1 Raja-raja 16:1--18:46
Konteks16:1 Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord this message predicting Baasha’s downfall: 1 16:2 “I raised you up 2 from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps 3 and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry. 4 16:3 So I am ready to burn up 5 Baasha and his family, and make your family 6 like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16:4 Dogs will eat the members of Baasha’s family 7 who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”
16:5 The rest of the events of Baasha’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 8 16:6 Baasha passed away 9 and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah replaced him as king. 16:7 The prophet Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord the message predicting the downfall of Baasha and his family because of all the evil Baasha had done in the sight of the Lord. 10 His actions angered the Lord (including the way he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty), so that his family ended up like Jeroboam’s. 11
16:8 In the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha’s son Elah became king over Israel; he ruled in Tirzah for two years. 16:9 His servant Zimri, a commander of half of his chariot force, conspired against him. While Elah was drinking heavily 12 at the house of Arza, who supervised the palace in Tirzah, 16:10 Zimri came in and struck him dead. (This happened in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah.) Zimri replaced Elah as king. 13 16:11 When he became king and occupied the throne, he killed Baasha’s entire family. He did not spare any male belonging to him; he killed his relatives and his friends. 14 16:12 Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family, just as the Lord had predicted to Baasha 15 through Jehu the prophet. 16:13 This happened because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and which they made Israel commit. They angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols. 16
16:14 The rest of the events of Elah’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 17
16:15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri became king over Israel; he ruled for seven days in Tirzah. Zimri’s revolt took place while the army was deployed 18 in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. 16:16 While deployed there, the army received this report: 19 “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.” 20 So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day in the camp. 16:17 Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fortified area of the royal palace. He set the palace on fire and died in the flames. 21 16:19 This happened because of the sins he committed. He did evil in the sight of 22 the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning. 23
16:20 The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, including the details of his revolt, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 24
16:21 At that time the people of Israel were divided in their loyalties. Half the people supported Tibni son of Ginath and wanted to make him king; the other half supported Omri. 16:22 Omri’s supporters were stronger than those who supported Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died; Omri became king.
16:23 In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He ruled for twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 16:24 He purchased the hill of Samaria 25 from Shemer for two talents 26 of silver. He launched a construction project there 27 and named the city he built after Shemer, the former owner of the hill of Samaria. 16:25 Omri did more evil in the sight of 28 the Lord than all who were before him. 16:26 He followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat and encouraged Israel to sin; 29 they angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols. 30
16:27 The rest of the events of Omri’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 31 16:28 Omri passed away 32 and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab replaced him as king. 33
16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel. Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel for twenty-two years in Samaria. 34 16:30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of 35 the Lord than all who were before him. 16:31 As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal. 36 16:32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria. 16:33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole; he 37 did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
16:34 During Ahab’s reign, 38 Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. 39 Abiram, his firstborn son, died when he laid the foundation; 40 Segub, his youngest son, died when he erected its gates, 41 just as the Lord had warned 42 through Joshua son of Nun. 43
17:1 Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), 44 there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.” 45 17:2 The Lord told him: 46 17:3 “Leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. 17:4 Drink from the stream; I have already told 47 the ravens to bring you food 48 there.” 17:5 So he did 49 as the Lord told him; he went and lived in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan. 17:6 The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream.
17:7 After a while, 50 the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 17:8 The Lord told him, 51 17:9 “Get up, go to Zarephath in Sidonian territory, and live there. I have already told 52 a widow who lives there to provide for you.” 17:10 So he got up and went to Zarephath. When he went through the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. He called out to her, “Please give me a cup 53 of water, so I can take a drink.” 17:11 As she went to get it, he called out to her, “Please bring me a piece of bread.” 54 17:12 She said, “As certainly as the Lord your God lives, I have no food, except for a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. Right now I am gathering a couple of sticks for a fire. Then I’m going home to make one final meal for my son and myself. After we have eaten that, we will die of starvation.” 55 17:13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you planned. 56 But first make a small cake for me and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son. 17:14 For this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The jar of flour will not be empty and the jug of oil will not run out until the day the Lord makes it rain on the surface of the ground.’” 17:15 She went and did as Elijah told her; there was always enough food for Elijah and for her and her family. 57 17:16 The jar of flour was never empty and the jug of oil never ran out, just as the Lord had promised 58 through Elijah.
