Fleeing Jezebel to Horeb, Elijah finds God not in wind, earthquake, or fire but in 'a still small voice,' and is sent to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
verse value 3441
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 55 letters. The shortest word is "did" (עָשָׂ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·prophets" (אֶת־כׇּל־הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים, 11 letters). Words sharing gematria 551: all·that, all·that. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·Jezebel" (לְאִיזֶ֔בֶל), "all·the·prophets" (אֶת־כׇּל־הַנְּבִיאִ֖ים). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·that" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "did" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "Ahab" (root אחאב, 49x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Elijah', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words.
Ralbag
"All that Elijah did." This refers to what he did to bring down fire upon the burnt-offering, in a manner that consumed the burnt-offering, the wood, the stones, and licked up the water in the trench, in order to test that the Lord is God. And it also refers to what he did by bringing the rain.
"And how he had slain all the prophets with the sword." It would seem that he informed her that he had commanded them to seize them all and bring them down to the Kishon River, and slaughter them there, as if he desired that their blood not defile the land; and for this reason their blood was poured out into the river, which would carry it to a distant place.
Metzudat David
That he did. In bringing down the fire and the rain.
Malbim
"All"—from the descent of the fire and the rain; and "all"—that is to say, the reason for which he [Elijah] killed them, [namely] that he [Ahab] wanted to vindicate Elijah; that is to say, all the details for which he [Elijah] killed all the prophets.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying: ‘So let the gods do [to me], and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time.’
verse value 4547
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 74 letters. Notable word values: "gods" (אֱלֹהִים֙) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "and·thus" (וְכֹ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Elijah" (אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֖הוּ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·may·they·add" (יֽוֹסִפ֔וּן), "that·about·this·time" (כִּֽי־כָעֵ֤ת), "as·soul" (כְּנֶ֖פֶשׁ). The root נפש appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "so·let·them·do" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "gods" (root אלהים, 99x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'saying', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 11 words.
Rashi
"So may God do." Just as you did to the prophets of Baal:
Radak
"Thus may the gods do, and thus may they add." This is the manner of an oath, like "Thus may God do to me, and thus may He add." And she spoke in the plural because her intention was toward the gods that she used to serve — the Baal and the Asherah. And it is astonishing what Jonathan rendered: "So may the fear of the Lord do." But in a good manuscript I found: "So may my fear do," and this is the truth; and the reading found in them, "the fear of the Lord," is a scribal error.
Ralbag
“So may the gods do.” It is stated in the plural language to denote the multitude of deities they used to worship:
Metzudat David
So shall they do , etc. It is a matter of an oath and exaggeration; and she did not say so. And as though she said: 'like that good they shall do' etc. And they will yet add good; for now tomorrow, etc. And she said in the language of the plural; for she served Baal and Asherah.
Metzudat Zion
Ka'et. The kaf comes to affirm the matter:
Malbim
The questions: Why did she not kill him immediately?
And Jezebel sent [messengers], seeing that Ahab’s heart was inclined toward Elijah and vindicating him, and it did not please her to kill him immediately, for she thought that by night Ahab’s heart would turn back to his wickedness.
And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
verse value 3202
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָֽׁם, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·his·life" (אֶל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·his·life" (אֶל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ), "well" (בְּאֵ֥ר), "to·Judah" (לִיהוּדָ֑ה). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "to·his·life" (root איל, 125x in I Kings); "and·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיַּ֗רְא [and·saw] (217) + וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ [and·arose] (156) + וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ [and·went] (66) + אֶל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ [to·his·life] (467) + וַיָּבֹ֕א [and·came] (19) + בְּאֵ֥ר [well] (203) + שֶׁ֖בַע [sheba] (372) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [which] (501) + לִיהוּדָ֑ה [to·Judah] (60) + וַיַּנַּ֥ח [and·he·deposited] (74) + אֶֽת־נַעֲר֖וֹ [his·servant] (727) + שָֽׁם [there] (340) = 3202.
Radak
"And he saw, and he arose." He saw himself in danger, and he went and fled for his life. As for the commentators who interpret "and he saw" as equivalent to "and he was afraid," I do not know why they do so. Moreover, it is grammatically untenable. Furthermore, Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translated it: "And he saw, and he arose, and he went to save his life."
“And he came to Beersheba, which is in Judah.” It was not stated “which is in Judah” except because of the Beersheba found in the portion of the tribe of Simeon, for that very verse also lists it in the portion of the tribe of Judah. And I have already explained that both are one and the same. Since the portion of the tribe of Simeon lies within the portion of the tribe of Judah, it was counted with Judah and also counted with Simeon. Rather, the phrase “which is in Judah” means that he went out from under the authority of Ahab and from his land, and he went to the land of Judah, out of fear of Jezebel.
Ralbag
"And he saw, and he rose, and he went to save his life." This means that when he saw the danger in which he was, he did not wish to rely on a miracle; rather, he immediately rose and went to save his life.
“And he came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah.” This means that it already belonged to the king of Judah, and therefore he came there to take refuge from the hand of Jezebel. Although he entered the territory allotted to the tribe of Simeon, it appeared as though, because it was situated within the cities of Judah, the inhabitants of that city were under the authority of the king of Judah. Or perhaps, during the wars fought between the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel, the kings of Judah had captured this city.
Metzudat David
And he saw. He saw himself in danger.
For his life. In order to save his life.
That belongs to Judah. And it is not Ahab's rule.
Malbim
The questions: What is the meaning of “and he saw”? What did he see? What is the meaning of the expression “and he went to his soul”?
"And he saw" – He perceived through the Holy Spirit that he could, and he went to his soul. For Elijah was accustomed to seclude himself for most of his days, and he occupied himself with his own perfection, to perfect his soul. Only in times of need was he sent as a prophet to the people. And after he saw that all the miracles he performed had no effect, he perceived that he had no business in perfecting the people. Therefore, he arose and turned to go toward the perfection of his soul. And although he came to Beersheba of Judah, where he no longer feared Jezebel, nevertheless he left his servant there, to separate himself from human beings and go out to the wilderness to seclude himself, for this was now his heart's desire, as it is written: "Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men" (Jeremiah 9:2).
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom-tree; and he requested for himself that he might die; and said: ‘It is enough; now, O Hashem, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.’
verse value 6588
Insights
Verse structure: 22 words, 89 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). Verse gematria: 6588 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "many" (רַ֗ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·went" (וְהֽוּא־הָלַ֤ךְ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·he·went" (וְהֽוּא־הָלַ֤ךְ), "and·asked" (וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל), "his·life" (אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙). The root אחד appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "and·came" (root בוא, 109x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 12 words.
Rashi
Rotem. In the language of the gentiles [Old French]: genièvre [i.e., a broom/juniper shrub].
"He said, 'Enough!'" (The Targum:) "Sufficient for me is this prolongation; until when shall I be harried thus?"
Radak
"And he went into the wilderness." Even in the land of Judah he did not feel secure, for he feared that Jezebel might send [agents] to kill him there. Therefore, he left the settled areas and went into the wilderness, to a place where he would not find sustenance and would die, for he chose death over life. Or [perhaps he went] so that the word of the Lord would appear to him [to tell him] what to do.
