1 Kings

1 Kings 18:1–6

¹After a long time, in the third year of the drought,^a the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”

²So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, ³and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace.

(Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, ⁴for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)

⁵Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”

⁶So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

Footnotes

a 18:1 Literally And the days were many, and in the third year,

Read all of 1 Kings 18

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Kings 18:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
After	וַיְהִי֙	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a long	רַבִּ֔ים	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
time	יָמִ֣ים	yā·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3117 day
in the third	הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ית	haš·šə·lî·šîṯ	Article; Number - ordinal feminine singular	H7992 third
year	בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה	baš·šā·nāh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H8141 year
the word	וּדְבַר־	ū·ḏə·ḇar-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
of the LORD	יְהוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
came	הָיָה֙	hā·yāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Elijah	אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ	’ê·lî·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H452 Elijah
Go	לֵ֚ךְ	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
and present	הֵרָאֵ֣ה	hê·rā·’êh	Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular	H7200 see
yourself to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Ahab	אַחְאָ֔ב	’aḥ·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H256 Ahab
and I will send	וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה	wə·’et·tə·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular	H5414 give, put, set
rain	מָטָ֖ר	mā·ṭār	Noun - masculine singular	H4306 rain
upon	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the face	פְּנֵ֥י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of the earth	הָאֲדָמָֽה׃	hā·’ă·ḏā·māh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H127 ground, land

1 Kings 18:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Elijah	אֵֽלִיָּ֔הוּ	’ê·lî·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H452 Elijah
went	וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to present himself	לְהֵרָא֖וֹת	lə·hê·rā·’ō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct	H7200 see
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Ahab	אַחְאָ֑ב	’aḥ·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H256 Ahab
The famine	וְהָרָעָ֖ב	wə·hā·rā·‘āḇ	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7458 famine, hunger
was severe	חָזָ֥ק	ḥā·zāq	Adjective - masculine singular	H2389 strong, stout, mighty
in Samaria	בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃	bə·šō·mə·rō·wn	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8111 Shomeron

1 Kings 18:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and Ahab	אַחְאָ֔ב	’aḥ·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H256 Ahab
summoned	וַיִּקְרָ֣א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
Obadiah	עֹבַדְיָ֖הוּ	‘ō·ḇaḏ·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5662 Obadjah
who	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
was in charge of	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the palace	הַבָּ֑יִת	hab·bā·yiṯ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1004 house
Now Obadiah	וְעֹבַדְיָ֗הוּ	wə·‘ō·ḇaḏ·yā·hū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5662 Obadjah
greatly	מְאֹֽד׃	mə·’ōḏ	Adverb	H3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
feared	יָרֵ֛א	yā·rê	Adjective - masculine singular	H3373 fear
the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh

1 Kings 18:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
for when	וַיְהִי֙	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
Jezebel	אִיזֶ֔בֶל	’î·ze·ḇel	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H348 Izebel
had slaughtered	בְּהַכְרִ֣ית	bə·haḵ·rîṯ	Preposition-b; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H3772 cut off, cut down
the prophets	נְבִיאֵ֣י	nə·ḇî·’ê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet
of the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
Obadiah	עֹבַדְיָ֜הוּ	‘ō·ḇaḏ·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5662 Obadjah
had taken	וַיִּקַּ֨ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
a hundred	מֵאָ֣ה	mê·’āh	Number - feminine singular	H3967 hundred
prophets	נְבִאִ֗ים	nə·ḇi·’îm	Noun - masculine plural	H5030 spokesman, speaker, prophet
and hidden them	וַֽיַּחְבִּיאֵ֞ם	way·yaḥ·bî·’êm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H2244 withdraw, hide
fifty	חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים	ḥă·miš·šîm	Number - common plural	H2572 fifty
men	אִישׁ֙	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
per cave	בַּמְּעָרָ֔ה	bam·mə·‘ā·rāh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4631 cave
providing them	וְכִלְכְּלָ֖ם	wə·ḵil·kə·lām	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H3557 comprehend, contain
with food	לֶ֥חֶם	le·ḥem	Noun - masculine singular	H3899 bread, food
and water	וָמָֽיִם׃	wā·mā·yim	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine

1 Kings 18:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Ahab	אַחְאָב֙	’aḥ·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H256 Ahab
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Obadiah	עֹ֣בַדְיָ֔הוּ	‘ō·ḇaḏ·yā·hū	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5662 Obadjah
Go	לֵ֤ךְ	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
throughout the land	בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
every	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
spring	מַעְיְנֵ֣י	ma‘·yə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H4599 spring
and	וְאֶ֖ל	wə·’el	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H413 motion to
every	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
valley	הַנְּחָלִ֑ים	han·nə·ḥā·lîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady
Perhaps	אוּלַ֣י׀	’ū·lay	Adverb	H194 peradventure, perhaps
we will find	נִמְצָ֣א	nim·ṣā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H4672 attain to, find
grass	חָצִ֗יר	ḥā·ṣîr	Noun - masculine singular	H2682 green grass, herbage
to keep the horses	ס֣וּס	sūs	Noun - masculine singular	H5483 swallow or swift
and mules	וָפֶ֔רֶד	wā·p̄e·reḏ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H6505 mule
alive	וּנְחַיֶּה֙	ū·nə·ḥay·yeh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common plural	H2421 live
so that we will not	וְל֥וֹא	wə·lō·w	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
have to destroy	נַכְרִ֖ית	naḵ·rîṯ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common plural	H3772 cut off, cut down
any livestock	מֵהַבְּהֵמָֽה׃	mê·hab·bə·hê·māh	Preposition-m, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H929 beast, animal, cattle

1 Kings 18:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So they divided	וַֽיְחַלְּק֥וּ	way·ḥal·lə·qū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2505 divide, share
the land	הָאָ֖רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
to explore	לַֽעֲבָר־	la·‘ă·ḇār-	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
Ahab	אַחְאָ֞ב	’aḥ·’āḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H256 Ahab
went	הָלַ֨ךְ	hā·laḵ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
one	אֶחָד֙	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
way	בְּדֶ֤רֶךְ	bə·ḏe·reḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
by himself	לְבַדּ֔וֹ	lə·ḇad·dōw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H905 separation
and Obadiah	וְעֹֽבַדְיָ֛הוּ	wə·‘ō·ḇaḏ·yā·hū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5662 Obadjah
went	הָלַ֥ךְ	hā·laḵ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
the other	אֶחָ֖ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
way	בְּדֶרֶךְ־	bə·ḏe·reḵ-	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
by himself	לְבַדּֽוֹ׃	lə·ḇad·dōw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H905 separation