Bible Strands
1 Kings 18:11
And now you say, ‘Go tell your master that Elijah is here!’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Obadiah addresses Elijah at Mount Carmel, responding to the prophet’s order to announce his whereabouts to King Ahab.
The words — וְ/עַתָּ֖ה ('a.Tah) translates literally as "and now," marking the immediate urgency of the exchange. אֱמֹ֥ר ('e.Mor) means "say," framing the command as a direct speech act rather than a suggestion.
The thread — This exact phrasing appears in 1 Kings 18:8 when Elijah gives the command, and is repeated verbatim by Obadiah in 1 Kings 18:14 to underscore his dread of Ahab’s retaliation.
Why it lands — The text records Obadiah’s literal fear that reporting Elijah’s location will trigger Ahab’s violence if the Spirit removes him first. The passage requires readers to acknowledge that faithful obedience operates within tangible human risk rather than assuming automatic deliverance from earthly consequences.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 18:8 “It is I,” he answered. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here!’”
- 1 Kings 18:14 And now you say, ‘Go tell your lord that Elijah is here!’ He will kill me!”