And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.
Parallel translations
- WEB Elijah said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”
- BSB Then Elijah said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will present myself to Ahab today.”
- NKJV Then Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.”
- NASB Then Elijah said, “As surely as the Lord of armies lives, before whom I stand, I will certainly present myself to him today.”
- NLT But Elijah said, “I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Elijah solemnly swears by the living God that he will present himself to Ahab that very day. His oath removes Obadiah's fear.
Overview
Elijah's vow, made before "Yahweh of Armies, before whom I stand," expresses his unwavering sense of standing in God's presence and service. By guaranteeing he will not flee, he frees Obadiah to deliver the message safely. The phrase captures the prophet's identity: a man whose first allegiance is to the Lord he constantly serves.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Kgs 17:1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, 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.
- 1 Kgs 18:10As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
- Isa 51:7–8Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
- Isa 6:3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
- Ps 24:8–10Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
- Heb 6:16–17For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
- Deut 4:19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
- Luke 2:13–14And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
- Luke 1:19And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
- Gen 2:1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
- Deut 1:38But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
- Jer 8:2And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
- Ps 103:21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
- Ps 148:2–3Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
- Job 25:3Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 18:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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