1 Kings 18:2 kjv
And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.
1 Kings 18:2 nkjv
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria.
1 Kings 18:2 niv
So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria,
1 Kings 18:2 esv
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.
1 Kings 18:2 nlt
So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria.
1 Kings 18 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:23-24 | "And thy heaven... shall be brass... and the earth... iron... The Lord shall make the rain... powder..." | Famine as curse for disobedience |
| 1 Kgs 17:1 | "As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." | Elijah's prior prophecy and divine power |
| Jas 5:17-18 | "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain... and it rained not by the space of three years and six months..." | Confirms Elijah's prayer and duration of drought |
| Lk 4:25 | "But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;" | New Testament confirmation of the famine |
| Job 5:10 | "Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields;" | God's sovereignty over rain |
| Ps 147:8 | "Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains." | God's absolute control over creation |
| Amos 4:6-7 | "And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities... I have withholden the rain from you..." | Famine as a specific judgment |
| Jer 14:1-6 | "The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth... Judah mourneth..." | Prophetic warning of famine due to sin |
| Ezek 14:13 | "Son of man, when the land sinneth against me... then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread..." | Famine as a judicial judgment of God |
| Exod 9:16 | "And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth." | God showing Himself through His servants and acts |
| Deut 11:14 | "That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil." | Blessings linked to obedience, famine to disobedience |
| Hos 2:8 | "For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal." | God exposing false gods' inability to provide |
| 2 Sam 12:7-9 | "Nathan said to David, Thou art the man... wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord...?" | Prophet confronting a king's sin |
| Jer 1:17-19 | "Thou therefore gird up thy loins... for they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail..." | Prophetic commission against kings/powers |
| Mt 14:3-4 | "For Herod had laid hold on John... for John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her." | John the Baptist confronting Herod |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." | God's wrath manifest in judgment |
| Heb 11:32-34 | "...of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms... out of weakness were made strong..." | Elijah an example of faith's power |
| Deut 4:19 | "...lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars... and worshippest them..." | Warning against worshipping created things, incl. Baal |
| 2 Kgs 17:5-6 | "Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land... carried Israel away unto Assyria..." | Samaria's ultimate judgment |
| Ps 76:7 | "Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?" | God's fearsome judgment demonstrated by famine |
| Zech 14:17-18 | "And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain." | Future prophetic warning of rain withdrawal |
| 1 Kgs 19:10 | "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant..." | Elijah's zeal against apostasy |
1 Kings 18 verses
1 Kings 18 2 Meaning
First Kings 18:2 reveals Elijah's divinely directed movement to confront King Ahab, signalling the impending dramatic showdown after years of hiddenness. Concurrently, it underscores the continued, severe divine judgment of a devastating famine in Samaria, emphasizing the efficacy of God's word through His prophet against the backdrop of Baal worship.
1 Kings 18 2 Context
First Kings chapter 18 follows Elijah's three-and-a-half-year period of seclusion and divine sustenance during a severe drought that had gripped Israel. Chapter 17 established God's control over rain through Elijah's pronouncement and detailed the prophet's miraculous provision at the Kerith Ravine and with the widow of Zarephath. This context emphasizes YHWH's faithful care for His prophet even as the nation suffers from the famine, which is presented as a direct divine judgment upon Israel's widespread Baal worship under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. The setting in chapter 18 verse 2 thus brings Elijah out of hiding into the heart of the crisis, setting the stage for the dramatic confrontation on Mount Carmel where God's supremacy over Baal will be decisively demonstrated. The drought's intensity confirms the prophet's word and the impotence of Baal, the purported god of rain and fertility.
1 Kings 18 2 Word analysis
- And Elijah: The prophet's re-emergence after a period of absence (approximately 3.5 years). His name, Hebrew ʾĒliyyāhû (אֵלִיָּהוּ), means "My God is YHWH" or "YHWH is God," a significant name given the context of a clash between YHWH and Baal.
- went: Implies deliberate, divinely-guided action, not random chance.