17:17 After this 59 the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe. 17:18 She asked Elijah, “Why, prophet, have you come 60 to me to confront me with 61 my sin and kill my son?” 17:19 He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed. 17:20 Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?” 17:21 He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.” 17:22 The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the boy’s breath returned to him and he lived. 17:23 Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room to the house, and handed him to his mother. Elijah then said, “See, your son is alive!” 17:24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a prophet and that the Lord really does speak through you.” 62
18:1 Some time later, in the third year of the famine, the Lord told Elijah, 63 “Go, make an appearance before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground.” 18:2 So Elijah went to make an appearance before Ahab.
Now the famine was severe in Samaria. 64 18:3 So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who supervised the palace. (Now Obadiah was a very loyal follower of the Lord. 65 18:4 When Jezebel was killing 66 the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them in two caves in two groups of fifty. He also brought them food and water.) 18:5 Ahab told Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas 67 so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill 68 some of the animals.” 18:6 They divided up the land between them; Ahab went 69 one way and Obadiah went the other.
18:7 As Obadiah was traveling along, Elijah met him. 70 When he recognized him, he fell facedown to the ground and said, “Is it really you, my master, Elijah?” 18:8 He replied, “Yes, 71 go and say to your master, ‘Elijah is back.’” 72 18:9 Obadiah 73 said, “What sin have I committed that you are ready to hand your servant over to Ahab for execution? 74 18:10 As certainly as the Lord your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, ‘He’s not here,’ he makes them 75 swear an oath that they could not find you. 18:11 Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back.”’ 76 18:12 But when I leave you, the Lord’s spirit will carry you away so I can’t find you. 77 If I go tell Ahab I’ve seen you, he won’t be able to find you and he will kill me. 78 That would not be fair, 79 because your servant has been a loyal follower of 80 the Lord from my youth. 18:13 Certainly my master is aware of what I did 81 when Jezebel was killing the Lord’s prophets. I hid one hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves in two groups of fifty and I brought them food and water. 18:14 Now you say, ‘Go and say to your master, “Elijah is back,”’ 82 but he will kill me.” 18:15 But Elijah said, “As certainly as the Lord who rules over all 83 lives (whom I serve), 84 I will make an appearance before him today.”
18:16 When Obadiah went and informed Ahab, the king went to meet Elijah. 85 18:17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he 86 said to him, “Is it really you, the one who brings disaster 87 on Israel?” 18:18 Elijah 88 replied, “I have not brought disaster 89 on Israel. But you and your father’s dynasty have, by abandoning the Lord’s commandments and following the Baals. 18:19 Now send out messengers 90 and assemble all Israel before me at Mount Carmel, as well as the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah whom Jezebel supports. 91
18:20 Ahab sent messengers to all the Israelites and had the prophets assemble at Mount Carmel. 18:21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? 92 If the Lord is the true God, 93 then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word. 18:22 Elijah said to them: 94 “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. 18:23 Let them bring us two bulls. Let them choose one of the bulls for themselves, cut it up into pieces, and place it on the wood. But they must not set it on fire. I will do the same to the other bull and place it on the wood. But I will not set it on fire. 18:24 Then you 95 will invoke the name of your god, and I will invoke the name of the Lord. The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God.” 96 All the people responded, “This will be a fair test.” 97
18:25 Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls for yourselves and go first, for you are the majority. Invoke the name of your god, but do not light a fire.” 98 18:26 So they took a bull, as he had suggested, 99 and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped 100 around on the altar they had made. 101 18:27 At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.” 102 18:28 So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, 103 mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood. 104 18:29 Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, 105 but there was no sound, no answer, and no response. 106
18:30 Elijah then told all the people, “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 107 18:31 Then Elijah took twelve stones, corresponding to the number of tribes that descended from Jacob, to whom the Lord had said, “Israel will be your new 108 name.” 109 18:32 With the stones he constructed an altar for the Lord. 110 Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs 111 of seed. 18:33 He arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. 18:34 Then he said, “Fill four water jars and pour the water on the offering and the wood.” When they had done so, 112 he said, “Do it again.” So they did it again. Then he said, “Do it a third time.” So they did it a third time. 18:35 The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench. 18:36 When it was time for the evening offering, 113 Elijah the prophet approached the altar 114 and prayed: “O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, prove 115 today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 18:37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are the true God 116 and that you are winning back their allegiance.” 117 18:38 Then fire from the Lord fell from the sky. 118 It consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, and the dirt, and licked up the water in the trench. 18:39 When all the people saw this, they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and said, “The Lord is the true God! 119 The Lord is the true God!” 18:40 Elijah told them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let even one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley and executed 120 them there.
