1 Kings 19:10 kjv
And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
1 Kings 19:10 nkjv
So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."
1 Kings 19:10 niv
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
1 Kings 19:10 esv
He said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away."
1 Kings 19:10 nlt
Elijah replied, "I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
1 Kings 19 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 25:11-13 | Phinehas... was zealous with my zeal among them... a covenant of a lasting priesthood. | Zeal for God leads to covenant recognition. |
| Psa 69:9 | For zeal for your house has consumed me... | Christ's zealous passion for God's honor. |
| Jn 2:17 | His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” | Jesus' temple cleansing illustrating zeal. |
| Exo 19:5-8 | If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession. | The foundational Mosaic covenant established at Sinai. |
| Deu 31:16 | Then the LORD said... this people will rise and prostitute themselves... and forsake my covenant. | Prophecy of Israel's future covenant breaking. |
| Jer 11:10 | "They have turned back... they have violated my covenant." | Israel's repeated and deliberate breaking of the covenant. |
| Eze 16:59 | "I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant." | Divine judgment for covenant violation. |
| 1 Kgs 18:4 | For Jezebel had destroyed the prophets of the LORD... | Direct background to Jezebel's persecution. |
| 2 Chr 24:19-21 | Yet he sent prophets among them... But they would not listen. They conspired against him and stoned him. | A consistent pattern of persecuting God's messengers. |
| Neh 9:26 | Nevertheless, they were disobedient... killed your prophets who had warned them... | Historical summary of Israel's rejection of prophets. |
| Mt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you..." | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's history of prophetic persecution. |
| Heb 11:37 | They were stoned, they were sawn in two... they were killed with the sword. | A general description of the severe suffering of prophets. |
| 1 Kgs 18:20-40 | So Ahab sent... gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel... | Contrast with Elijah's boldness and victory prior to this lament. |
| Rom 11:3-4 | "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.”... “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” | Paul quotes Elijah directly, and God's response of the remnant. |
| 1 Kgs 19:18 | "Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal..." | God's specific revelation to Elijah about the hidden faithful. |
| Isa 6:3 | “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” | "LORD of hosts" emphasizes God's majesty and sovereign power. |
| Psa 46:7 | The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. | "LORD of hosts" signifies divine protection and presence. |
| Psa 142:4 | Look to the right and see: there is none who knows me; no refuge remains for me; no one cares for my soul. | Expresses a similar feeling of deep loneliness and abandonment. |
| Job 6:2-3 | "Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!" | Expressing profound personal distress and lament. |
| Lam 1:1 | How lonely sits the city that was full of people! | Describes a state of desolation, paralleling Elijah's personal feeling. |
| Psa 22:1 | My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? | A cry of deep abandonment and perceived solitude to God. |
| Gal 1:10 | For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? | Illustrates a single-minded commitment to God despite opposition. |
1 Kings 19 verses
1 Kings 19 10 Meaning
Elijah, having fled to Mount Horeb, expresses his profound distress and despair to the Lord. He states he has been intensely zealous for the LORD God of hosts because the people of Israel have abandoned their covenant with God, destroyed His altars, and violently murdered His prophets. Elijah laments that he is the sole remaining prophet of God, and his life is also being sought to be taken away. This declaration reflects his profound sense of isolation, the depth of Israel's apostasy, and his fervent devotion to God's glory amidst widespread national betrayal.
1 Kings 19 10 Context
Chapter 19 follows Elijah's dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel in chapter 18, where he definitively demonstrated the supremacy of YHWH. However, Queen Jezebel, enraged by the slaughter of her prophets, vows to kill Elijah. Fearing for his life, Elijah flees deep into the wilderness, eventually reaching Mount Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God's covenant revelation to Moses. This verse marks Elijah's complaint to God in a cave on Horeb, where he feels completely abandoned and misunderstood, highlighting a moment of deep personal and spiritual exhaustion despite his prior triumphs. The historical backdrop is the severe apostasy of the Northern Kingdom of Israel under Ahab and Jezebel, where Baal worship had largely supplanted the worship of YHWH, with state-sponsored persecution of God's faithful.