- to show himself: Hebrew lehērāʾôṯ (לְהֵרָאוֹת) is the Niphal infinitive construct of rāʾāh, "to see." Here it means "to cause oneself to be seen" or "to present oneself." It suggests Elijah's active decision, guided by God, to appear before Ahab, indicating a strategic, intentional unveiling. This is not a casual meeting but a prophetic act.
- unto Ahab: The direct recipient of God's word and judgment, King Ahab represents the apostate leadership of Israel. His leadership led the nation into deep idolatry.
- And there was: Signifies an ongoing, prevalent condition.
- a sore: Hebrew ḥāzāq (חָזָק), meaning "strong," "mighty," "severe," "intense." It emphasizes the extreme nature and debilitating impact of the famine, making it far beyond a mere scarcity.
- famine: Hebrew rāʿāb (רָעָב), a widespread lack of food, resulting from the absence of rain. This famine served as YHWH's powerful judgment against Baal worship. Baal was worshipped as the storm god responsible for rain and agricultural fertility, so a sustained famine directly discredits Baal's power.
- in Samaria: The capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, established by Omri, Ahab's father. It was a center of political power and increasingly, a focal point of Baal worship. Its suffering from famine symbolized the plight of the entire nation and the impact of the king's sin.
Words-Group Analysis:
- And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab: This phrase highlights God's strategic timing and Elijah's obedience. After hiding, Elijah steps onto the public stage to confront the king who epitomizes Israel's spiritual decline. It’s a direct challenge to Ahab's authority and false religious system, orchestrated by God. This encounter signifies the end of a hidden judgment phase and the beginning of a public divine intervention.
- And there was a sore famine in Samaria: This emphasizes the critical, desperate state of the nation and the palpable effect of God's judgment. The famine was not merely an inconvenience but a severe, life-threatening crisis affecting even the capital. It was incontrovertible proof that Baal, the god of fertility, was impotent and YHWH was the true Sovereign over creation and the giver of rain. This reality provides the urgent backdrop for Elijah’s mission and Ahab’s desperation.
1 Kings 18 2 Bonus section
- The famine was not merely a natural disaster but a direct, divinely orchestrated consequence of Israel's widespread idolatry and covenant breaking, especially under Ahab and Jezebel's zealous promotion of Baal worship (cf. Deut 28).
- Elijah’s reappearance after 3.5 years of a prolonged drought, with its severity highlighted by "sore famine," served as irrefutable proof of his prior prophecy (1 Kgs 17:1) and the Lord's absolute power over nature, contrasting sharply with Baal, who was supposed to bring rain and fertility.
- The tension implied in "Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab" is immense. Ahab had actively sought Elijah for years, hoping to blame him for the drought, possibly intending to kill him. For Elijah to voluntarily appear demonstrates tremendous faith and obedience to God’s timing.
- The famine served as a primary point of theological polemic. If Baal was the lord of the skies and storms, why was his land so utterly deprived of rain? This context prepares the ground for the "contest of gods" on Mount Carmel, where the true source of rain (and life) will be revealed.
1 Kings 18 2 Commentary
1 Kings 18:2 acts as the pivotal verse bridging Elijah's three-and-a-half-year hiding with the monumental Mount Carmel showdown. The command for Elijah to "show himself" is a divine appointment, demonstrating God's sovereign control over His prophet's movements and His timing for national intervention. Elijah's appearance before Ahab is not merely a meeting but a confrontational prophetic act designed to declare YHWH's authority over the idolatry rampant in Israel. The stark reality of the "sore famine in Samaria" serves as constant, tangible proof of God's judgment and Baal's impotence, setting the undeniable premise for the upcoming contest. The famine, meant to turn hearts back to God, had reached such a severe point that the entire nation, even its capital, was desperate, indicating that God’s patient, yet firm, discipline was reaching its climax. This scenario highlights divine providence using natural disaster as a means to call His people back to Himself and demonstrate His unique power over all creation and false deities.