1 Kings 19:4

while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Elijah addresses the LORD while sitting under a broom tree after traveling a day’s journey into the wilderness. This declaration occurs immediately after he fled to Beersheba and left his servant behind.

The words — תַּ֖חַת (Ta.chat) literally means "under," marking his physical location beneath the broom tree. וַ/יֵּ֕שׁ֖ב (va/i.Ye.shev) means "and he sat," emphasizing his stationary posture of exhaustion.

The thread — The request for death parallels Numbers 11:15 and Jonah 4:3, where other prophets explicitly asked God to end their lives during periods of despair.

Why it lands — The text records Elijah’s statement that he has had enough and is no better than his fathers before noting his subsequent sleep. It presents prophetic despair as a factual condition that precedes divine action rather than a spiritual failure to be dismissed.

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

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Cross-references

Jonah 4:3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
Numbers 11:15 If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.”
Jonah 4:8 As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
Jeremiah 20:14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Genesis 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.
1 Kings 13:14 and went after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied.
1 Kings 19:3 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
2 Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
Job 3:20 Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul,