1 Kings 19

AND Ahab told Jezebel For his vindication, and her satisfaction. all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets To wit, of Baal; not of the Groves, who were not present, as may be gathered from chap. 18. 19, 22. and 22. 6. with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah She gives him notice of it before-hand: partly, out of the height of her spirit, as scorning to kill him secretly and surreptitiously, and resolving to make him a publick Sacrifice: partly, out of her impatience, till she had breathed out her rage, which she could do speedily, when it required some time and preparation to seize him, who was now so much esteemed and favoured by all the People: partly, because she supposed, that he who had the confidence to come thither (where, it seems, she was at this time) would still have the same confidence to stay there, and be obliged in honour to maintain his ground: and principally, from Gods all-disposing Providence, that so he might have an opportunity of escaping., saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow at this time So far was she from being changed by that most evident Miracle, that she persists in her former Idolatry, and adds to it a mad and monstrous confidence, that in spight of God she would destroy his Prophet..

And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life i. e. To save his life: or, according to his soul, or mind. Whereby it may be intimated, that he did not flee from Iezreel by the hand or direction of the Lord, by which he came thither, ch. 18. 46. but because of his own fear and apprehension of danger. For this may seem to be an act of humane frailty. For God had brought him hither, and his presence might seem very necessary here to incourage and ingage the King and People to go on to destroy the Priests of the Groves, and to purge out Idolatry; and his withdrawing, as we see, did discourage all the rest, and occasioned their return to Idolatry again; and, having had such a late and ample experience of Gods all-sufficiency in protecting him against the King and 450 of Baal's Priests, and the current of the people incensed against him for the Famine, he had little reason to feat the threats of an impotent Woman, whom God could cut off in a moment. But Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, Jam. 5. 17. which probably is said with respect to his fear and discontent, manifested here and ver. 4. And lest he should be exalted above measure (which was also Paul's case, 2 Cor. 12. 7.) for his eminent Gifts, and Graces, and miraculous Works, God saw fit to withdraw his Grace, and to leave him to himself, that he might be sensible of his own impotency and sinfulness, and might not dare to take any part of Gods honour to himself., and came to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah Either, First, To the Tribe of Iudah, according to the first division; for Simeon's part, in which Beersheba was, was afterwards taken out of it. Or, Secondly, to the Kingdom of Iudah., and left his servant there Partly, that he might abide there in safety; and partly, that he should wait there till his return: partly, because he would not expose him to those perils and hardships which he expected: and partly, because he desired solitude, that he might more freely converse with God..

¶ But he himself went a days journey into the wilderness The vast Wilderness of Arabia. He durst not stay in Iudah, though good Iehoshaphat Reigned there, because he was Allied to Ahab, and was a Man of an easie temper, whom Ahab might circumvent, and either by force or art seize upon Elijah., and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself Heb. for his life, or his soul, that it might be taken away from his Body. Or, with his soul, as it is Isa. 26. 9. i. e. He desired it heartily or fervently. Which he did not only for his own sake, that he might be freed from his great fears and troubles; but especially from his zeal for Gods Glory, which he saw was and would be dreadfully eclipsed by the relapse of the Israelites into Idolatry, and by Elijah's Death, if it should be procured by the hands of Iezabel, or of the worshippers of Baal: and therefore he wished to die in peace, and by the hand of God. that he might die, and said, It is enough I have lived long enough for thy Service, and am not like to do thee any more Service; neither my words nor works are like to do any good upon these unstable and incorrigible people., now, O LORD, take away my life: for I am not better than my fathers That I should continue in Life, when other Prophets who have gone before me, have lost their Lives by Iezabel, or other persecutors..

And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree, behold then, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head: and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise, and eat, because the journey is too great for thee i. e. Above thy strength, now especially when thou art faint, and weary, and fasting..

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat God giving that Food a far greater and more durable virtue than ordinary. forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb He wandred hither and thither for 40 days, till at last he came to Horeb, which in the direct Road was not above 3 or 4 days Journey. the mount of God.

¶ And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there: and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What dost thou here A tacit reproof. This is not thy proper place, nor the station in which I set thee, which was in Israel, to turn that backsliding people, to which end I gave thee my help, and would have proceeded to assist thee further, if thou hadst continued there. Nor did I give thee those excellent Gifts to lie idle in this Wilderness, but to employ them for thy peo... s good, whom now thou hast deserted, and art come hither, not by my Command, but through thy own fear and cowardise., Elijah?