"Under one rotem [broom bush]." It is written 'achat' (feminine) and read 'echad' (masculine), for the word is used in both masculine and feminine forms, but the masculine form appears more fitting. And 'rotem' derives from 'the coals of retamim' [broom bushes] (Psalms 120:4), just as 'bakar' [cattle] relates to 'bekarim.' It is a lowly tree whose coals burn very hot. Some explain that it is what in the vernacular is called 'zanishta,' and some say it is what in the vernacular is called 'yinivri.'
"And he said, 'Enough.'" That is to say: I have had enough of remaining further in this world, for I am in danger in it every single day. And Yonatan [Targum Jonathan] translated: 'Enough for me is the time [already elapsed]' — [meaning,] until when will I be tormented like this?
"For I am not better than my fathers." It appears that his days were longer than those of his forefathers, and this serves as proof for the one who says that Pinchas is Elijah.
Ralbag
“And he went into the wilderness by the way of a day’s journey.” He chose to go into the wilderness so that no one would see him who could report this to Jezebel.
"And he sat under a broom tree." It is a low-growing tree, called "genista" in the vernacular.
And he asked for his soul to die. Behold, due to the severity of the famine, he would have chosen death; therefore he said that it was sufficient for him in that he lived, and he requested from God that He take his soul and put him to death, for he is not better than his fathers, that he should on this account merit a wondrous length of life.
Metzudat David
Under a broom tree. To shelter in its shade.
And he requested. He requested from the Lord to take his life and to die by heaven.
It is enough, now. Meaning: since I am now in distress, behold my days are counted to me as many; and I have no desire for them. And therefore take my soul; for I will not live forever; for I am not better than my fathers, to be saved from death. And if so, what does it matter to me now, what does it matter to me later?
Metzudat Zion
Ratam. The name of a tree, whose embers are always very hot; likewise (Psalms 120:4) 'the coals of the broom tree' (gichalei ratamim):
Malbim
The questions: The word "and he came" is only justified if he arrived at his desired destination, not if he was wandering in the desert.
And he alone went into the wilderness on a journey of one day, and "he came"—that is to say, then he arrived at his desired destination, for after he had distanced himself a journey of one day from inhabited areas, he was at the place of his intention, for there he would isolate himself with God, and he would inquire of his soul, for he saw that he had already rectified for his own needs that which he was required to rectify in this temporal life, and it was fitting that his soul return to the bond of life and abandon the material garment that stands between it and the bright light, and this is what is written, "he inquired of his soul," meaning, for the benefit of his soul. Now, regarding why he did not die, it would be either because he had not completed that which he was obligated to complete in his lifetime, and concerning this it says, "It is enough, O Lord," meaning that he had already completed and done much, and thus it was permitted [for him to depart]; or because death was not compelled upon him, for even in his lifetime he would separate to the spiritual and angelic realms, like Adam before the sin, who was fit to live forever, and concerning this it says, "I am not good compared to my fathers."
And he lay down and slept under a broom-tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said to him: ‘Arise and eat.’
verse value 2971
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֑ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·him" (בּ֔וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·behold·this" (וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·slept" (וַיִּישַׁ֔ן), "and·behold·this" (וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה), "eat" (אֱכֽוֹל). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "one" (root אחד, 61x in I Kings); "under" (root תחת, 41x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ [and·he·slept] (338) + וַיִּישַׁ֔ן [and·slept] (376) + תַּ֖חַת [under] (808) + רֹ֣תֶם [broom-plant] (640) + אֶחָ֑ד [one] (13) + וְהִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה [and·behold·this] (78) + מַלְאָךְ֙ [messenger] (91) + נֹגֵ֣עַ [touching] (123) + בּ֔וֹ [in·him] (8) + וַיֹּ֥אמֶר [and·said] (257) + ל֖וֹ [to·him] (36) + ק֥וּם [rise] (146) + אֱכֽוֹל [eat] (57) = 2971.
Radak
"Under one rotem [broom bush]." And by saying a second time 'under one rotem,' rather than saying 'under the rotem,' it teaches that the rotem was solitary, and he found no other shelter in that wilderness in which to lie down, but only that very rotem alone, and he could take shelter under it only with difficulty.
"And behold, this is the angel." The term "this" is not used to identify the angel, but rather to denote the immediacy of the time, similar to "behold." Just as it says, "The voice of my beloved, behold, he comes" (Song of Songs 2:8). It would have sufficed to use only one of these terms, but both are employed to emphasize the swiftness of the event's occurrence. That is to say, immediately upon his falling asleep, the angel came to him, touched him, and awoke him from his sleep, and said to him, "Arise, eat."
Metzudat David
And he lay down , etc. Meaning: even when he came to lie down and sleep with his legs stretched out, he did not find two (broom trees) together, to shelter in their shade the length of the body.
And behold, here. This language indicates the swiftness of the matter; to say: immediately when he slept, the angel came to him. And so (Song of Songs 2:8): 'the voice of my beloved; behold, here he comes.'
Touching him. To awaken him from his sleep.
Malbim
The questions: Regarding what is stated, "and he slept under a single broom bush," why wasn't it written, "and he slept under it," since it was already mentioned that he sat under the broom bush? And the word "one" is superfluous. Why did He command him to eat the cake, as if he hadn't taken bread in his hand when he went into the wilderness?
"And he lay under one broom bush" — this was a different broom bush, for the first broom bush was small and insufficient for anything but sitting beneath it (and therefore it is written "one" in the feminine form, indicating its weakness), whereas this second one was abundant in shade, suitable for lying beneath its shadow. Now, [the verse says] "behold, this is an angel" — but this second broom bush was not truly a broom bush, rather an angel who appeared to him as a broom bush. And now, in his sleep, it touched him, and it said, etc.
And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the hot stones, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
verse value 4056
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. Verse gematria: 4056 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "disc·or·cake" (עֻגַ֥ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "at·his·head" (מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֛יו, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "at·his·head" (מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֛יו), "disc·or·cake" (עֻגַ֥ת), "hot·stones" (רְצָפִ֖ים). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·agained" (root שוב, 61x in I Kings); "and·ate" (root אכל, 36x in I Kings); "and·lay·down" (root שכב, 21x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'water', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. 7 of the verse's 11 words begin with the letter ו. Full calculation: וַיַּבֵּ֕ט [and·he·looked] (27) + וְהִנֵּ֧ה [and·behold] (66) + מְרַאֲשֹׁתָ֛יו [at·his·head] (957) + עֻגַ֥ת [disc·or·cake] (473) + רְצָפִ֖ים [hot·stones] (420) + וְצַפַּ֣חַת [and·jar] (584) + מָ֑יִם [water] (90) + וַיֹּ֣אכַל [and·ate] (67) + וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ [and·drank] (716) + וַיָּ֖שׇׁב [and·agained] (318) + וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב [and·lay·down] (338) = 4056.
Rashi
Charcoals. And likewise (Isaiah 6:6): "and in his hand a glowing coal."
Radak
“Ogat retzafim.” Ogah: a cake baked on coals.
“And he ate and drank.” He did not eat the entire cake, nor did he drink all the water, for a second time it was said to him that he should eat, and we do not see that he ate, nor that there was another cake or other water.
Ralbag
"A cake of hot stones." This means a cake baked in the embers of fire.
