and indignation they deserve
and then
speaks comfortably to them
speaks peace and pardon through the ministration of
the Gospel by his Spirit; blessed are the people that hear this still
small
gentle voice
the joyful sound
Psalm 89:15.
1 Kings 19:13 13 So it was
when Elijah
heard it
that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood
in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him
and said
“What are you doing here
Elijah?”
YLT
13and it cometh to pass
at
Elijah's hearing [it]
that he wrappeth his face in his robe
and goeth out
and standeth at the opening of the cave
and lo
unto him [is] a voice
and it
saith
`What -- to thee
here
Elijah?'
And it was so
when Elijah heard it
that he wrapped his face in
his mantle
.... Through reverence of the divine Majesty he perceived was
there
and through shame and confusion under a sense of his impurity
imperfections
and unworthiness
as the seraphim in Isaiah 6:2
and as
Moses
Exodus 3:6
and
went out and stood in the entering in of the cave; he attempted to come forth
out of the cave upon the divine order
1 Kings 19:11
but
was stopped by the terrible appearances of the wind
earthquake
and fire
a
little within it; but now he came quite out
and stood at the mouth of it
to
hear what the Lord would say unto him:
and
behold
there came a voice unto him
and said
what dost thou
here
Elijah? the same question is here put as in 1 Kings 19:9
though there by an angel
here by the Lord himself.
1 Kings 19:14 14 And he said
“I have been
very zealous for the Lord
God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant
torn
down Your altars
and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and
they seek to take my life.”
YLT
14And he saith
`I have been
very zealous for Jehovah
God of Hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken
Thy covenant
Thine altars they have thrown down
and Thy prophets they have
slain by the sword
and I am left
I
by myself
and they seek my life -- to
take it.'
And he said
.... Elijah
in answer to the question put
and he says the same
as before:
I have been very jealous
.... which the question
was designed to draw from him
in order to give him some instructions and
directions; which would suggest to him
that though he should not deal severely
with Israel
nor with Ahab and his house
yet he would hereafter by the kings
he should anoint over Syria and Israel
and by the prophet he should anoint in
his room
as instruments of his vengeance.
1 Kings 19:15 15 Then the Lord said to him:
“Go
return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive
anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
YLT
15And Jehovah saith unto him
`Go turn back on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus
and thou hast gone in
and anointed Hazael for king over Aram
And the Lord said unto him
go
return on thy way to the
wilderness of Damascus
.... He is bid to go back the way he came
through the wilderness
of Arabia
which was part of his way to Damascus
near to which was another
wilderness
which took its name from thence; though Fortunatus SchacchusF24Elaeochrism.
Myrothec. l. 1. c. 39. col. 198. thinks no other is meant by this phrase than
returning to his former course and custom of preach the law of God
and
reclaiming men from the error of their ways:
and when thou comest
anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; it is nowhere
related that Elijah did go to Damascus
and anoint Hazael
though it may be he
did; however he acquainted Elisha with it
and he declared it to Hazael
that
he should be king of Syria
and which perhaps is all that is meant by
anointing; that is
that he should be made king
and which was declared by both
these prophets
see 2 Kings 8:13.
1 Kings 19:16 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu
the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of
Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
YLT
16and Jehu son of Nimshi thou
dost anoint for king over Israel
and Elisha son of Shaphat
of Abel-Meholah
thou dost anoint for prophet in thy stead.
And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over
Israel
.... This was a son of Jehoshaphat
and a grandson of Nimshi; nor
does he appear to have been anointed by Elijah
but by Elisha; and being done
by his order and direction was the same as if it was done by himself
unless he
was twice anointed
see 2 Kings 9:1.
and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to
be prophet in thy room; which was in the half tribe of Manasseh
on this side Jordan;
See Gill on Judges 7:22.
1 Kings 19:17 17 It shall be that
whoever escapes the sword of Hazael
Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the
sword of Jehu
Elisha will kill.
YLT
17`And it hath been
him who
is escaped from the sword of Hazael
put to death doth Jehu
and him who is
escaped from the sword of Jehu put to death doth Elisha;
And it shall come to pass
that him that escapeth the sword of
Hazael shall Jehu slay
.... Which suggests that many should be slain in Israel by them
both
as were by Hazael
2 Kings 10:32 and
by Jehu
2 Kings 9:24
and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay; which may be
understood either literally of the forty two children cursed by him
in
consequence of which they were destroyed by bears
2 Kings 2:24 or
rather figuratively by his prophecies
see Hosea 6:5 who
foretold the slaughters made by Hazael and Jehu
as well as others
see 2 Kings 8:12
these
several things were not done in the order in which they are here put; for what
Elisha did was before Hazael and Jehu
and Jehu before Hazael; these words
therefore do not respect the exact order of time in which they should be done
only that each should do the part appointed and assigned unto him
and what
could not be so well done by the other; thus Hazael was to destroy those that
came out to war; and Jehu Ahab's family that did not; and Elisha the children
of idolatrous parents at Bethel
that came not within the reach of either;
though it may be observed
that Hazael began to distress Israel before Jehu
appeared
2 Kings 8:28 and
the prophecies of Elisha might not have their full accomplishment until after Hazael
and Jehu had done what was appointed for them.
1 Kings 19:18 18 Yet I have reserved seven
thousand in Israel
all whose knees have not bowed to Baal
and every mouth
that has not kissed him.”
YLT
18and I have left in Israel
seven thousand
all the knees that have not bowed to Baal
and every mouth that
hath not kissed him.'
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel
.... From
perishing by the sword of either of them:
all the knees which have not bowed to Baal; that is
had
not worshipped him
which was signified by this gesture:
and every mouth which hath not kissed him; either the
image of Baal itself
or the hand
in reverence of him; which rites
one or
other
or both
were used by his worshippers; See Gill on Hosea 13:2. This
either refers
as some think
to the present time
and so is an answer to
Elijah
who thought he was the only worshipper left with which seems to agree Romans 11:2
or to
the times to come
when destruction should be made by the above persons
and
when God would have some faithful worshippers
and would take care of them; so
some render the words
"I will reserve"
&c.F25והשארתי "reservabo vel servabo"
Vatablus; so V.
L. Pagninus
Montanus
Tigurine version. .
1 Kings 19:19 19 So he departed from there
and found Elisha the son of Shaphat
who was plowing with twelve
yoke of oxen before him
and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed
by him and threw his mantle on him.
YLT
19And he goeth thence
and
findeth Elisha son of Shaphat
and he is plowing; twelve yoke [are] before him
and he [is] with the twelfth; and Elijah passeth over unto him
and casteth his
robe upon him
So he departed thence
.... From Mount Horeb
and came to Abelmeholah
which Bunting computesF26Travels
&c.
p. 204. at one hundred and fifty six miles:
and found Elisha the son of Shaphat
who was ploughing with twelve
yoke of oxen before him
and he with the twelfth; which may be understood
either of twelve couple of oxen drawing one plough; which was a large number
but will not seem strange when it is observed
that Abelmeholah
where Elisha
was ploughing
lay in the vale of Jordan
which was a clayey stiff ground
and
required such a number of oxen to plough it up
especially at the first tilling
of it
as this might beF1See Fuller's Pisgah-Sight
&c. B. 2.
ch. 8. p. 175. ; compare 1 Kings 4:12 A late
travellerF2Norden's Travels in Egypt and Arabia
vol. 2. p. 85.
observes
that at Damegraed
in upper Egypt on the Nile
six oxen yoked to
plough had a great deal of difficulty to turn up the ground; or else
as the
Jewish writers generally understand it
there were twelve ploughs
and a yoke
of oxen to each
and a ploughman to attend everyone
and Elisha attended the
twelfth; or was with one of the twelve
as the Targum
and might have the
oversight of them all; Kimchi thinks
and so Abarbiuel after him
that this
signified that he should be leader of the twelve tribes of Israel:
and Elijah passed by him
and cast his mantle upon him; the skirts of
it.
1 Kings 19:20 20 And he left the oxen and
ran after Elijah
and said
“Please let me kiss my father and my mother
and then
I will follow you.” And he said to him
“Go back again
for what have I done to
you?”
YLT
20and he forsaketh the oxen
and runneth after Elijah
and saith
`Let me give a kiss
I pray thee
to my
father and to my mother
and I go after thee.' And he saith to him
`Go
turn
back
for what have I done to thee?'
And he left the oxen
and ran after Elijah
.... His heart
being touched by the Lord at the same time
and his mind enlightened to
understand what was meant by that action:
and said
let me
I pray thee
kiss my father and my mother; take his
leave of them in this way
which was what was used by friends at parting
see 1:9.
and then I will follow thee; which he understood was
meant by his casting his mantle over him:
and he said unto him
go back again; to his plough:
for what have I done to thee? he had only cast the
skirts of his mantle over him
and had said nothing to him; this he said to try
him
and get out of him what was in his heart
and how it had been touched by
the Spirit of God; and if so
then he suggests it was not what he had done
but
what the Lord had impressed upon him
that would oblige him to return
and
follow him
after he had taken his leave of his parents.
1 Kings 19:21 21 So Elisha turned
back from him
and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their
flesh
using the oxen’s equipment
and gave it to the people
and they ate.
Then he arose and followed Elijah
and became his servant.
YLT
21And he turneth back from
after him
and taketh the yoke of oxen
and sacrificeth it
and with
instruments of the oxen he hath boiled their flesh
and giveth to the people
and they eat
and he riseth
and goeth after Elijah
and serveth him.
And he returned back from him
.... To his father's
house
and took his leave
and then came back into the field
perhaps with
others accompanying him:
and took a yoke of oxen and slew them
and boiled their flesh with
the instruments of the oxen: their yokes
and the plough
with an
addition of other things sufficient to boil them:
and gave unto the people
and they did eat; the ploughmen
and others that came together on this occasion; he made a feast for them
to
express his joy at being called to such service he was:
then he arose and went after Elijah; left his worldly
employment
the riches he was heir to
his parents
and his friends
and
followed the prophet:
and ministered unto him; became his servant
whereby he attained to great knowledge and understanding of divine things
and
was trained up to the prophetic office
which he was invested with upon the
removal of Elijah; see Matthew 8:21.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)