1 Kings 19:2 kjv
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
1 Kings 19:2 nkjv
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."
1 Kings 19:2 niv
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."
1 Kings 19:2 esv
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow."
1 Kings 19:2 nlt
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them."
1 Kings 19 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 18:40 | And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them. | Context: Elijah's preceding act triggering threat. |
| 1 Ki 21:25 | (Indeed there was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, incited by Jezebel his wife. | Jezebel's malicious character and influence. |
| 2 Ki 9:7 | And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the servants of the LORD. | God's future judgment on Jezebel for prophets' blood. |
| Neh 6:9 | For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands. | Threats intended to deter God's servants. |
| Ps 27:1 | The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? | Contrast with Elijah's fear, God as protector. |
| Ps 55:6 | And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; | A desire for flight in distress (echoes Elijah's flight). |
| Jer 20:10 | For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends... | Prophet facing opposition and death threats. |
| Eze 3:8-9 | Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads... not be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. | God empowering prophets against intimidation. |
| Joel 2:13 | ...rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love... | Call for repentance contrasted with Jezebel's impenitence. |
| Hos 2:17 | And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth... | Hope after suffering, a contrast to Elijah's despair. |
| Jonah 1:3 | But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD... | A prophet's flight from divine calling/persecution. |
| Matt 10:28 | And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. | God's ultimate power over human threats. |
| Matt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you..." | Persecution and murder of God's prophets. |
| Luke 13:33-34 | "Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem." | Prophets face danger, yet divine timing. |
| John 16:33 | "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." | Christ's promise of peace amidst tribulation. |
| Acts 9:1 | But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord... | Intense, murderous threats against God's people. |
| Acts 20:23 | ...except that the Holy Spirit warns me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. | Expectation of persecution for Christian ministry. |
| Rom 8:31 | What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | God's protective presence despite threats. |
| Heb 11:38 | ...destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. | Describes suffering prophets and saints like Elijah. |
| Jas 5:17 | Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain upon the earth. | Highlights Elijah's human vulnerability despite power. |
| Rev 2:20-23 | But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. | The spiritual legacy and warning against "Jezebel." |
1 Kings 19 verses
1 Kings 19 2 Meaning
1 Kings 19:2 records Queen Jezebel's direct and potent death threat against the prophet Elijah. Following Elijah's decisive victory over the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel, Jezebel, enraged, sends a messenger to declare that she will surely kill Elijah within a single day, invoking a severe curse upon herself if she fails to do so. This verse signifies the escalating conflict between true worship of Yahweh and pagan idolatry, embodied by Jezebel's staunch devotion to Baal, and underscores the personal danger Elijah faced as God's prophet.
1 Kings 19 2 Context
This verse immediately follows the dramatic confrontation on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), where Elijah publicly shamed and defeated the prophets of Baal and Asherah, leading to their execution. This decisive act proved Yahweh's sole deity and power, bringing an end to the severe drought through rain. Queen Jezebel, a fierce devotee and patron of Baal worship and the very force behind the proliferation of idolatry in Israel, received news of this humiliation and the death of her prophets. Her message in 1 Kings 19:2 is not a negotiation but a sworn declaration of vengeance, directly aimed at taking Elijah's life. It sets the stage for Elijah's flight into the wilderness, revealing his sudden shift from courageous faith to human fear and despair.
1 Kings 19 2 Word analysis
Then (וַתִּשְׁלַח, wattishlaḥ): The Hebrew connective "waw" plus imperfect, meaning "and she sent." This swift action emphasizes Jezebel's immediate and determined response upon hearing the news, revealing her active malice rather than passive rage.
Jezebel (אִיזֶבֶל, Izebal): A Phoenician princess from Tyre, wife of King Ahab. Her name possibly means "Where is the Prince?" (referring to Baal) or "Baal exalts." She was the principal force promoting Baal and Asherah worship in Israel, fiercely persecuting Yahweh's prophets. Her identity underscores the conflict between Canaanite idolatry and Yahweh worship, not merely as religious but as existential for Israel.
sent (וַתִּשְׁלַח, wattishlaḥ): Implies her authority and proactive posture. She is not passive; she takes decisive action, leveraging royal power.
a messenger (מַלְאָךְ, mal'akh): A delegate or envoy. By sending a messenger instead of confronting Elijah herself, Jezebel employs a chillingly formal and public declaration of intent, signifying an official death sentence rather than a private vendetta. This adds gravity and makes the threat widely known.
to Elijah (אֶל-אֵלִיָּהוּ, ʾel-ʾElīyāhū): "To Elijah," whose name means "My God is Yahweh." This name stands in stark opposition to Jezebel's pagan devotion, highlighting the clash of allegiances.
saying (לֵאמֹר, lēʾmor): Introduces the direct speech of her ominous oath.