Metzudat Zion
Mera-ashotav. Near his head:
Ugta. A small cake:
Retzefim. Baked on hot embers; like (Isaiah 6:6) 'and in his hand a coal' (u'v'yado retzef):
Malbim
"And he looked": A cake of coals, a cake of burning coals. It appeared to him as if burning coals had united in the form of a cake fit for eating, and as if he were commanded to eat this cake. This is an allegory indicating that his body would be purified from its earthly component and would become like beings composed of the light elements—fire, water, and wind—as it is said, "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire" (Psalms 104:4), and as our Sages of blessed memory and the Kabbalists have stated that the shedim (demons) have bodies composed of fire and wind, or fire and water, and that they eat and drink. Their food, too, consists of things similar to their composition. In the allegory, the coal alludes to the matter of prophecy, and the water alludes to the Torah, as it is said, "And one flew unto me with a live coal in his hand" (Isaiah 6:6), which the Targum translates as "And in his mouth he spoke." And it is said, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). Thus, his sustenance at that time was a divine, spiritual matter.
And the angel of Hashem came again the second time, and touched him, and said: ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for you.’
verse value 2307
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·because" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·he·touched·him" (וַיִּגַּע־בּ֔וֹ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·he·touched·him" (וַיִּגַּע־בּ֔וֹ), "from·you" (מִמְּךָ֖). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "and·because" (root כי, 94x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'eat', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיָּ֩שׇׁב֩ [and·returned] (318) + מַלְאַ֨ךְ [messenger] (91) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + שֵׁנִית֙ [second] (760) + וַיִּגַּע־בּ֔וֹ [and·he·touched·him] (97) + וַיֹּ֖אמֶר [and·said] (257) + ק֣וּם [rise] (146) + אֱכֹ֑ל [eat] (51) + כִּ֛י [and·because] (30) + רַ֥ב [many] (202) + מִמְּךָ֖ [from·you] (100) + הַדָּֽרֶךְ [way] (229) = 2307.
Radak
"For the way is too great for you." He did not know where to go; rather, he went in his innocence for forty days and forty nights until Mount Horeb, and the way was straightened out for him there, just as it was said regarding the ark: "And the heifers went straight on the way," etc. And when he arrived there, he stood, for he thought that there God would reveal a matter to him, for on that mountain the Divine Presence was first revealed to Moses, and there the Glory was revealed and the Torah was given to Israel. Or perhaps the standing was without his intention, just as the going there was.
Metzudat David
For the way is too much for you. Meaning: the way that you desire to go in is a great distance from here; and you will not find anything to eat. And for this reason arise and eat again; and from it you will be sated for a long time.
Malbim
"And he returned" the second time: The angel did not clothe himself in the form of a broom bush, and therefore it says, "The angel of the Lord [came] again," meaning that on the second occasion it was [openly] the angel of the Lord. And he said, "Arise, eat," because in the first instance he had fallen asleep afterward, but in the second instance he was refined so that he would not need to sleep, for he walked forty nights without sleep. And therefore it says, "For the journey is too great for you" — to travel by day and by night.
And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.
verse value 2495
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "until" (עַ֛ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·forty" (וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·drank" (וַיִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה), "in·strength·of" (בְּכֹ֣חַ), "food" (הָאֲכִילָ֣ה). The root ארבע appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "day" (root יום, 100x in I Kings); "God" (root אלהים, 99x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·drank', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 12 words.
Radak
“By the strength of that eating.” This was not the case with Moses our Teacher, for it is stated of him: “He ate no bread and drank no water for forty days and forty nights.” It is not said that he sustained himself by the strength of that eating. But of Elijah it is said “by the strength of that eating,” meaning that the food remained in his stomach, and the digestive power did not digest it, nor did the absorbing power draw it out, yet his body was nourished by that food for forty days and forty nights.
Ralbag
"And he went by the strength of that food." This means that by the strength he acquired from that food, he walked for forty days and forty nights. However, the reason it is stated that he acquired strength from that food is that prior to eating, he was extremely weak and very close to death due to starvation. And so, he traveled through the wilderness until he reached Mount Horeb, where the Torah was given to Israel.
Metzudat David
With the strength of that eating. By miracle, it was not digested in his intestines all that time.
To the mountain. Until he came to the mountain of God; and it is Mount Horeb.
Malbim
"And he went" is compared in this respect to Moses, his master, whose body was refined by virtue of his standing for forty days without eating, until he merited, in his descent, that the glory of the Lord be revealed to him below, and rays of splendor [upon his face]. So too, by the power of this food—which was a spiritual sustenance—his body was refined throughout the entire forty days, until he arrived at the Mountain of God, for he had been prepared for this great vision.
And he came thither to a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Hashem came to him, and He said to him: ‘What do you here, Elijah?’
verse value 2016
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (ל֔וֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 2016 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֑ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·cave" (אֶל־הַמְּעָרָ֖ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·came·there" (וַיָּבֹא־שָׁ֥ם), "to·the·cave" (אֶל־הַמְּעָרָ֖ה), "and·lodged" (וַיָּ֣לֶן). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "what·to·you" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'there', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיָּבֹא־שָׁ֥ם [and·came·there] (359) + אֶל־הַמְּעָרָ֖ה [to·the·cave] (351) + וַיָּ֣לֶן [and·lodged] (96) + שָׁ֑ם [there] (340) + וְהִנֵּ֤ה [and·behold] (66) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ [word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלָ֔יו [to·him] (47) + וַיֹּ֣אמֶר [and·said] (257) + ל֔וֹ [to·him] (36) + מַה־לְּךָ֥ [what·to·you] (95) + פֹ֖ה [here] (85) + אֵלִיָּֽהוּ [Elijah] (52) = 2016.
Rashi
"To the cave." This refers to a cleft in the rock (Exodus 33:22), in which Moses stood (see Megillah 19b).
Radak
“And he came there to the cave.” There was a cave on Mount Sinai, and it is about this cave that it is said, “And I will put you in the cleft of the rock,” as Onkelos translated it: “In the cave of the rock.”
"What ails you here, Elijah?" The reason for the question, at the start of the exchange, is to hear the answer, in the manner of human speech. Likewise the question, 'What ails you, O sea, that you flee?' [comes] before the answer. [Likewise] 'Where is Abel your brother?' and 'Have you murdered, and also taken possession?' [and] 'Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself?' — even though He knows the hearts of men. And likewise, He said to him, 'Where are you?' [to Adam] and 'What is that in your hand?' [to Moses]. And so too the sense of 'What ails you here' is: why have you left your place? What do you have here?
Ralbag
"And he came there to the cave and lodged there." It seems that there was already a cave on Mount Horeb, and Elijah lodged there.
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said. I consider that initially the word of the Lord came to him in the manner of prophecy, and the Lord asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Even though the Lord already knew this, as it is said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And behold, Elijah answered that he was zealous for the Lord because the children of Israel had abandoned the covenant of the Torah and destroyed the altars of the Lord for they were unwilling to serve Him, but only other gods, and they killed the prophets of the Name with the sword, for Jezebel had already killed them, as previously stated, and Elijah remained alone among the known prophets, and she sought to kill him. And it was as if he asked the Lord regarding this, that He should avenge His vengeance upon these evils that Israel had committed. And behold, this happened to Elijah due to his great anger over the sins of Israel. Then the Lord told him to go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. That is to say, when the Glory of the Lord would appear to him, he would emerge from the cave. And it seems that the Lord did this so that Elijah would plead for mercy for Israel, not that he would pray to destroy them because of the wickedness of their deeds, for it was the will of the Lord to be long-suffering with them so that they would return to Him. And for this reason, He showed him the destructive things, such as the great and strong wind that breaks mountains and shatters rocks.
