Bible Strands
1 Kings 19:1
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Ahab reports to Jezebel the details of Elijah’s recent actions following the confrontation on Mount Carmel. This occurs immediately after the execution of the prophets of Baal, marking the moment Elijah’s victory triggers royal retaliation.
The words — The verb וַיַּגֵּד (va.yaggēḏ) means “he told” or “he reported,” emphasizing the act of conveying information. The noun כָּל (kol) denotes “all,” underscoring the totality of the prophets slain.
The thread — The narrative of the sword execution appears in 1 Kings 18:40, while Jezebel’s subsequent threat in 1 Kings 19:2 directly responds to this report. Ahab’s susceptibility to Jezebel’s influence is further documented in 1 Kings 21:5 and 1 Kings 21:25.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to recognize how political reporting initiates a cycle of violence. It demands attention to the mechanism by which royal fear translates into targeted persecution.
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 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 18:40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.
- 1 Kings 21:5 Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
- 1 Kings 21:25 (Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
- 1 Kings 16:31 And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.