1 Kings 19:6 kjv
And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
1 Kings 19:6 nkjv
Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
1 Kings 19:6 niv
He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
1 Kings 19:6 esv
And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again.
1 Kings 19:6 nlt
He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
1 Kings 19 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 21:15-19 | Hagar cast Ishmael under a bush...God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. | Divine provision in a desolate place, saving from death. |
| Exod 16:4 | Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain bread from heaven for you." | God provides supernatural food in the wilderness. |
| Exod 17:6 | I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it. | God provides life-sustaining water from a solid source. |
| Deut 8:3 | He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna...that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone. | God provides essential needs to teach dependence. |
| Deut 8:4 | Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. | God sustains during a prolonged wilderness journey. |
| Ps 23:5 | You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. | God's protective and sustaining provision amidst difficulty. |
| Ps 37:25 | I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread. | Assurance of God's faithfulness in providing for His own. |
| Ps 42:1-2 | As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. | The longing for divine presence often parallels physical needs. |
| Ps 78:23-24 | He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; he rained down manna upon them. | God's power over creation for the sake of His people's sustenance. |
| Ps 107:5-9 | Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD...He fills the hungry with good things. | God's response to the desperate and faint, providing relief. |
| Isa 40:29-31 | He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. | God strengthens the weak and weary. |
| Matt 4:11 | Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. | Angels minister to Jesus after His temptation and fasting. |
| Matt 6:25-34 | Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink...your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. | God's awareness of and provision for basic human needs. |
| Matt 11:28 | Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | Invitation for the weary to find spiritual and physical rest in Christ. |
| Mark 1:13 | And he was in the wilderness forty days...And the angels were ministering to him. | Echoes wilderness angelic ministry, mirroring Elijah's journey. |
| John 6:35, 48-51 | Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger." | Christ as the ultimate spiritual sustenance, paralleling physical bread. |
| Heb 1:14 | Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? | Angels serve believers, fulfilling divine purposes of care. |
| Heb 4:15-16 | For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses...Let us then with confidence draw near. | God understands and sympathizes with human frailties and despair. |
| Jas 5:16-18 | Elijah was a man with a nature like ours...He prayed fervently...and the sky poured rain. | Elijah's humanity is highlighted, showing God's grace even to His imperfect servants. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. | God's enduring compassion and renewed mercies each day. |
| Phil 4:19 | And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. | General promise of God's comprehensive provision for believers. |
1 Kings 19 verses
1 Kings 19 6 Meaning
1 Kings 19:6 depicts God's immediate and tender provision for Elijah in his state of deep physical and emotional exhaustion. Having fled into the wilderness, despairing and wishing for death, Elijah lay sleeping. This verse records his awakening to find divinely provided sustenance – a freshly baked cake and a cruse of water – which he consumed before resuming his rest, illustrating YHWH's compassionate care for His weary prophet.
1 Kings 19 6 Context
Chapter 19 begins with Jezebel's fierce vow to kill Elijah after he had executed the prophets of Baal following the Mount Carmel contest (1 Ki 18). Despite his mighty display of divine power and faith, Elijah, succumbing to fear and deep despondency, fled into the wilderness. He journeyed a day into the desert, sat under a broom tree, and prayed for death (1 Ki 19:3-4), signifying utter physical and emotional exhaustion coupled with spiritual defeat. It is in this profound state of despair, with his physical strength depleted, that the events of verse 6 unfold. An angel of YHWH appears not to rebuke or immediately offer spiritual counsel, but to address his fundamental physical needs first, enabling him for the next stage of his divine encounter.
1 Kings 19 6 Word analysis
- And he looked: Hebrew
vayab_bet(וַיַּבֵּט). This implies a conscious act of observing or perceiving, indicating an immediate response to the sensation of the angel's touch (from v. 5). It's not a passive glance but a focused look at his immediate surroundings. - and, behold,: Hebrew
vehinneh(וְהִנֵּה). This interjection highlights surprise and a sudden, unexpected discovery. It emphasizes the miraculous and timely appearance of the provisions, a divine manifestation for Elijah. - there was at his head: Signifies the proximity and directness of the provision. It was precisely where he was sleeping, indicating a tender, personal act of care, requiring minimal effort from Elijah to receive.
- a cake baken on the coals: Hebrew
ugath retsafim(עֻגַת רְצָפִים). This refers to a flat cake, often a simple bread, cooked directly on hot stones or embers. It represents basic, readily available sustenance, miraculously prepared. It's not a grand feast, but essential, warm, nourishing food, perfectly suited for a tired and hungry man in the wilderness. It speaks to the practical and immediate nature of God's help. - and a cruse of water: Hebrew
tsappachath mayim(צַפַּחַת מַיִם). Atsappachathis a small jug or flask. Water is a vital necessity, especially in a desert environment, and its provision along with bread completes the basic elements for survival and immediate physical recovery. The simplicity and life-sustaining nature are key. - And he did eat and drink: Elijah actively consumed the provisions, showing his physical need and obedience to the implicit invitation to partake. This act signifies the direct nourishment provided by God for physical restoration.
- and laid him down again: This highlights Elijah's continued exhaustion and the partial, gradual nature of his recovery. The divine provision was not a one-time spiritual cure-all, but a step in the process of his restoration. He needed further physical rest before his spiritual and emotional state could be fully addressed.
1 Kings 19 6 Bonus section
The nature of the provision – a simple baked cake and water – contrasts sharply with human expectations of miraculous provisions for a mighty prophet. It speaks to God's economy and directness, meeting basic needs without fanfare, yet with profound care. The repetition of "laid him down again" (found also in verse 5) emphasizes the extreme fatigue Elijah was experiencing and the essential role of rest in his recovery process, orchestrated by God. This episode also serves as a crucial bridge to the "forty days and forty nights" journey to Mount Horeb (v. 8), echoing the journeys of Moses and Jesus in the wilderness and linking Elijah to pivotal divine encounters following periods of supernatural sustenance. God did not abandon Elijah; He strengthened him for the next stage of revelation and service.
1 Kings 19 6 Commentary
1 Kings 19:6 stands as a profound testament to God's compassionate care for His servants, especially in moments of extreme vulnerability. After Mount Carmel's triumph, Elijah experiences severe burnout and suicidal despair, finding refuge in the wilderness. YHWH's response is remarkably practical: He sends an angel not to offer rebuke or complex spiritual lessons, but to meet Elijah's fundamental physical needs. The freshly baked cake and water represent simple, life-sustaining provisions, given directly and without delay. This sequence reveals God's tender priority: He addresses physical exhaustion and depletion before confronting emotional and spiritual distress. Elijah's eating and subsequent return to sleep emphasize the depths of his weariness and God's gradual process of restoring His servant, providing just what was needed for the next crucial steps in his journey. This verse highlights divine enablement through practical means, underscoring God's personal involvement in the life of a prophet at his lowest point.