Metzudat David
To the cave. In which Moses stood; and as is said (Exodus 33:22): 'and I will put you in the cleft of the rock.' And its Targum: 'in the cave of the rock.'
What are you doing here. Why have you come here? And the question came in the manner of a human language, one who asks in order to enter with him in words. And its like is (Genesis 4:9): 'Where is Abel your brother?'
Metzudat Zion
Peh. Here:
Malbim
The questions: What did he ask, "What are you doing here?"—when the Lord [already] knows what he is doing here?
"What are you doing here?"—this implies that a prophet is required to be found among the people, in order to admonish them and to prophesy, rather than isolating himself in the wilderness and on the mountains.
And he said: ‘I have been very jealous for Hashem, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’
verse value 7533
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 105 letters. The shortest word is "jealous" (קַנֹּ֨א, 3 letters) and the longest is "Your·altars" (אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 46: God·of, alone. The root קנא appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "for·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Rashi
"Your altars they have torn down." [These are] private altars made for the sake of Heaven, for the Altar of the Chosen House in Jerusalem was [still] standing.
Radak
"I have been zealous, zealous for the Lord." The zeal with which I was zealous for the name of the Lord—I killed the prophets of Baal who were leading Israel astray—until they abandoned Your covenant that You made with the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. And according to the midrash, [it means] Your covenant that they abolished among themselves—the covenant of circumcision. That [same] zeal caused me to leave my place, to flee from Jezebel, and to come here.
"Your altars they destroyed." Just as it was stated above: "The altar of the Lord, the destroyed one."
"And Your prophets they killed with the sword." Just as it was stated above regarding the killing of the prophets of the Lord by Jezebel:
"And I alone am left." Were not the hundred men that Obadiah hid still remaining? It is because they were not known [to the public] that they are regarded as though they were not there.
Metzudat David
I have been very jealous for the Lord. I was jealous with the jealousy of the Lord, to kill the prophets of Baal, and to withhold the rain; on account that they have forsaken Your covenant, etc.
They have thrown down. As is said above (18:30): 'and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was thrown down.'
I alone. For from the prophets that Obadiah hid, they are not known to them.
And they seek , etc. As though saying: for this I came here, to pray in the holy place, to take my vengeance from them.
Metzudat Zion
Kana kana'ti. I have surely avenged; likewise (Numbers 25:11) 'in being zealous for My jealousy' (b'kana'o et kana'ti):
Malbim
And he [Elijah] said: "Behold, I cannot be a prophet who instructs and rebukes this people, for my zeal has consumed me on account of their evil ways; and because of my zeal, in that I killed the prophets of Baal, they will seek my life; therefore I cannot carry out my mission."
And He said: ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Hashem.’ And, behold, Hashem passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Hashem; but Hashem was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but Hashem was not in the earthquake;
verse value 5559
Insights
Verse structure: 27 words, 104 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֒) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "go·out" (צֵ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·said" (וַיֹּ֗אמֶר, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 170: to·face·of, to·face·of. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·you·will·stand" (וְעָמַדְתָּ֣), "and·strong" (וְחָזָ֞ק), "tearing·apart" (מְפָרֵק֩). The root יהוה appears 5 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "to·face·of" (root פנים, 95x in I Kings). First appearance of the root רעש ("quaking") in I Kings. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 21 and 6 words.
Rashi
And a great wind. (Targum:) "A camp of the angels of wind."
"In the earthquake." (The Targum:) "A camp of the angels of trembling."
Radak
“Go out and stand on the mountain.” It appears that the entrance to the cave was on the slope of the mountain or at its summit, not at the base of the mountain, for He said to him, “Go out and stand on the mountain,” and he stood at the entrance of the cave.
“And behold, the Lord passed by.” Explanation: The Glory of the Lord passed before him, as it is stated regarding Moses our Teacher, peace be upon him: “And the Lord passed by before him.” First, a great and strong wind passed before him, and the Voice said to him: “The Lord is not in the wind,” meaning that the Glory was not present at that moment. And what is said regarding “the splitting of mountains and the breaking of rocks” is an expression of hyperbole. And the Voice said to him because of the wind, for the Glory had not yet passed. And after the wind passed, there was an earthquake, the quaking of the mountain, and the Voice said to him that the Glory was not in the fire. And after the fire passed, the Glory passed with a still, small voice, and Elijah understood that then the Glory had passed when he heard the still, small voice.
Ralbag
And the LORD was not in the wind, for it is not the way of the Lord to bring evils unless for the ultimate purpose that good will result from them. And since it became clear to the Lord that they would not accept reproof, He did not wish to punish them for these sins according to what was due, but rather He waited for them to see if they would return from their evil ways. And behold, after the wind came an earthquake, and it was destructive, for it is an instrument for overturning the lands. And it also states that the LORD was not in the earthquake, as we mentioned regarding the wind.
Metzudat David
Go out. He commanded him to go out from the cave and to stand on the mountain before the Lord; for the glory of the Shechinah would pass before him.
And behold, the Lord passes by. After all those host-camps.
And a great wind. Targum Jonathan: 'a host of angels of wind.' Meaning: a host from the angels of wind passed before the Lord, before the glory of the Shechinah passed.
Not in the wind was the Lord. Meaning: the voice of prophecy came to him and said that the glory of the Shechinah does not pass in the host of the angels of the wind.
An earthquake. Targum Jonathan: 'a host of angels of earthquake.'
Not in the earthquake was the Lord. The voice of prophecy said: not in the earthquake was the Lord.
Metzudat Zion
Mefarek. Breaking; like (Zechariah 11:16) 'and their hooves shall be torn off' (u'farseihen yefarek):
Malbim
(11–13) The questions: What did He teach through this vision? And why did He ask a second time, “What are you doing here?” when he had already answered His question?
And He said, "Go forth," etc., aside from what the divine [kabbalists] wrote — for he saw in this vision the same great vision that Ezekiel saw: a stormy wind, a great cloud, and a flashing fire. These are the three husks that surround the nut and the fruit. Similarly, Elijah saw the wind, the quaking of the cloud, and the fire, and he saw that the Lord was not in them, for they are partitions and screens between the holy [realm], and from them evil goes forth. And after the fire, he saw a thin, still voice, which is the fine radiance, and from within it, a kind of chashmal, a quiet murmur, one who speaks in a whisper, which is the voice and the silence. And the meaning is: "voice and silence" [refer to] the chashmal, and "thin" refers to the radiance. However, according to the revealed sense, it showed him that in the camp of wind, earthquake, and fire, the Lord is not present, but only in the still, small voice. From this, His messengers and prophets should learn not to rage with a tempest, not to shake with an earthquake, and not to kindle a fire, as Elijah did in his zeal for the Lord of Hosts, when he shut up the heavens and slaughtered the prophets of Baal. For the Lord sends His prophets to come to them with a still, small voice, and they draw the people with cords of love and with gentle words.
and after the earthquake a fire; but Hashem was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
verse value 2306
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 36 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "fire" (אֵ֔שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·after" (וְאַחַ֤ר, 4 letters). Words sharing gematria 215: and·after, and·after. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "quaking" (הָרַ֙עַשׁ֙), "fire" (אֵ֔שׁ), "fire" (הָאֵ֔שׁ). The root אש appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "not" (root לא, 90x in I Kings); "and·after" (root אחר, 66x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְאַחַ֤ר [and·after] (215) + הָרַ֙עַשׁ֙ [quaking] (575) + אֵ֔שׁ [fire] (301) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + בָאֵ֖שׁ [in·the·fire] (303) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְאַחַ֣ר [and·after] (215) + הָאֵ֔שׁ [fire] (306) + ק֖וֹל [voice] (136) + דְּמָמָ֥ה [whisper] (89) + דַקָּֽה [thin] (109) = 2306.
