Bible Strands
1 Kings 19:7
A second time the angel of the LORD returned and touched him, saying, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The angel of the LORD addresses Elijah after the prophet has consumed the first provision and rested. The moment occurs during Elijah’s flight toward Horeb, immediately following his despair and request for death.
The words — The Hebrew ק֣וּם (kum) means "arise" and אֱכֹ֑ל ('e.Khol) means "eat," forming the direct imperative to rise and consume food. The term שֵׁנִית֙ (she.Nit) explicitly marks this encounter as a second divine intervention.
The thread — The angel’s command to eat sustains Elijah for a forty-day trek to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). This physical provision aligns with the LORD’s compassion toward his people (Psalms 103:13) and the covenant promise that strength will correspond to his days (Deuteronomy 33:25).
Why it lands — The text states that refusal to eat will make the journey insurmountable, linking physical sustenance directly to mission completion. It requires the reader to accept practical provision as a necessary condition for enduring long obedience.
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 the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
Cross-references
- Psalms 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
- Deuteronomy 33:25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.”