And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts I have not been wholly wanting to my vocation, but have executed my office with zeal for Gods Honour and Service, and with the hazard of my own Life; and am fled hither, not being able to endure to see the dishonour done to thy Name by their obstinate Idolatry and Wickedness.: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars Those which were erected for thy Worship in high-places, which they did not destroy, because they were to be abolished by thy Command, Deut. 12. but out of mee... contempt and opposition against thee, and therefore they suffered the Altars of Baal to stand., and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only am left To wit, of all thy Prophets, I mean, which do boldly and publickly Plead thy Cause: for the rest of thy Prophets who are not slain, hide themselves, and dare not appear to do thee any Service., and they seek my life, to take it away I despair of doing them any good: for instead of receiving my Testimony, they hunt for my Life..

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And behold, the LORD passed by Either, First, By his Harbengers: for, as it follows, the Lord was not yet there. Or, Secondly, Himself. And so this is a brief and general description of the thing, after which the manner of it is particularly explained., and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks Whereby he both prepares Elijah to receive this discovery of God with greatest humility, reverence, and Godly fear; and signifies his Almighty and Irresistible Power, to break the hardest hearts of the Israelites, and to bear down all opposition that was or should be made against him in the discharge of his office. before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind The Lord did not vouchsafe his Special and Gracious Presence to Elijah in that Wind, where he confidently expected him: which possibly was, Either, First, To qualify the excessive fervour and passion of Elijah, which mixed it self with his zeal for God, and to make him more mild in his Censures, and more meek and patient in waiting for the Conversion of Israel; wherein he might sooner expect Gods Presence and Blessed Success, than in the Storm of Anger or Impatience. Or, Secondly, To teach him not to wonder if God did not accompany his terrible Administration at Mount Carmel with the Presence of his Grace, to turn the hearts of the Israelites to himself, as he desired, but God for Wise and Just Reasons saw fit to deny.: and after the wind and earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

And after the earthquake, a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice Wherein it is implied, That God was present. Which peradventure was to insinuate, that God would do his Work in and for Israel in his own time, not by might or power, but by his own spirit, Zech. 4. 6. which moves with a Powerful, but yet with a sweet and gentle Gale..

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle Through horror and dread of Gods presence, being sensible that he was neither worthy nor able to endure the sight of God with open face. Compare Gen. 16. 13. Exod. 3. 6., and went out, and stood in the entring in of the cave Which God commanded him to do; and as he was going towards the mouth of the Cave, he was affrighted and stopped in his course, by the dreadful Wind, and Earthquake, and Fire; and, when these were past, he prosecutes his Journey, and goeth on to the mouth of the Cave, and there stands still. Or, the words may be rendred, After (as Vau is elsewhere used) he was gone out, and standing in the mouth of the cave: which may be mentioned as the reason why he covered his Face, because now he wanted the shelter of the Cave.: and behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What dost thou here, Elijah?

And he said What before he spake by an Angel, he now speaks to him again immediately., I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.

And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way By which thou camest; for so in part lay the way from Horeb to Damascus. to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria Anoint: Either, First, Figuratively, i. e. appoint or declare him King; which was done, 2 King. 8. 12. For this word is oft used of them who were Anointed with Oil, Psal. 45. 7. Isa. 45. 1. and 61. 1. Zech. 4. 14. Dan. 9. 24. Or, Secondly, Properly; which might be done, though it be not related. Again, anoint, either, by thy self; or, by another: for so he Anointed Iehu by Elisha, 2 King. 9. 1, 6..