Rashi
Fire. (Targum:) "A camp of the angels of fire."
“A voice of a thin whisper.” (The Targum translates:) “A voice of those who praise in secret.” But regarding the prophets of the nations of the world, it says (Job 4:16): “A whisper and a voice I heard,” where the “whisper” was for praise. And I heard a voice coming from within the whisper, that is, *tintinnamentum* in the vernacular, and one does not hear the voice literally.
Ralbag
And behold, after the earthquake comes fire, which is even more destructive. And he also mentioned that it was not by fire that God acted for the reason we have mentioned, and as if he explained in this that the evils that will come upon them in stages are not directly intended by God, but rather He hid His face from them and abandoned them, like a target for the arrows of the evils that are destined to come upon them. This is so because the evils that come in the manner of moral discipline will not be effective for them. Do you not see that because of the withholding of dew and rain for three years, they were not humbled before God?
And behold, after the fire, a still, small voice. This means a low voice from God, blessed be He, as if it were composed of both sound and silence. And the text alludes here to the fact that after they fell into these calamities and did not realize that their sins caused them to be abandoned and left to the whims of time, a chastisement will come to them from God, blessed be He. However, it will not be complete in the manner that God, blessed be He, brought chastisement to Israel in the wilderness during the days of Moses, which arrived in such a way that they immediately perceived that it was due to their sin. Rather, in this matter, it will be as if composed of both sound and silence. And it appears that due to Elijah’s great anger over the multitude of Israel’s sins, he did not pay attention to understand this vision. Therefore, he responded in the manner he had first said:
Metzudat David
A fire. Targum Jonathan: 'a host of angels of fire.'
Not in the fire was the Lord. So said the voice of prophecy.
A still small voice. Meaning: a hidden voice, as though it is composed of a voice and a silence. And for additional explanation he said that the voice was 'still small.' And its Targum: 'a voice of those who praise in secret.'
Metzudat Zion
Demama. A matter of silence; like (Psalms 107:29) 'He made the storm into silence' (yikam se'ara l'demama):
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice to him, and said: ‘What do you here, Elijah?’
verse value 3110
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "here" (פֹ֖ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·his·mantle" (בְּאַדַּרְתּ֔וֹ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 52: Elijah, Elijah. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·wrapped" (וַיָּ֤לֶט), "in·his·mantle" (בְּאַדַּרְתּ֔וֹ), "cave" (הַמְּעָרָ֑ה). The root אליהו appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "and·it·was" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "what·to·you" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'cave', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Rashi
“And He hid His face.” (Targum:) “And He covered His face,” and so it says (1 Samuel 21:10): “wrapped in a garment.”
Radak
"And he wrapped his face in his mantle." Just as it is said regarding Moses our teacher, may peace be upon him, "And Moses hid his face" [Exodus 3:6], and its interpretation is: "And he went out and stood at the entrance of the cave." When he heard the voice of a gentle whisper, he came and stood on the mountain at the entrance of the cave, and he covered his face, just as it was said to him, "The matter: go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord," meaning that the Glory would pass by. And from within that gentle whispering voice, a speaking voice came forth to him, saying to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" And the interpretation of "the voice of a gentle whisper" is a low voice. And the Targum translates the verse thus: "And behold, the Lord is revealed, and before Him a camp of angels of the wind, splitting the mountains and shattering the rocks before the Lord," etc., like a pillar. One ought to ask: What was the purpose of all this matter, and why did He not tell him what to do until He brought him to Mount Horeb and showed him all this glory? And it appears to me that all this was the reward for the good deed he performed on Mount Carmel, when he sanctified the Name of the Lord among the children of Israel and returned them to the good, until they all said, "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God," and he killed the prophets of Baal. God rewarded him according to His righteousness, and brought him to the place of glory, together with the great miracle He performed for him along the way, and showed him all this glory. And one must contemplate the wind, the earthquake, the fire, and the voice of a gentle whisper.
"And he wrapped his face." He covered his face, similar to [the phrase] "wrapped in a garment," [as it says] "the face of the covering that covers."
Ralbag
"And it came to pass when Elijah heard" — This means that when Elijah heard the voice of God, blessed be He, he concealed his face from gazing at God. Therefore, he covered his face with the mantle he was wearing, and he went out of the cave, as the Lord, may He be blessed, had commanded him, and he stood at the entrance of the cave.
Metzudat David
When Elijah heard. The voice of the stillness; and he discerned that the glory was passing. And he wrapped his face in his mantle, so that he not look at the fire of the glory; as is said of Moses (Exodus 3:6): 'And Moses hid his face.'
And he went out and stood. And he went out from the cave and stood at the entrance.
What are you doing here. For He showed him the glory; and it did not pass in the wind and in the earthquake and in the fire, but in a still small voice; for He desires kindness, and He will not arouse all His anger to come in the wind and in the earthquake and in the fire. And for this reason He asked him again: what are you doing here? Meaning: are you still here, to seek vengeance?
Metzudat Zion
Vilat. A matter of wrapping; like (I Samuel 21:10) 'wrapped in a garment' (lutah b'simla):
Ba'adarato. A distinguished garment peculiar to prophets; likewise (Zechariah 13:4) 'nor shall they wear a hairy garment' (v'lo yilbeshu adderet se'ar):
Malbim
The account is: when Elijah went out to the entrance of the cave, which was in the middle of the mountain, as it is stated, "Go forth and stand upon the mountain" (19:11), he covered his face, as in the matter written, "and I will screen you with My hand" (Exodus 33:22). And he saw that the meaning of the parable is that it is not God's will that the prophets punish the people and become zealous in wrath. He asked him again, "What are you doing here?"—that is, why do you not return to your mission, to prophesy and to admonish without zeal and tumult?
And he said: ‘I have been very jealous for Hashem, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’
verse value 7533
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 105 letters. The shortest word is "jealous" (קַנֹּ֨א, 3 letters) and the longest is "Your·altars" (אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 46: God·of, alone. The root קנא appears 2 times in this verse. 20 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "for·Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings); "Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 15 and 6 words.
Metzudat David
And he said, I have been very jealous. Meaning: have I not from then on been jealous with the jealousy of the Lord? And not for my honor; and for this reason also now I will seek vengeance, for the sake of His name.
Malbim
The questions: Why did He command him to anoint Hazael and Jehu, and why would He appoint another prophet in his stead?
And he [Elijah] said [it] again, for he could not give up his zeal for the LORD of Hosts, since he is zealous for the honor of His [God's] Name.
