Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Kings 19

There is a certain grandeur of fearlessness and ruthlessness in the message of Jezebel, which marks her character throughout and places it in striking contrast with the vacillating, easily influenced nature of Ahab, whom she treats with natural scorn (see 1 Kings 21:7). Ahab, as before, remains passive; he has no courage, perhaps no desire, to attack Elijah, before whom he had quailed; but he does not care, or does not dare, to restrain Jezebel.

She disdains to strike secretly and without warning: in fact, her message seems intended to provide an opportunity for flight, which might degrade Elijah in the eyes of the people. We note that the prophet (see 1 Kings 18:46) had not ventured to enter Jezreel until he learned how his deadly foe would receive the news of the great day at Carmel.

He arose, and went for his life. —The sudden reaction of disappointment and despondency, strange as it seems to superficial observation, is eminently characteristic of an impulsive and vehement nature. His blow had been struck, as he thought, triumphantly. Now the power of cool unrelenting antagonism makes itself felt, unshaken and only embittered by all that had passed. On Ahab and the people he knows that he cannot rely; so once more he flees for his life.

Beer-sheba. (Genesis 21:33; Genesis 22:19; Genesis 28:10; Genesis 46:1, and other passages)—This frontier town of Palestine to the south is little mentioned after the patriarchal time. The note that it belonged to Judah is, perhaps, significant. Judah was now in half-dependent alliance with Israel; even under Jehoshaphat, Elijah might not be safe there, though his servant—traditionally the son of the widow of Zarephath—might stay without danger.

Juniper tree. This is a type of broom, found abundantly in the desert. It has been noted that its roots were much prized for charcoal, the “coal” of 1 Kings 19:6.

I am not better than my fathers. This exclamation is characteristic. Evidently, he had hoped that he himself was “better than his fathers” as a servant of God, singled out beyond all those who went before him to be the victorious champion of a great crisis, he, and he alone (1 Kings 18:22; 1 Kings 19:10–14). Now he thinks his hope was in vain and sees no reason why he should succeed when all who went before him have failed. Why, he asks, should he live when the rest of the prophets have died?

An angel touched him. —The word may simply signify “a messenger,” human or superhuman, but the context suggests a miraculous ministration of some unearthly food.

It is notable that, except as ministers of God in the physical sphere (as in 2 Samuel 24:16–17; 2 Kings 19:35), angels, whose appearances are so often recorded in earlier times, hardly appear during the prophetic period. This is as if the place of their spiritual ministry to the people, as messengers of God, had been supplied by the prophetic mission.

In this instance, and in 2 Kings 6:17, the angel is merely auxiliary to the prophet, simply ministering to him in time of danger and distress, as the angel of the Agony did to the Prophet of prophets.

And laid him down. —There is a poignant touch in the description of the prophet, wearied and disheartened, as not caring to eat sufficiently, and glad, after eating a morsel, to forget himself again in sleep.