He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 10. Zeal; ordering the idolatrous prophets to be destroyed, ( Menochius.) which has enkindled the rage of Jezabel against me. I cannot bear to see the general corruption. Calmet.—Covenant; neglecting circumcision, (Rabbins) and almost the whole law. Bible.—Altars. Some had been erected by the prophets, ( E.) as the king would suffer none to go to Jerusalem. Bible.—The idolaters there them down. Calmet. 18:30. Such altars would have been unlawful in Juda. Calmet.—I alone am left; that is of the prophets in the kingdom of Israel, or of the ten tribes; for in the kingdom of Juda, religion was at that time in a very flourishing condition, under the kings Asa and Josaphat. And even in Israel there remained several prophets, though not then known to Elias. See Calmet. 20:13, 28, 35. Challoner. Worthington.—Hebrew repeats I, as verse 14, and Calmet. 18:22. He might justly fear that those had been destroyed at last, whom Abdias had protected. At any rate, none durst appear in public to assist Elias. Bible.—God informs him (verse 18.) that all is not yet lost.