And Hashem said to him: ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; and when you come, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Aram;
verse value 3728
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 56 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "go" (לֵ֛ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "Hazael" (אֶת־חֲזָאֵ֛ל, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "to·your·way" (לְדַרְכְּךָ֖), "wilderness" (מִדְבַּ֣רָה), "and·anoint" (וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "Hashem" (root יהוה, 254x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Damascus', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֵלָ֔יו [to·him] (47) + לֵ֛ךְ [go] (50) + שׁ֥וּב [return] (308) + לְדַרְכְּךָ֖ [to·your·way] (274) + מִדְבַּ֣רָה [wilderness] (251) + דַמָּ֑שֶׂק [Damascus] (444) + וּבָ֗אתָ [and·you·shall·come] (409) + וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֧ [and·anoint] (754) + אֶת־חֲזָאֵ֛ל [Hazael] (447) + לְמֶ֖לֶךְ [to·king] (120) + עַל־אֲרָֽם [over·Aram] (341) = 3728.
Radak
"Return on your way." After He told him "Return," He assured him that they would not kill him. And He said, "to your way, to the wilderness of Damascus"; but the wilderness of Damascus was not his [usual] route. Rather, He told him: "Go on your way, and from this route take [the route through] the wilderness of Damascus to anoint Hazael as king over Aram." Now, Elijah did not anoint Hazael, nor did he anoint Jehu. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Because of the zeal with which you have been zealous for Me, since the children of Israel have abandoned My covenant, I inform you that through these three I will consume all those who abandon My covenant. And you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram"—meaning, you shall command Elisha, who will be the prophet in your stead, to appoint him as king, and he will do evil to Israel. And likewise, "you shall anoint Jehu"—meaning, you shall command Elisha to anoint him. And indeed, Elisha anointed him through one of the prophets. If so, why did He command him to go to "the wilderness of Damascus," since he himself did not anoint Hazael? It is possible to explain that since he went to the wilderness of Damascus and encountered on his way Elisha son of Shaphat, and the prophecy stated to him that the anointing of Elisha was last, after Hazael and Jehu, and he found him first, he understood that through Elisha they would be anointed. And God did not order them in the prophecy except according to the manner of retribution: that Hazael would be first, and after him Jehu, and after him Elisha, as it says, "And the remnant that escapes..."
"To the wilderness of Damascus." The bet is vocalized with a patach because of the construct, and likewise in "to the wilderness of Beth-aven."
"And you shall anoint Hazael." Since the appointment to kingship or high office is typically accomplished through anointing, the term "anoint" is used for any appointment, even if it is not literally performed by anointing. Therefore, it states, "And you shall anoint Hazael." Similarly, it says, "You shall anoint a prophet in your place." And likewise, it says regarding the Patriarchs, "Touch not My anointed ones." And similarly, it says of Cyrus, "to His anointed, to Cyrus."
Ralbag
“And the Lord said to him, ‘Go on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.’” This means that he should go on his way to the wilderness of Damascus, and from there he would anoint Hazael as king over Aram, and the intent here is that he would be chosen as king over Aram; and from there he would anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king over Israel; and from there he would anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat, from Abel-meholah, as a prophet in place of Elijah, after Elijah’s desire to be a prophet and to admonish Israel had ended, because he had already grown weary of his own life due to the evil of their deeds, and he said to the Lord that He should take his soul. And since he found on that road only Elisha, son of Shaphat, he cast his mantle upon him to make a sign that he would be a prophet, and that he would don the prophecy of Elijah; for when he donned the mantle, it was a sign of a prophet. And therefore the verse says, “And they shall no longer wear a hairy mantle, in order to deceive.” And it appears that Elijah had communicated the prophecy to Elisha and commanded him to inform Hazael that he would be king over Aram, and to anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king over Israel. And therefore it was as if Elijah himself anointed them; or the intent here is that because of Elijah’s desire for the punishment of Israel, according to what he would teach—since he had brought a charge against them before the Lord—this very thing was the cause of the anointing of Hazael as king over Aram, and the anointing of Jehu as king over Israel, and the anointing of Elisha as a prophet in his place. And therefore the Lord said to him concerning all these matters, “And you shall anoint,” because he was the cause of their anointing, as we have mentioned.
Metzudat David
Go, return on your way. In the way that you came here; and it is in the wilderness of Damascus.
And you shall come. To Damascus.
And you shall anoint. This language indicates the appointment of greatness; and it was borrowed from the anointing of the kings of Israel, which was an actual anointing.
Malbim
(15-16) "And He said" – At that time, He said to him: "Behold, He is fulfilling his desire, in that he is zealous for the honor of the LORD, and will punish the people through Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. These will correspond to the three camps that he saw, which were reserved for retribution: wind, earthquake, and fire; and to the three sins that he contemplated. Corresponding to what was written, 'They have forsaken Your covenant,' Hazael will strike them, for he is not of the covenant. Corresponding to 'They have destroyed Your altars,' Jehu will strike them, for he destroyed the altar of Baal. Corresponding to 'They have killed Your prophets,' Elisha will kill them. However, regarding what was written that he does not wish to return to prophecy anymore, because he is zealous, He commanded that he anoint Elisha, since he is unable to prophesy due to his zeal."
"And you shall go and anoint Hazael... and Jehu" — the order was not thus, that first Elisha was anointed, then Jehu, and then Hazael. Rather, below (21:29) I explained that due to Ahab's repentance, the decree was altered, so that Jehu's killing would not be in his days, but in the days of his son. For this reason, Jehu was not anointed by Elijah, but by Elisha, and he placed the anointing of Elisha before the anointing of Jehu. Likewise, thereby the decree concerning Hazael was also altered and delayed. I saw commentators explaining what is stated, "Let there be, please, a double portion of your spirit upon me," namely, that the two matters that were incumbent upon Elijah, which are the anointing of Jehu and the anointing of Hazael, would be incumbent upon me. And so it was, that both were carried out by Elisha. According to this, what is stated, "And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death," is according to the earlier decree, and afterwards it was the reverse. And Abarbanel explained that the people who are not worthy to fall by the hand of Hazael, such as the house of Ahab, the women and the children, will fall by the hand of Jehu, and the people who are worthy to escape from the sword of Jehu, such as the youths who mocked Elisha, Elisha will put to death. And he is not speaking about the order of time; see there.
and Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shall you anoint to be prophet in your room.
verse value 5490
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. Verse gematria: 5490 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "and·(object marker)" (וְאֵת֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Elisha" (וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁ֤ע, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 748: you·will·smear, you·will·smear. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "son·of·Nimshi" (בֶן־נִמְשִׁ֔י), "and·Elisha" (וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁ֤ע), "of·Abel" (מֵאָבֵ֣ל). The root משח appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·king" (root מלך, 341x in I Kings); "over·Israel" (root על, 127x in I Kings); "son·of·Shaphat" (root בין, 107x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'over·Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 7 words. Full calculation: וְאֵת֙ [and·(object marker)] (407) + יֵה֣וּא [Jehu] (22) + בֶן־נִמְשִׁ֔י [son·of·Nimshi] (452) + תִּמְשַׁ֥ח [you·will·smear] (748) + לְמֶ֖לֶךְ [to·king] (120) + עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [over·Israel] (641) + וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁ֤ע [and·Elisha] (818) + בֶּן־שָׁפָט֙ [son·of·Shaphat] (441) + מֵאָבֵ֣ל [of·Abel] (73) + מְחוֹלָ֔ה [Meholah] (89) + תִּמְשַׁ֥ח [you·will·smear] (748) + לְנָבִ֖יא [to·prophet] (93) + תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ [under·you] (838) = 5490.
Rashi
"You shall anoint a prophet in your place." I do not desire your prophecy, since you teach an accusation against My children:
Radak
"You shall anoint a prophet in your place." Since you desire to depart from the world, as you said, "It is enough now, O Lord; take my soul," you must leave behind a prophet in your place, appoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, and teach him. And in the midrashic interpretation: it is not possible [for you to continue] in your prophecy, since you teach accusation against My children.
Metzudat David
You shall anoint to be a prophet. Also in this it is a matter of the appointment of greatness.
In your place. After you ascend in a storm to the heavens.
And it shall come to pass, that him that escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
verse value 2221
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·it·shall·be" (וְהָיָ֗ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·that·slips·away" (וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 460: shall·kill, shall·kill. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "that·slips·away" (הַנִּמְלָ֛ט), "Hazael" (חֲזָאֵ֖ל), "and·that·slips·away" (וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט). The root מלט appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it·shall·be" (root היה, 196x in I Kings); "shall·kill" (root מות, 59x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jehu', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 5 words. Full calculation: וְהָיָ֗ה [and·it·shall·be] (26) + הַנִּמְלָ֛ט [that·slips·away] (134) + מֵחֶ֥רֶב [from·sword·of] (250) + חֲזָאֵ֖ל [Hazael] (46) + יָמִ֣ית [shall·kill] (460) + יֵה֑וּא [Jehu] (22) + וְהַנִּמְלָ֛ט [and·that·slips·away] (140) + מֵחֶ֥רֶב [from·sword·of] (250) + יֵה֖וּא [Jehu] (22) + יָמִ֥ית [shall·kill] (460) + אֱלִישָֽׁע [Elisha] (411) = 2221.
Rashi
"Elisha shall put them to death." We do not find that he put anyone to death except the forty-two children by means of the bears in Jericho (II Kings 2:24).
Radak
"Jehu shall slay him." He killed all the worshippers of Baal and all the house of Ahab, who were idolaters.
"Elisha shall cause them to die." This is because when he rebuked them and they did not heed him and did not return from their evil ways, the enemies would come upon them and kill them, and it would be as if he were causing them to die, for they were punished more severely when he would warn and command them than when he would not warn them. Or, the meaning of "Elisha shall cause them to die" is through his death, for upon Elisha's death, the bands of Aram and Moab came into the land.
Ralbag
And behold, Jehu will kill many, for he destroyed all the house of Ahab and killed all the worshippers of Baal, their prophets, and their priests, and he killed Jezebel, concerning whom Elijah said a few of these words to the Lord. And what is meant by the statement that “those who escape the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill” is not that the evil which Hazael would do to Israel would precede the evil which Jehu would do to Israel, for the matter was the opposite of this: for in the days of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, occurred the evil which Hazael did to Israel. Rather, the meaning is that those who escaped the sword of Hazael—if they were still alive—Jehu would kill. For it seemed that Hazael had no power against the house of Ahab had it remained intact, since Ahab and his sons were always successful against the king of Aram. And similarly, what is meant by the statement “and those who escape the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill” is not that the evil which Jehu did to Israel would precede the evil that would befall them due to Elisha, for the matter was the opposite. And behold, what Elisha killed were forty-two youths whom he cursed in the name of the Lord. And it seemed that the severe famine which was in Samaria was due to Elisha. Therefore the king said, “May God do thus and more to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on him today.”
Metzudat David
And he who escapes. Since he sought vengeance from Israel, the Omnipresent commanded him to anoint these; and they will be the agents in the matter of the vengeance. For Hazael will increase to destroy them; and he who escapes from him Jehu will kill; for he will kill all the house of Ahab and all the worshippers of Baal [and although Jehu killed them before Hazael reigned, nevertheless he said in the language of 'he who escapes,' for if Jehu had not killed them, they would have escaped from Hazael's sword; for it is not their way to descend to war, to be killed by Hazael's hand].
Elisha shall kill. Our Sages of blessed memory said that they are the children who are estranged from the commandments, whom he killed with his curse.
Yet will I leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.’
verse value 4849
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 59 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 4849 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "to·him" (לֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·knees" (כׇּל־הַבִּרְכַּ֗יִם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: which, which. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "and·I·will·leave" (וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּ֥י), "all·the·knees" (כׇּל־הַבִּרְכַּ֗יִם), "have·not·bowed" (לֹא־כָֽרְעוּ֙). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 375x in I Kings); "in·Israel" (root ישראל, 120x in I Kings); "and·all·the·mouth" (root כל, 86x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'thousand', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּ֥י [and·I·will·leave] (922) + בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [in·Israel] (543) + שִׁבְעַ֣ת [seven] (772) + אֲלָפִ֑ים [thousand] (161) + כׇּל־הַבִּרְכַּ֗יִם [all·the·knees] (327) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [which] (501) + לֹא־כָֽרְעוּ֙ [have·not·bowed] (327) + לַבַּ֔עַל [to·Baal] (132) + וְכׇ֨ל־הַפֶּ֔ה [and·all·the·mouth] (146) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [which] (501) + לֹֽא־נָשַׁ֖ק [has·not·kissed] (481) + לֽוֹ [to·him] (36) = 4849.
Radak
He kissed him. Accented on the final syllable:
Ralbag
And he mentioned that this evil would already reach the measure such that there would remain in Israel only seven thousand men, namely those who did not bow to Baal and did not kiss him. And behold, Jehu, the son of Nimshi, is mentioned, though he was his grandfather, for indeed the father of one’s father is called “father,” as it is stated, “And they came to Reuel, their father.”
Metzudat David
And I have left. Although the sword of Hazael will rule over them, He will not destroy the worthy among them; that they will be in the number of seven thousand; which are the count of all the knees, etc.; for besides these no worthy ones will be found among them.
So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah passed over to him, and cast his mantle upon him.
verse value 6108
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 89 letters. Notable word values: "and·he" (וְה֣וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "from·there" (מִ֠שָּׁ֠ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "Elisha" (אֶת־אֱלִישָׁ֤ע, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 47: to·him, to·him. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "Elisha" (אֶת־אֱלִישָׁ֤ע), "yokes" (צְמָדִים֙), "in·two" (בִּשְׁנֵ֣ים). The root הוא appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "son·of·Shaphat" (root בין, 107x in I Kings); "to·him" (root אל, 102x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·ten', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 6 words.
Radak
"And he was plowing." They found him plowing; he was plowing along with his servants, who were plowing with oxen, and there were twelve yokes of oxen plowing ahead of him.
And "pairs" (tzemadim). This means oxen, for since the oxen are yoked together during plowing, they are called a "pair" (tzemed) or "pairs" (tzemadim). And the Targum Jonathan [renders it]: "Twelve yoke of oxen were before him."
And he was among the twelve. From the twelve pairs, he was plowing with one of them, and his eleven servants were each with his pair, and this is rendered in the Targum: “He was driving one of the twelve.” This narrative serves to indicate that he was found among the twelve, and this was a sign that he would be appointed over the twelve tribes of Israel as a prophet and a warner.