18:41 Then Elijah told Ahab, “Go on up and eat and drink, for the sound of a heavy rainstorm can be heard.” 121 18:42 So Ahab went on up to eat and drink, while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel. He bent down toward the ground and put his face between his knees. 18:43 He told his servant, “Go on up and look in the direction of the sea.” So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.” 122 Seven times Elijah sent him to look. 123 18:44 The seventh time the servant 124 said, “Look, a small cloud, the size of the palm of a man’s hand, is rising up from the sea.” Elijah 125 then said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up the chariots and go down, so that the rain won’t overtake you.’” 126 18:45 Meanwhile the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind blew, and there was a heavy rainstorm. Ahab rode toward 127 Jezreel. 18:46 Now the Lord energized Elijah with power; 128 he tucked his robe into his belt 129 and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
[16:1] 1 tn Heb “and the word of the
[16:2] 2 tn The Hebrew text has “because” at the beginning of the sentence. In the Hebrew text vv. 2-3 are one sentence comprised of a causal clause giving the reason for divine punishment (v. 2) and the main clause announcing the punishment (v. 3). The translation divides this sentence for stylistic reasons.
[16:2] 3 tn Heb “walked in the way of Jeroboam.”
[16:2] 4 tn Heb “angering me by their sins.”
[16:3] 5 tn The traditional view understands the verb בָּעַר (ba’ar) to mean “burn.” However, an alternate view takes בָּעַר (ba’ar) as a homonym meaning “sweep away” (HALOT 146 s.v. II בער). In this case one might translate, “I am ready to sweep away Baasha and his family.” Either metaphor emphasizes the thorough and destructive nature of the coming judgment.
[16:3] 6 tc The Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and some
[16:4] 7 tn Heb “the ones belonging to Baasha.”
[16:5] 8 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Baasha, and that which he did and his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[16:6] 9 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[16:7] 10 tn Heb “and also through Jehu son of Hanani the word of the
[16:7] 11 tn Heb “angering him by the work of his hands, so that he was like the house of Jeroboam, and because of how he struck it down.”
[16:9] 12 tn Heb “while he was drinking and drunken.”
[16:10] 13 tn Heb “and he became king in his place.”
[16:11] 14 tn Heb “and he did not spare any belonging to him who urinate against a wall, [including] his kinsmen redeemers and his friends.”
[16:12] 15 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[16:13] 16 tn Heb “angering the
[16:14] 17 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Elah, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[16:15] 18 tn Heb “Now the people were encamped.
[16:16] 19 tn Heb “and the people who were encamped heard.”
[16:16] 20 tn Heb “has conspired against and also has struck down the king.”
[16:18] 21 tn Heb “and he burned the house of the king over him with fire and he died.”
[16:19] 22 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[16:19] 23 tn Heb “walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin.”
[16:20] 24 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he conspired, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[16:24] 25 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[16:24] 26 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 150 pounds of silver.
[16:24] 27 tn Heb “he built up the hill.”
[16:25] 28 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[16:26] 29 tn Heb “walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin which he made Israel sin.”
