1 Kings 18:42 kjv
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
1 Kings 18:42 nkjv
So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees,
1 Kings 18:42 niv
So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
1 Kings 18:42 esv
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees.
1 Kings 18:42 nlt
So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.
1 Kings 18 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jas 5:17-18 | "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly... | Fervent prayer for rain, mirroring Elijah. |
| Phil 2:8 | "...he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death..." | Christ's ultimate humility, like Elijah's posture. |
| 2 Chr 7:13-14 | "If I shut up heaven so that there is no rain... my people who are called... will humble themselves..." | Humility and prayer as prerequisites for rain/restoration. |
| Psa 51:17 | "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart..." | God values humility and a repentant spirit. |
| Lam 3:29 | "Let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope." | Deep humility as a posture of hope and repentance. |
| Heb 10:23 | "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." | Elijah's unwavering trust in God's promise. |
| Gen 17:3 | "Then Abram fell on his face..." | Abraham's posture of humility before God. |
| Num 16:22 | "Then they fell on their faces and said, 'O God, the God of the spirits...'" | Moses and Aaron falling prostrate in intercession. |
| Mt 6:31-33 | "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ ...seek first the kingdom..." | Contrasting Ahab's focus with spiritual priorities. |
| Jn 4:31-34 | "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." | Jesus' focus on divine will, not just food. |
| Ps 42:1-2 | "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God..." | The depth of spiritual yearning reflected in Elijah's posture. |
| Ps 28:2 | "Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary." | A plea for mercy is often accompanied by physical postures. |
| Gen 2:19 | "when he sends it forth, there is rain and hail..." (Job 38:28 - God's control of rain) | God's absolute sovereignty over the weather. |
| Hos 6:3 | "...he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." | God's blessings compared to refreshing rain. |
| Isa 41:17-18 | "When the poor and needy seek water and there is none... I the Lord will answer them." | God answers those who humble themselves in need. |
| Zeph 2:3 | "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility..." | Exhortation to humility before God. |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." | Humility precedes exaltation and divine action. |
| Mk 14:35 | "And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass..." | Jesus' posture of deep prayer and anguish. |
| Ezra 9:5 | "...at the evening sacrifice I rose from my humiliation, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell on my knees and spread out my hands..." | Ezra's prayer of humiliation and supplication. |
| Joel 2:23-24 | "Be glad, O children of Zion... for he has given you the early rain for your vindication... The threshing floors shall be full of grain..." | God's promise of restorative rain. |
1 Kings 18 verses
1 Kings 18 42 Meaning
1 Kings 18:42 portrays the contrasting responses of King Ahab and the prophet Elijah immediately following the dramatic victory of God over Baal on Mount Carmel. While Ahab ascends to eat and drink, focusing on physical comfort and revelry, Elijah ascends to the summit of Carmel not for feasting, but for intense, humble, and expectant prayer. His unique prostrate posture signifies deep reverence, desperate supplication, and unwavering faith in God's promised rain after years of drought. This moment encapsulates a powerful lesson in prioritizing the spiritual over the carnal, demonstrating the prophet's profound humility and commitment to God's will.
1 Kings 18 42 Context
1 Kings 18:42 follows immediately after one of the most significant demonstrations of God's power in the Old Testament, where Elijah publicly confronted the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah on Mount Carmel (1 Ki 18:20-40). The context is a period of severe drought (1 Ki 18:1, Jam 5:17) and rampant idolatry in Israel under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Elijah has already announced the impending rain to Ahab (1 Ki 18:41), setting the stage for God's promised action after a long period of judgment. This verse transitions from the public display of power to Elijah's private, intense prayer, indicating that divine intervention is often a response not only to spectacular displays of power but also to humble, persistent prayer. The historical context shows the conflict between Yahwism and Canaanite Baal worship, a clash where God dramatically proved His sole sovereignty.
