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Chapter 19

Elijah Flees to Horeb.[a] Now Ahab told Jezebel about everything that Elijah had done, and all about how he had killed all of the prophets by the sword. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, “May the gods do this to me and more if by this time tomorrow I have not made your life like their lives.”

He rose up and fled for his life, going to Beer-sheba in Judah, and he left his servant there.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 19:1 Threatened with death, the prophet Elijah must flee and experiences a real agony that recalls that of Moses (Num 11); it also reminds us of the agony of Jesus, and like Jesus Elijah is strengthened by an angel. He then journeys to the mountain of the covenant. Here the Lord shows himself to be the supreme God by means of impressive phenomena, but he also shows himself to be close to his servant in the form of a light breeze; he strengthens Elijah and reconfirms him in his mission as defender of the faith. The forty-day journey of Elijah to Horeb has a place in the Lenten liturgy, as do Moses’ forty days on Horeb.

Elijah Flees to Horeb

19 Now Ahab told Jezebel(A) everything Elijah had done and how he had killed(B) all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely,(C) if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”(D)

Elijah was afraid[a] and ran(E) for his life.(F) When he came to Beersheba(G) in Judah, he left his servant there,

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 19:3 Or Elijah saw