[16:26] 30 tn Heb “angering the
[16:27] 31 tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his strength which he demonstrated, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
[16:28] 32 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
[16:28] 33 tc The Old Greek has eight additional verses here. Cf. 1 Kgs 22:41-44.
[16:29] 34 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[16:30] 35 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[16:31] 36 tn Heb “and he went and served Baal and bowed down to him.”
[16:31] sn The Canaanites worshiped Baal as a storm and fertility god.
[16:33] 37 tn Heb “Ahab”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:34] 38 tn Heb “in his days.”
[16:34] 39 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[16:34] 40 tn Heb “with Abiram, his firstborn, he founded it.”
[16:34] 41 tn Heb “with Segub, his youngest, he set up its gates.”
[16:34] 42 tn Heb “according to the word of the
[16:34] 43 sn Warned through Joshua son of Nun. For the background to this statement, see Josh 6:26, where Joshua pronounces a curse on the one who dares to rebuild Jericho. Here that curse is viewed as a prophecy spoken by God through Joshua.
[17:1] 44 tn Heb “before whom I stand.”
[17:1] 45 tn Heb “except at the command of my word.”
[17:2] 46 tn Heb “and the word of the
[17:4] 48 tn Heb “to provide for you.”
[17:5] 49 tn Heb “So he went and did.”
[17:7] 50 tn Heb “And it came about at the end of days.”
[17:8] 51 tn Heb “And the word of the
[17:9] 52 tn Heb “Look, I have commanded.”
[17:11] 54 tn The Hebrew text also includes the phrase “in your hand.”
[17:12] 55 tn Heb “Look, I am gathering two sticks and then I will go and make it for me and my son and we will eat it and we will die.”
[17:13] 56 tn Heb “according to your word.”
[17:15] 57 tn Heb “and she ate, she and he and her house [for] days.”
[17:16] 58 tn Heb “out, according to the word of the
[17:17] 59 tn Heb “after these things.”
[17:18] 60 tn Heb “What to me and to you, man of God, that you have come.”
[17:18] 61 tn Heb “to make me remember.”
[17:24] 62 tn Heb “you are a man of God and the word of the
[17:24] sn This episode is especially significant in light of Ahab’s decision to promote Baal worship in Israel. In Canaanite mythology the drought that swept over the region (v. 1) would signal that Baal, a fertility god responsible for providing food for his subjects, had been defeated by the god of death and was imprisoned in the underworld. While Baal was overcome by death and unable to function like a king, Israel’s God demonstrated his sovereignty and superiority to death by providing food for a widow and restoring life to her son. And he did it all in Sidonian territory, Baal’s back yard, as it were. The episode demonstrates that Israel’s God, not Baal, is the true king who provides food and controls life and death. This polemic against Baalism reaches its climax in the next chapter, when the
[18:1] 63 tn Heb “the word of the
[18:2] 64 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[18:3] 65 tn Heb “now Obadiah greatly feared the
[18:4] 66 tn Heb “cutting off.”
[18:5] 68 tn Heb “to cut off.”
[18:6] 69 tn The Hebrew text has “alone” here and again in reference to Obadiah toward the end of the verse.
[18:7] 70 tn Heb “look, Elijah [came] to meet him.”
[18:8] 72 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
[18:9] 73 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Obadiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:9] 74 tn Heb “to kill me.”
[18:10] 75 tn Heb “he makes the kingdom or the nation swear an oath.”
[18:11] 76 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
[18:12] 77 tn Heb “to [a place] which I do not know.”
[18:12] 78 tn Heb “and I will go to inform Ahab and he will not find you and he will kill me.”
[18:12] 79 tn The words “that would not be fair” are added to clarify the logic of Obadiah’s argument.
[18:12] 80 tn Heb “has feared the
[18:13] 81 tn Heb “Has it not been told to my master what I did…?” The rhetorical question expects an answer, “Of course it has!”
[18:14] 82 tn Heb “Look, Elijah”; or “Elijah is here.”
[18:15] 83 tn Traditionally, “the
[18:15] 84 tn Heb “(before whom I stand).”
