The Meaning of 1 Kings 18:44 Explained

1 Kings 18:44

KJV: And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at the seventh, that he saith, 'Lo, a little thickness as the palm of a man is coming up out of the sea.' And he saith, 'Go up, say unto Ahab, 'Bind -- and go down, and the shower doth not restrain thee.'

Darby: And it came to pass at the seventh time that he said, Behold there is a cloud, small as a man's hand, arising out of the sea. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Harness and go down, that the pour of rain stop thee not.

ASV: And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot , and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass at the seventh time,  that he said,  Behold, there ariseth  a little  cloud  out of the sea,  like a man's  hand.  And he said,  Go up,  say  unto Ahab,  Prepare  [thy chariot], and get thee down,  that the rain  stop  thee not. 

What does 1 Kings 18:44 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 18:41-46 - Exaltation And Depression
When the priests had been executed, the quick ear of the prophet detected the hurrying rain-clouds. Note the contrast between Ahab and the prophet. The one ascended from the Kishon gorge to eat and drink in his pavilion until the darkened heavens made him drive-post-haste to Jezreel; the other went up to pray! which do we care for most-to eat and drink or to pray? God help us! The answer that our hearts utter is far from satisfactory. But what praying was this! So humble, so intense, so expectant. Six times the servant came down from the spur, saying, "There is nothing," and a seventh time he was sent back to watch the Mediterranean sky-line-this time, not in vain!
But why that sudden change to despair? Was it the overstrain of that day on Carmel, which induced a terrible reaction? Was it that swift run from Carmel to Jezreel, in front of Ahab's fiery steeds? Was it that threat of Jezebel? She, at least, was neither awed nor checkmated by the massacre of her favorite priests. Did he lose sight of God in that dark hour? Elijah was but mortal! His feet had almost gone; his steps had well-nigh slipped, Psalms 73:2. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 18

1  In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah
9  Obadiah brings Ahab to Elijah
17  Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets
41  Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 18:44 mean?

And it came to pass the seventh [time] that he said there is a cloud as small as a hand Of man rising out of the sea so he said go up say to Ahab Prepare [your chariot] and go down and stops you before the rain
וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּשְּׁבִעִ֔ית וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּה־ עָ֛ב קְטַנָּ֥ה כְּכַף־ אִ֖ישׁ עֹלָ֣ה מִיָּ֑ם וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עֲלֵ֨ה אֱמֹ֤ר אֶל־ אַחְאָב֙ אֱסֹ֣ר וָרֵ֔ד וְלֹ֥א יַעַצָרְכָ֖ה הַגָּֽשֶׁם

וַֽיְהִי֙  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בַּשְּׁבִעִ֔ית  the  seventh  [time] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁבִיעִי  
Sense: seventh.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  that  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּה־  there  is 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עָ֛ב  a  cloud 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עָב 
Sense: darkness, cloud, thicket.
קְטַנָּ֥ה  as  small 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
כְּכַף־  as  a  hand 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
אִ֖ישׁ  Of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
עֹלָ֣ה  rising 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִיָּ֑ם  out  of  the  sea 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  so  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עֲלֵ֨ה  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֱמֹ֤ר  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַחְאָב֙  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
אֱסֹ֣ר  Prepare  [your  chariot] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: אָסַר  
Sense: to tie, bind, imprison.
וָרֵ֔ד  and  go  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
יַעַצָרְכָ֖ה  stops  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: עָצַר  
Sense: to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain.
הַגָּֽשֶׁם  before  the  rain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם  
Sense: rain, shower.

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