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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

1 Kings 19:4

Juniper tree. — A sort of broom, found abundantly in the desert. It has been noted that its roots were much prized for charcoal, the “coal” of 1 Kings 19:6.

I am not better than my fathers. — The exclamation is characteristic. Evidently he had hoped that he himself was “better than his fathers” as a servant of God — singled out beyond all those that went before him, to be the victorious champion of a great crisis, “he, and he alone” (1 Kings 18:22; 1 Kings 19:10). Now he thinks his hope vain, and sees no reason why he should succeed when all who went before have failed. Why, he asks, should he live when the rest of the prophets have died?

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See also 1 Kings 19:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 1 Kings 19:4. _A DAY'S JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS_] Probably in his way to Mount Horeb. See 1 Kings 19:8. _JUNIPER TREE_] A tree that afforded him a shade from the scorching sun. _IT IS ENOU...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Elijah did not feel himself safe until he was beyond the territory of Judah, for Ahab might demand him of Jehoshaphat 1 Kings 18:10, with whom he was on terms of close alliance 1 Kings 22:4. He, there...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. ELIJAH IN THE WILDERNESS AND UPON MOUNT HOREB CHAPTER 19 _ 1. Elijah's flight and despondency (1 Kings 19:1)_ 2. Upon Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:9) 3. Elisha called (1 Kings 19:10) Elijah

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    1 Kings 19:1. ELIJAH'S FLIGHT TO HOREB. HIS COMMISSION. Jezebel, it will be noticed, can do no more than threaten Elijah: her power is limited. Elijah escapes to the southern extremity of Judah, to Be...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HIMSELF. his soul. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _a day's journey into the wilderness_ The wilderness here spoken of is the desert of Paran, through which the Israelites had of old wandered from Egypt toward the promised land. _under a juniper tree_...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND WHEN HE SAW THAT, HE AROSE, &C.— It is very doubtful, whether _juniper-tree_ be the proper rendering of the original word רתם _rothem._ Parkhurst says, that it signifies the _broom_ or _birch-tree...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    I. THE GREAT SPIRITUAL CRISIS 19:1-21 In view of the triumph on Carmel, one might expect to read in chapter 19 about a great religious reformation in Israel. Such is not the case. Not until the extirp...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _BUT HE HIMSELF WENT A DAY'S JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND CAME AND SAT DOWN UNDER A JUNIPER TREE: AND HE REQUESTED FOR HIMSELF THAT HE MIGHT DIE; AND SAID, IT IS ENOUGH; NOW, O LORD, TAKE AWAY MY...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ELIJAH AT HOREB 2. Then Jezebel sent, etc.] Her religious feelings as a votary of Baal and her dignity as the queen had both been outraged by the prophet, and she at once sought revenge....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    INTO THE WILDERNESS] Since the king of Judah was an ally of Ahab, the prophet did not consider himself safe from Jezebel's fury until he was beyond Judaaan territory. A JUMPER TREE] a kind of broom, w...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S LESSONS FROM HISTORY 1 KINGS _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 19 GOD SPEAKS TO ELIJAH AT *MOUNT SINAI V1 Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done. He also told her that Elijah had killed al...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ הֽוּא ־הָלַ֤ךְ בַּ † מִּדְבָּר֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    ELIJAH'S FLIGHT 1 Kings 19:1 "A still small voice comes through the wild, Like a father consoling his fretful child, Which banisheth bitterness, wrath and fear, Saying, ‘Man is distant, but God is n...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    ELIJAH'S DESPAIR 1 Kings 19:4 "So much I feel my genial spirits droop, My hopes all flat, nature within me seems In all her functions weary of herself, My race of glory run, and race of shame, A...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    EXALTATION AND DEPRESSION 1 Kings 18:41; 1 Kings 19:1 When the priests had been executed, the quick ear of the prophet detected the hurrying rain-clouds. Note the contrast between Ahab and the prophe...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The slaughter of the prophets of Baal aroused the ire of Jezebel to such a degree that she sent a direct message full of fury to Elijah. There is no escaping the sadness of his attitude on receiving t...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, (c) take away...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Desert. It seems, towards Horeb. (Calmet) --- Tree. Hebrew Rothem, which term the Septuagint retain, "Rathmen." Symmachus has, "a shade." (Haydock) --- Die. Elias requested to die, not out of impatien...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (3) And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. (4) But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The days were very dark in Israel. Not only rebellion. And rebellion, always serious, was peculiarly so in Israel, for there it was insubordination in a direct manner against not only God's providence...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _TIRED OF LIFE_ ‘He requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life.’ 1 Kings 19:4 I. THE WISH FOR DEATH, THE WEARINESS OF LIFE, IS A PHENOMENON EXTR...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Until now the prophet had stood before Jehovah (1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:15) and had spoken in His name; but now, terrified by the threats of Jezebel, he flees from the dangers of the place into which...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    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 c...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my l...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He went a day's journey into the wilderness_ The vast wilderness of Arabia, wherein the Israelites wandered forty years. He durst not stay in Judah, though good Jehoshaphat reigned there, because he...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Eliiah threatned by Iezebel, fleeth to Beersheba, 4 In the wildernesse being wearie of his life, is comforted by an Angel. 9 At Horeb God appeareth vnto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Iehu, an...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ELIJAH FLEES BEFORE JEZEBEL...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, the northern Arabian Desert, AND CAME AND SAT DOWN UNDER A JUNIPER-TREE, a furze-bush or broom-plant, abundant in beds of streams; AND HE REQUE...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ELIJAH FLEEING FROM JEZEBEL (vs.1-10) When Ahab informed his wife Jezebel of Elijah's having brought down the fire of God to consume his sacrifice, of the slaughter of the prophets of Baal and the an...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    FOR HIMSELF: _ Heb._ for his life...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-8 Jezebel sent Elijah a threatening message. Carnal hearts are hardened and enraged against God, by that which should convince and conquer them. Great faith is not always alike strong. He might be...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    INTO THE WILDERNESS; the vast wilderness of Arabia. He durst not stay in Judah, though good Jehoshaphat reigned there, because he was allied to Ahab, and was a man of an easy temper, whom Ahab might c...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 19:4 went H1980 (H8804) days H3117 journey H1870 wilderness H4057 came H935 (H8799) sat H3427 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    DEPRESSED AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE FAILURE ELIJAH FLEES TO THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD IN HOREB (SINAI) AND IS SUSTAINED AND RECOMMISSIONED BY YHWH (1 KINGS 19:1). Exultant because the battle appeared almost wo...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    1 Kings 19:4 I. The wish for death, the weariness of life, is a phenomenon extremely common, and common because it arises from a multitude of causes; but those causes all run up into this, that, as Sc...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: God's care of His overwrought prophet. Call of Elisha. CHARACTERS: God, Elijah, Jezebel, Elisha. CONCLUSION: Even though we faint in our faith, God abideth faithful. The best thing for a d...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Kings 19:2. _Jezebel_ swore to destroy Elijah. Ahab would perhaps have received the prophet as his monitor and guide, had it not been for this woman, now given over to a reprobate mind. 1 Kings 19:1...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life._ ELIJAH’S SINGULAR REQUEST These words every way are remarkable. They proceed from a certain state of the mind, which is not common. The words are remar...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He arose and went for his life._ THE FLIGHT INTO THE WILDERNESS This is a sad sequel to the triumph on Mount Carmel. Elijah had forgotten Jezebel. Not present herself on Mount Carmel, she had receiv...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 19:1 Elijah has won a mighty battle on the mountain, but a stronger opponent than Ahab awaits him: Queen Jezebel. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    ELIJAH DEJECTED, REPROVED, AND ENCOURAGED CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.— 1 Kings 19:2. SO LET THE GODS DO TO ME—The pl. אֱלֹהִימ is used commonly for GOD, Jehovah; but here appears for Jezebel’s i...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ELIJAH'S FLIGHT THE THEOPHANY OF HOREB AND THE CALLING OF ELISHA.—We can readily understand with what a sense of humiliation and shame the weak and excited king, who must have been awed and...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Ahab told his wife Jezebel the whole story of what had happened, what Elijah did, and how he killed all of her prophets with the sword. And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, and she said, So let...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Kings 13:14; 1 Kings 19:3; 2 Kings 2:11; Amos 6:2; Genesis 21:15;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    ELIJAH FLEEING FOR HIS LIFE 1 Kings 19:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS 1. The story of the slaughter of the prophets of Baal. The people fell on their faces as soon as they saw that God consumed the sacrifice...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Into the wilderness — The vast wilderness of Arabia. He durst not stay in Judah, tho' good Jehosaphat reigned there, because he was allied to Ahab, and was a man of an easy temper, whom Ahab might cir...

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