[18:16] 85 tn Heb “Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.”
[18:18] 88 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:19] 90 tn The word “messengers” is supplied in the translation both here and in v. 20 for clarification.
[18:19] 91 tn Heb “who eat at the table of Jezebel.”
[18:21] 92 tn Heb “How long are you going to limp around on two crutches?” (see HALOT 762 s.v. סְעִפִּים). In context this idiomatic expression refers to indecision rather than physical disability.
[18:22] 94 tn Heb “to the people.”
[18:24] 95 tn Elijah now directly addresses the prophets.
[18:24] 97 tn Heb “The matter [i.e., proposal] is good [i.e., acceptable].”
[18:25] 98 tc The last sentence of v. 25 is absent in the Syriac Peshitta.
[18:26] 99 tn Heb “and they took the bull which he allowed them.”
[18:26] 100 tn Heb “limped” (the same verb is used in v. 21).
[18:26] 101 tc The MT has “which he made,” but some medieval Hebrew
[18:27] 102 sn Elijah’s sarcastic proposals would have been especially offensive and irritating to Baal’s prophets, for they believed Baal was imprisoned in the underworld as death’s captive during this time of drought. Elijah’s apparent ignorance of their theology is probably designed for dramatic effect; indeed the suggestion that Baal is away on a trip or deep in sleep comes precariously close to the truth as viewed by the prophets.
[18:28] 103 tn Or “as was their custom.”
[18:28] 104 tn Heb “until blood poured out on them.”
[18:28] sn mutilated…covered with blood. This self-mutilation was a mourning rite designed to facilitate Baal’s return from the underworld.
[18:29] 105 tn Heb “when noon passed they prophesied until the offering up of the offering.”
[18:29] 106 tc The Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta include the following words here: “When it was time to offer the sacrifice, Elijah the Tishbite spoke to the prophets of the abominations: ‘Stand aside for the time being, and I will offer my burnt offering.’ So they stood aside and departed.”
[18:29] sn In 2 Kgs 4:31 the words “there was no sound and there was no response” are used to describe a dead boy. Similar words are used here to describe the god Baal as dead and therefore unresponsive.
[18:30] 107 sn Torn down. The condition of the altar symbolizes the spiritual state of the people.
[18:31] 108 tn The word “new” is implied but not actually present in the Hebrew text.
[18:31] 109 sn Israel will be your new name. See Gen 32:28; 35:10.
[18:32] 110 tn Heb “and he built the stones into an altar in the name of the
[18:32] 111 tn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about seven quarts.
[18:34] 112 tn The words “when they had done so” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[18:36] 113 tn Heb “at the offering up of the offering.”
[18:36] 114 tn The words “the altar” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[18:36] 115 tn Heb “let it be known.”
[18:37] 117 tn Heb “that you are turning their heart[s] back.”
[18:38] 118 tn The words “from the sky” are added for stylistic reasons.
[18:39] 119 tn Heb “the God” (the phrase occurs twice in this verse).
[18:40] 120 tn Or “slaughtered.”
[18:41] 121 tn Heb “for [there is] the sound of the roar of the rain.”
[18:43] 122 sn So he went on up, looked, and reported, “There is nothing.” Several times in this chapter those addressed by Elijah obey his orders. In vv. 20 and 42 Ahab does as instructed, in vv. 26 and 28 the prophets follow Elijah’s advice, and in vv. 30, 34, 40 and 43 the people and servants do as they are told. By juxtaposing Elijah’s commands with accounts of those commands being obeyed, the narrator emphasizes the authority of the
[18:43] 123 tn Heb “He said, ‘Return,’ seven times.”
[18:44] 124 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:44] 125 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elijah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:44] 126 tn Heb “so that the rain won’t restrain you.”
[18:45] 127 tn Heb “rode and went to.”
[18:46] 128 tn Heb “and the hand of the
[18:46] 129 tn Heb “and girded up his loins.” The idea is that of gathering up the robes and tucking them into the sash or belt so that they do not get in the way of the legs when running (or working or fighting).