So (כֹּה, kōh): An adverb meaning "thus" or "so." It introduces a self-imprecatory oath, typical of ancient Near Eastern curses, where the speaker invokes divine judgment upon themselves if they fail to uphold their vow.
may the gods (אֱלֹהִים, ʾĕlōhîm): While ʾĕlōhîm can refer to God (Yahweh), in Jezebel's mouth, especially immediately following the defeat of Baal and her zealous worship of other deities, it emphatically refers to her gods (Baal, Asherah, and the pantheon she served). This is a direct challenge and theological polemic, as she trusts in the power of these false deities to avenge their humiliation.
do to me and more also (יַעֲשׂוּ אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יֹסִפוּ, yaʿăśû ʾĕlōhîm wəkōh yōsîfû): This is a powerful, amplified oath. It implies an overwhelming and perhaps unspecified calamity ("more also") beyond a typical judgment if she fails. It highlights the depth of her rage and determination to fulfill her vow, binding herself to her commitment by the highest means possible for her.
if I do not make your life (אִם־לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת-נַפְשְׁךָ, ʾim-lōʾ ʾeʿĕśeh ʾet-nafšəkhā): "If not I will make your soul..." "Naphshəkhā" (your soul/life) refers to the totality of his being, signifying his very existence.
as the life of one of them (כְּנֶפֶשׁ אַחַד מֵהֶם, kənepheš ʾaḥaḏ mēhem): "Them" refers directly to the executed prophets of Baal on Carmel. Jezebel's intent is unequivocally to kill Elijah, just as he killed her prophets. This establishes a "lex talionis" (law of retaliation) in her mind, though perverted from its divine context.
by this time tomorrow (כָּעֵת מָחָר, kaʿēth māḥār): Specifies a strict 24-hour deadline. This immediate timeframe demonstrates Jezebel's urgency and adds immense pressure, suggesting no escape or delay is possible.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying...": This formal declaration highlights Jezebel's unbending resolve and position of power. It's a royal death warrant delivered publicly.
- "So may the gods do to me and more also...": This powerful, pagan self-imprecatory oath underscores Jezebel's unwavering commitment to her deities and her desire for vengeance, explicitly calling upon her false gods against Yahweh's prophet. It's a defiant affirmation of her idolatry in the face of Yahweh's demonstrated power.
- "...if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.": This is a clear, precise, and immediate death threat. It promises the swift retribution for the slaughter of the Baal prophets, showing Jezebel's full intention to exact personal revenge upon Elijah within a defined timeline.
1 Kings 19 2 Bonus section
The nature of Jezebel's oath reflects common ancient Near Eastern practices, where oaths were powerful and legally binding declarations, often invoking divine witness and judgment. Her use of "the gods" in such a potent oath served not only as a personal pledge but as a public statement of her unwavering allegiance to her foreign deities, directly opposing Yahweh's claim to sole sovereignty in Israel. This scene underscores a deep spiritual truth: the visible triumph of God often provokes intense and immediate backlash from the forces of darkness. While Elijah just witnessed divine fire and the rain that ended a three-year drought, the purely human threat delivered by Jezebel's messenger was enough to cause him, a man of profound faith, to flee in fear. It highlights the psychological impact of concentrated opposition and the very human fragility that can affect even the mightiest prophets of God. This also provides an important counterpoint to the typical prophetic narrative, showing that victory does not always lead to security, and personal courage can falter in the face of sustained, intense opposition.
1 Kings 19 2 Commentary
Following the magnificent display of Yahweh's power on Mount Carmel and the execution of Baal's prophets, 1 Kings 19:2 provides a jarring transition. Instead of immediate national repentance, the verse showcases the deep-seated resistance to Yahweh personified in Queen Jezebel. Her message is not merely a threat; it is an oath-bound declaration of war against Elijah, a royal decree of death that vows ultimate vengeance for the slaughter of her pagan prophets. The specificity of her curse, calling on "the gods" (her false deities) to "do to me and more also" if she fails, emphasizes her fervent devotion to Baal and her complete defiance of Yahweh, even after His overwhelming triumph. Her intent to make Elijah's life "as the life of one of them" underscores a direct blood-for-blood retribution for the Carmel event. The chilling deadline of "by this time tomorrow" removes any doubt about her earnestness and urgency. This single verse effectively shatters any illusion that Elijah's spiritual triumph on Carmel instantly eliminated the pagan threat or insulated him from earthly dangers, exposing his profound vulnerability and setting the stage for his subsequent flight. It serves as a stark reminder that even after mighty victories, spiritual warfare continues, often escalating into intense personal opposition against God's faithful servants.