And Jehu the son of Nimshi i. e. His Grand-Son, for he was the son of Iehoshaphat, 2 King. 9. 2. shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha Whom he Constituted Prophet, by casting his Mantle over him, here, v. 19. the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah, shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael, shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu, shall Elisha slay Here the order of times seems to be perverted; for Elisha was Prophet before Iehu or Hazael were Kings, and Hazael was King before Iehu. But that is of no moment as to the substance of the thing threatned, which is only this, That one or other of these should infallibly execute Gods Judgments upon the Apostatical Israelites. Elisha is said to slay them, either, because he slew those 42 Children, 2 King. 2. 24. besides others whom upon like occasions he might destroy; or, because he by Gods appointment inflicted the Famine, 2 King. 6. 31. or rather, by the Sword which came out of his mouth, as Isa. 49. 2. Revel. 1. 16. and 19. 15, 21. by his cutting-Prophecies and threatnings of Gods Judgments: the Prophets being said to pull down and to destroy what they only declare and foretel shall be pulled down, &c. Hazael began to slay them before Iehu was King, 2 King. 8. 28. though his cruelty was much increased afterward, 2 King. 10. 32. and 13. 1, 2, 3. and Iehu destroyed those whom Hazael did not, as King Ioram himself, and Ahaziah, and his 42 Brethren, 2 King. 9. 24, 27. and 10. 14. all the near Relations of wicked Ahab..

Yet I have left Or, I have reserved to my self; I have by my Grace kept from the common contagion: therefore thou art mistaken to think that thou art left alone, or that the People are universally corrupted. Or, I trill reserve, from the slaughters last mentioned, and from Iezabel's Rage me seven thousand Either, definitely so many: or rathe..., indefinitely, for many thousands; the number of seven being oft used for a great number, as Lev. 26. 18. Psal. 12. 6. Mic. 5. 5. Zech. 3. 9. Luk. 17. 4. For it is altogether improbable that all the Israelites, except 7000, did worship Baal: except Baal be here Synecdochically put for all their Idols, and the Calves among others. in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him i. e. All those who have not worshipped Baal, nor professed reverence or subjection to him: which Idolaters did to their Idols, by bowing the Knee, Rom. 11. 4. compare Rom. 14. 11. Phil. 2. 10. and by kissing them, or by kissing their hand with their mouth, before them, and in respect to them; of which mention is made both in Scripture, as Iob 31. 26, 27. Hos. 13. 2. compare Psal. 2. 12. and in Pliny, Apulei... s, and other profane Authors. And God chuseth these expressions here, to teach men, that it is not sufficient to deny inward veneration of mind and heart to Idols, unless they do also forbear all outward significations of worship or reverence to them; and that he will own none for his People that do otherwise..

¶ So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve... oke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth Who had twelve Ploughs going, whereof eleven were managed by his Servants, and the last by himself; according to the simplicity and humility of those Ancient times, in which men of good Worth and Estate submitted themselves to the meanest employments.: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him By that Ceremony conferring upon him the Office of a Prophet, which God was pleased to accompany with the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit, wherewith he endowed and qualified him for it. The Mantle was the usual Habit of the Prophets. See 2 King. 1. 8. Zech. 13. 4. But whether he did also Anoint him, is uncertain. See the Note on v. 16..

And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah Being powerfully moved by Gods Spirit to follow Elijah, and wholly to give up himself to his Function., and said Or, but he said: or, yet he said., Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother i. e. Bid them farewel by the usual Ceremony. See Gen. 29.. and 31. 28. Act. 20. 37., and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again And take thy leave of them, as thou desirest, and then return to me again.; for what have I done to thee Either, First, To hinder thee from performing that office. That employment to which I have called thee, does not require an Alienation of thy heart from thy Parents, nor the total neglect of them. Or, Secondly, To make such a change in thee, that thou shouldst be willing to forsake thy Parents, and Lands, and All, and desire only this liberty to go and bid them farewel, that thou maist follow me. Whence comes this marvellous change? It is not from me, who did only throw my Mantle over thee; but from an higher Power, even from Gods Spirit, which has changed thy heart, and Consecrated thee to thy Prophetical Office: which therefore it concerns thee vigorously to execute, and wholly to devote thy self to it.?

And he returned back from him From Elias to his Parents; whom when he had seen and kissed, he returned to the Field where Elijah was., and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen i. e. With the wood belonging to the Plow, &c. to which more was added, as occasion required. But that he burned, to show his total relinquishing of his former employment., and gave unto the people i. e. He made thereof a Feast for his Servants who had been Plowing with him, and for him, and his other Friends and Neighbours who came to take their leave of him. Hereby he showed how willingly and joyful he forsook all his Friends, that he might serve God in that High and Honourable employment., and they did eat: then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministred unto him.