1 Kings 18 42 Word analysis
- So Ahab went up: King Ahab's immediate response to God's triumphant display is purely pragmatic and self-focused. He goes up from the place of slaughter towards his palace area for physical gratification. His ascent symbolizes a return to comfort and indulgence.
- to eat and to drink: This phrase highlights Ahab's primary concern—satisfying his bodily needs. It signifies a worldly focus, an immediate return to normal life activities, utterly contrasting Elijah's spiritual focus. This demonstrates his spiritual indifference despite witnessing God's overwhelming power.
- And Elijah: The prophet, whose name אֵלִיָּהוּ (
Eliyyahu) means "My God is Yahweh," is the central figure in challenging the apostasy and represents God's faithful remnant. - went up: Unlike Ahab's "going up" for food, Elijah's ascent is for spiritual engagement, towards God. The repeated "went up" creates a deliberate parallel and contrast.
- to the top of Carmel: Mount Carmel (
Karmel) was a place significant for Baal worship and now redefined by Yahweh's power. Ascending to its highest point signifies reaching a place of solitude, closer to God, often associated with spiritual intensity and revelation (e.g., Moses on Sinai). - and he bowed himself down: The Hebrew word used here is גָּחַן (
gachán), meaning "to bend low," "to crouch," or "to prostrate oneself." This indicates a posture of profound humility, submission, and intense reverence before God. It's more than a casual bow; it signifies a stripping away of self and utter surrender. - on the earth: Emphasizes extreme lowliness and humility. Lying prostrate on the ground signifies total dependence, surrender, and deep humility before the Almighty, a sign of abasement and vulnerability.
- and put his face between his knees: This is an exceptionally intense and uncommon posture of prayer in the Bible. It speaks to extreme concentration, possibly deep anguish, or an almost fetal position suggesting intense spiritual labor or groaning. It suggests an inward turning, cutting off distractions, and intensely focusing on God, perhaps in supplication for God to "break open" the heavens and send rain. This posture signifies profound intimacy, utter self-abasement, and an unburdening of the soul. Some scholars interpret it as symbolic of a birth-like travail or spiritual agony until a breakthrough.
1 Kings 18 42 Bonus section
The scene on Carmel profoundly illustrates the ongoing spiritual warfare: not just against idols but against human complacency and self-indulgence. Ahab represents the typical unrepentant heart, focused solely on the transient, physical world even after witnessing a miracle. Elijah, however, personifies spiritual intensity and single-mindedness for God's glory. His "face between his knees" posture, though physically demanding and highly unusual, emphasizes that true, effectual prayer often requires immense spiritual exertion and an almost painful surrender of self. This deep immersion in prayer may also signify Elijah's unique role as a prophetic intercessor, bearing the burden of God's covenant with Israel for the return of rain. It teaches that the spiritual breakthroughs of God's people are often born out of intense, private travail and humility, reinforcing that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8), yet prayer is our participation in God's unfolding will.
1 Kings 18 42 Commentary
1 Kings 18:42 presents a stark contrast in priorities and postures following God's victory on Carmel. While Ahab immediately retreats to his earthly pleasures, Elijah ascends the mount for intense, humble prayer. This action underscores several crucial spiritual truths. First, public displays of power must be followed by private, humble communion with God. Elijah, having been vindicated, does not boast but prostrates himself. Second, his unusual posture – "face between his knees" – speaks to profound humility (Psa 51:17), intense concentration, and earnest travail in prayer (Jam 5:17-18). It is not merely a formality but a physical manifestation of deep spiritual wrestling and unwavering faith in God's promise to send rain (1 Ki 18:1). This illustrates that even when God has promised a thing, His people are called to pray it into being, demonstrating dependence and faith. Elijah's example shows the necessary humility for effective intercession and the relentless pursuit of God's will. It models how a true servant of God transitions from triumphant proclamation to fervent, dependent supplication, not allowing outward success to diminish inner reliance on God.