Bible Strands
1 Kings 18:7
Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Elijah intercepts Obadiah while Obadiah travels alone to search for water. Obadiah recognizes the prophet and immediately bows face-down to address him.
The words — The term וְ/הִנֵּה (ve./hi.Neh) literally means "and behold!" or "there!", marking Elijah's abrupt appearance. Obadiah's reaction uses וַ/יִּפֹּל (va/i.yi.Pol), meaning "and he fell," describing his physical prostration.
The thread — This pattern of sudden encounter and immediate prostration appears when Abraham runs to meet the three visitors in Genesis 18:2 and when the messenger reports to Ahab in 2 Kings 1:6.
Why it lands — The text records that prophetic presence demands instant recognition and physical submission. It requires the reader to prepare for sudden divine interruptions and to report them accurately to those in authority.
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 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?
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 1:6 They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’”
- Genesis 18:2 And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
- Genesis 18:12 So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
- Genesis 44:16 “What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and the one who was found with the cup.”
- Genesis 44:20 And we answered, ‘We have an elderly father and a younger brother, the child of his old age. The boy’s brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, and his father loves him.’
- Genesis 44:33 Now please let your servant stay here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy. Let him return with his brothers.
- Genesis 50:18 His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”
- 1 Samuel 20:41 When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
- 2 Samuel 19:18 and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king
- 1 Kings 11:29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field.