1 Kings 19 10 Word analysis
- And he said: Indicates Elijah's direct response and outpouring of his heart to God.
- I have been very jealous: Hebrew qanno qinnēti (קַנֹּא קִנֵּאתִי). This emphatic verbal construction conveys an intense, consuming zeal or fervent passion. It is not personal envy, but a righteous indignation born from a deep concern for God's honor and the purity of His worship, echoing God's own "jealousy" for His unique deity.
- for the LORD God of hosts: Hebrew YHWH Elohim Tzeva'ot (יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת). "YHWH" is God's covenant name. "Elohim" is the general term for God. "Tzeva'ot" means "armies" or "hosts," signifying God as the powerful, sovereign Commander of celestial and earthly forces. Elijah appeals to God's ultimate authority and power, emphasizing the gravity of Israel's betrayal against such a supreme Being.
- for the children of Israel: Refers to the collective nation, particularly the northern kingdom, emphasizing the widespread nature of the rebellion and the failure of an entire people group entrusted with God's covenant.
- have forsaken thy covenant: Hebrew azvu britkha. "Forsaken" means to abandon or turn away from a binding agreement. This refers to the Mosaic covenant given at Sinai, the foundation of Israel's unique relationship with YHWH. Their idolatry and unfaithfulness represented a deliberate and profound breach of this sacred contract.
- thrown down thine altars: Hebrew har'su mizb'khotekha. Refers to the legitimate altars dedicated to YHWH's worship, which were likely located in various places beyond Jerusalem's central temple (like local high places, though some were illicit) or places like Carmel where Elijah himself rebuilt one. Their destruction symbolizes the active suppression of YHWH worship in favor of Baal worship.
- and slain thy prophets with the sword: Hebrew har'gu nevi'ekha becherev. This describes the brutal and violent persecution, specifically the systematic execution of YHWH's prophets, notably under Jezebel's command (1 Kgs 18:4). This highlights the ultimate rejection of God's direct word and messengers.
- and I, even I only, am left: Hebrew Ani ani levaddi nish'arti. The emphatic repetition "Ani ani" (I, I) underscores Elijah's profound personal isolation and despair. He genuinely perceives himself as the sole remaining faithful servant, indicating a human limitation in his perception and a moment of overwhelming emotional exhaustion.
- and they seek my life, to take it away: Hebrew m'vakshim et nafshi lekachtah. Expresses the direct, imminent threat to his life from Jezebel. This personal danger exacerbates his feeling of being the last one standing, amplifying his cry of distress.
1 Kings 19 10 Bonus section
Elijah's lament is notably echoed by the Apostle Paul in Rom 11:3, showing its continuing theological significance concerning God's faithfulness and the doctrine of the remnant. This episode at Horeb represents a turning point where Elijah's external displays of power give way to an internal crisis and a deeper, personal encounter with God. His journey to the mountain where Moses received the law serves as a thematic link, underscoring the weight of the covenant that Israel had abandoned. While accurate in its description of Israel's pervasive sin, Elijah's personal lament highlights that even the greatest spiritual victories can be followed by moments of deep vulnerability and perceived isolation, underscoring the importance of remembering God's sovereignty and His hidden work. This complaint is not one of rebellion, but a heartfelt cry of pain from a faithful, burdened servant.
1 Kings 19 10 Commentary
Elijah's impassioned declaration in 1 Kings 19:10 reveals the heart of a prophet consumed by zeal for God's honor, yet also gripped by profound despair. Having experienced an extraordinary victory on Mount Carmel, he now faces an overwhelming threat and a deep sense of loneliness, believing himself to be the last bastion of true faith in a thoroughly apostate nation. His detailed account of Israel's sins – forsaking the covenant, destroying altars, and killing prophets – is accurate, reflecting the dire spiritual state of the kingdom under Ahab and Jezebel. However, his perception of being "only" one left is born out of human fear and limited sight, contrasted powerfully by God's later revelation of 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal (1 Kgs 19:18). This verse is a classic example of even great servants of God experiencing burnout and disillusionment, highlighting the need for divine comfort and perspective beyond immediate circumstances. It underlines the relentless nature of spiritual warfare against true worship and the heavy toll it can take on God's chosen vessels.