Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 18:7
And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou that my lord Elijah?
7 16. Meeting of Obadiah and Elijah (Not in Chronicles)
7. and he knew him ] The prophet’s garb would probably make him easy to be recognized, and he must have been seen more than once in Samaria, and by Ahab’s household. The LXX. renders = and he hastened.
fell on his face ] For to Obadiah Elijah would seem to be God’s special representative, and the champion of the cause of the true religion. Josephus, wrongly, represents Elijah as bowing down to Obadiah. The expressions ‘lord’ and ‘servant’ or rather ‘slave’ used by Obadiah are indexes of his fear of Elijah.
Art thou that my lord Elijah? ] R.V. better, ‘ Is it thou, my lord Elijah?’ The word which A.V. translates is merely an addition to render the pronoun emphatic. See note on 1Ki 17:2-7, where the emphatic particle is the same as in this verse.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
By this profound reverence showing his great respect and love to him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7-16. Obadiah was in the way . . .Elijah met himDeeming it imprudent to rush without previousintimation into Ahab’s presence, the prophet solicited Obadiah toannounce his return to Ahab. The commission, with a delicate allusionto the perils he had already encountered in securing others of God’sservants, was, in very touching terms, declined, as unkind andpeculiarly hazardous. But Elijah having dispelled all theapprehensions entertained about the Spirit’s carrying him away,Obadiah undertook to convey the prophet’s message to Ahab and solicitan interview. But Ahab, bent on revenge, or impatient for theappearance of rain, went himself to meet Elijah.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And as Obadiah was in the way,…. In his district, making his observations:
behold, Elijah met him: where is not said; but he was, no doubt, upon the road from Zarephath to Samaria:
and he knew him that is, Obadiah knew Elijah, having seen him at Ahab’s court before he absconded:
and fell on his face, and said, art thou that my lord Elijah? thus doing him honour and reverence both by words and gesture, as being an extraordinary prophet of the Lord.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Art thou that . . .The sense is either (as the LXX. has it) Is it thy very self, my lord Elijah? or (perhaps more suitably to the context), Thou here, my lord Elijah, when all seek thy life? The prophets answer is still simpler in its original brevity, Behold, Elijah! standing in dignified contrast with the humble and almost servile address of Obadiah, which is clearly the offspring not only of reverence, but of fear.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Thou that my lord Elijah His language, as well as his action, on meeting and recognising Elijah, was full of emotion and surprise. Is it thou, to find whom every royal device has been exhausted; thou, Elijah, in broad daylight, right here near the gates of Samaria!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou that my lord Elijah?
Ver. 7. And he knew him. ] They were of old acquaintance, doubtless, so good a man, and so great a prophet. Mr Fox, when a great lord, and wicked, met him in the streets, and asked him, How do you, Mr Fox? he said little. When the great lord said, Do you not know me? No, not I, said Mr Fox. I am such a one, said he. Sir, I desire, said Mr Fox, to know none but Christ and him crucified. At another time being asked whether he knew such a godly poor man, he answered, I remember him well: I tell you, I forget lords and ladies to remember such.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
was in the way: 1Ki 11:29
he knew: 2Ki 1:6-8, Mat 3:4, Mat 11:8
fell on: Gen 18:2, Gen 50:18, 1Sa 20:41, 2Sa 19:18, Isa 60:14
my lord Elijah: Gen 18:12, Gen 44:16, Gen 44:20, Gen 44:33, Num 12:11
Reciprocal: Gen 42:10 – General 2Ki 2:19 – my Lord seeth Dan 4:19 – My Lord
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 18:7-8. He knew him, and fell on his face Showing his great respect and love to him, by this profound reverence. Art thou that my lord Elijah? As Obadiah had showed the tenderness of a father to the sons of the prophets, so he showed the reverence of a son to this father of the prophets; and by this he made it appear, that he did indeed fear the Lord greatly, in that he did such honour to one that was Gods extraordinary ambassador, and had a great interest in heaven. Go tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here Thus, though Ahab was a very wicked man, he owns him for Obadiahs lord and king; thereby instructing us, that the wickedness of kings doth not exempt their subjects from obedience to their lawful commands.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah {c} met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, [Art] thou that my lord Elijah?
(c) God often pities the wicked for the sake of the godly, and causes Elijah to meet with Obadiah, that the blessing might be known to be granted for the sake of God’s children.