"And he cast his mantle upon him." ["To him"] is like [saying] "upon him," and as Targum Yonatan renders: "And he threw his cloak upon him." It does not mean that he left it with him, but rather that he took it back and went on his way. This is what is meant by [the verse], "And he ran after Elijah" — he made a sign to him that he should go after him, and did not tell him explicitly, because he knew that he would understand that he was to become a prophet by the Lord's will, and he knew that God had put it into Elisha's heart to go after him and serve him; therefore he did nothing but make a sign. And as for what he said to him, "Go back, for what have I done to you?" — this was to test him, whether he would speak with a whole heart. And the meaning of "What have I done to you?" is: "If I tilted my mantle upon you, is that why you are running after me?"
Ralbag
And he was plowing with twelve yokes of oxen before him, and he was with the twelve. This means that there were twelve plowmen there, and each of them had a yoke of oxen, and Elisha was plowing, for he was one of the twelve plowmen. And I think that this was mentioned to testify that Elisha’s father was very wealthy, and nevertheless Elisha left his father’s house to serve Elijah because of the strength of his love for wisdom.
“And Elijah passed over to him, and cast his mantle upon him.” This means that Elijah had already passed by near him, and while he was very close to him, he cast the wings of his mantle upon him, since he had already spread his mantle over him as he passed by. And immediately Elisha perceived that Elijah’s desire for him was that he should come and seek refuge under his wings. For this reason, he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said to him that he should leave him to kiss his father and mother, and afterward he would go after Elijah.
Metzudat David
And he was plowing. Going after the oxen that plow.
Twelve yoke before him. For there were twelve plowers there; and in each a yoke of oxen; and he was the last of the twelve. If so, twelve went before him; for also his yoke went before him; for the way of the plower is to go after the oxen.
His mantle. He cast upon him some of his mantle, to hint to him that he will be a prophet to the Lord; and he too will wear a mantle, in the manner of the prophets; and as is said (Zechariah 13:4): 'and they shall not wear a mantle' etc.
Metzudat Zion
Tzemadim. So called a pair of oxen, because they walk joined together; it is from the language of (Numbers 19:15) 'a tightly fastened covering' (tzamid patil):
Malbim
(19–20) He was plowing with twelve yokes of oxen, with the yokes plowing ahead of him, while he himself was driving the last yoke. Yet, all this changed after Elijah cast his mantle upon him; his soul became attached to Elijah's mantle, for he sensed the spirituality that had radiated upon him since his time in the cave, like the veil that covered Moses' face, as stated below (2:2) that he split the Jordan with this very mantle. And the casting of the mantle was a sign that he would succeed him and take his mantle. Therefore, he abandoned his work and ran after him. (And by way of [mystical] pattern: Elisha was standing among the twelve oxen that stand beneath the Sea that Solomon made, whose secret is known. And Elijah's mantle is from the Sea itself that stands upon them, for there is the level of Elijah, according to his numerical value, "ben" [52]. Therefore, he abandoned the oxen and ran after Elijah.)
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said: ‘Let me, I pray you, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ And he said to him: ‘Go back; for what have I done to you?’
verse value 4091
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 77 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לוֹ֙) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "to·him" (לוֹ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "what·have·I·done" (מֶה־עָשִׂ֖יתִי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "the·oxen" (אֶת־הַבָּקָ֗ר), "let·me·kiss·please" (אֶשְּׁקָה־נָּא֙), "to·my·father" (לְאָבִ֣י). The root אחר appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 324x in I Kings); "what·have·I·done" (root עשה, 143x in I Kings); "and·let·me·go" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'after·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 7 words.
Rashi
Go, return. [I.e.,] from following me:
For what have I done to you, that you should come after me:
Radak
"Let me kiss (esh'kah)." In some manuscripts, the shin has a chataf-kamats.
Ralbag
And he said to him, “Go, return, for what have I done to you?” He means: According to what I have considered for you, to kiss your father and your mother, and return after me, for this is what I have done for you, namely, that I have already done this to awaken you, that you should come to take refuge under my wings.
Metzudat David
Let me please drink. In the manner of those who ask permission and are released to go from them.
Go back again. Go to kiss your father and mother as you said; and return to me.
For what have I done to you. For the wonders and miracles that I did -- they are also for you. Meaning: also you will do like them, if you go after me.
And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.
verse value 4946
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 84 letters. The shortest word is "to·the·people" (לָעָ֖ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·slaughtered·them" (וַיִּזְבָּחֵ֗הוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 307: the·cattle, the·cattle. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in I Kings. Unique to this verse in I Kings (hapax): "the·yoke" (אֶת־צֶ֧מֶד), "and·slaughtered·them" (וַיִּזְבָּחֵ֗הוּ), "and·in·vessel·of" (וּבִכְלִ֤י). The root אחר appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·went" (root הלך, 115x in I Kings); "and·gave" (root נתן, 113x in I Kings); "to·the·people" (root עם, 95x in I Kings). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·they·ate', dividing the verse into phrases of 13 and 5 words.
Rashi
“beshalem ha-basar.” “Cook for them the meat,” so explained Dunash and Menachem, and so did Targum Jonathan translate it in two words (beshil lehon). But I say: there is no need to divide it into two words. And what is the meaning of “beshalem ha-basar”? “Cook for the two oxen their meat,” for a pair is not less than two.
And he gave to the people. Out of great joy, he made a feast.
Radak
"And he turned back from following him." [This is to say that he went] to kiss his father and his mother, even though the verse does not recount this explicitly. And afterward he slaughtered the ox and made a feast in that field for the plowmen and for the people who came after him to escort him—and this is what it says, "And he gave to the people"—for the people were not with him in the field; only the eleven plowmen were with him. Rather, this is its interpretation: He went to take leave from his father and his mother, and men from his city came after him to escort him, because he was parting from them.
A yoke of oxen. One of the twelve:
"Beshalem ha-basar" – He cooked for them the meat, meaning for the people with whom he was. And as the Targum of Jonathan renders it: "Bashil le-hon" (He cooked for them). And because of the swiftness with which he ran after Elijah, he did not wait to chop wood for cooking; rather, he broke up the gear of the oxen—that is, the gear of the plow—and cooked the meat for them with it. The mem in "beshalem" is in place of "le-hem" (for them), similar to which is: "Eretz ha-negev natatani" (The land of the Negev You gave me), which is equivalent to "natat li" (You gave to me). And he used the pronoun for "the people," although he had not yet explicitly mentioned the people, similar to which is: "Va-tiftach va-tir'ehu et ha-yeled" (And she opened it and saw him, the child), and "ve-zihamatu chayato lachem" [Job 33:20] ("his appetite loathes bread"), and cases similar to these.
Ralbag
“And with the gear of the oxen he boiled the meat.” This means that he cooked the meat for them, and when it was cooked, he gave it to the people who were in the field, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah to serve him, so that he might learn more from his wisdom than the rest of his disciples learned. For the attendant is always with the master, sees his ways, and hears his words constantly, and thus learns more than the student who does not serve.
Metzudat David
And with the instruments of the oxen. That they are of wood.
And he gave to the people. That were with him in the plowing; and he did this for the great joy.
Metzudat Zion
Me'acharav. Behind Elijah:
Bishalam. He cooked/boiled for them; I mean: for the people; likewise (Joshua 15:19) 'the land of the Negev you have given me' (eretz hanegev netatani); its grammatical rule: natata li ['you gave to me']:
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim