a Either, 1» From the time when he went to hide himſelf by the B:ook Cherith ; Six Months before which time the Famine might begin, tho it was not yet come to extremity. And ſo this being in, or towards the end of the third Year, it makes up theſe Three Years and Six Months,7aw.s.17. Or, 2. From the time of his going to Sarepta,which probably was a Year after the Famine begunzSee on Chad 17. 7. and fo this might be in the middle of the Third Year, which alſo makes up the Three Years and Six Moneths. 6b To ac- quaint him with the Cauſe of this Judgment, wer. :8. and to ad- viſe him to remove it, and upen that condition to promiſe him rain, e According to thy Word and Prayer, which thou fhalt make for it. Thus God takes care to maintain the Honour and Authority of his Prophet, and in Judgment remembers Mercy to Iſ-ael for the ſake of the Holy Sced yer left among them, who ſuf- fered in this common Calamity.
2 And Elijah went to ſhew himſelf unto Ahab 7 :
and there was a {ore famine in Samaria.
a Wherein he ſhews a ſtrong Faith, and reiolute Obedience, and invincible Courage, that he durſt at G« d's Command 1vun into the Mouth of this raging Lion ; which was a degree of Martyrdom.
2 And Ahab called T Obadiah which was 7 the gO- vernour of his houſe e: (now Obadiah feared the LOKD
greatly f:
e Being valued by 44a for his great Prudence and Fidelity,and therefore indu)ged as to the Worſhip of the Calves and Baal.f Queſt, How could he and ſome other I/ael:res be ſaid to fear the Lira when they did not go up to Jeruſalem to Worſhip,as Lod had commanded? Anſw.Although they ſeem norto be wholly excuiab'e in thisnegle&, becauſe they ſhould have preferred Gods Service before their world- ly Commodity, according to the good Example of the Prieſts and Levites,and the generality of the God'y Peopie who did fo, Chron 11. 13, 16. yet becauſe + Aa yg God in Spirit and Truth, and performed all Moral Duties to God and their Brethren, and abſtained from Idolatry,and being kept from Jeruſalem by violence, they thought neceflity, and the apparent Hazard of their Lives, would excuſe them fiom Ceremonial Services ; and God bare with their Infirmity hercin-
For it was /o, when Þ Jezebel cut off the prophets - THeb.Izi= of the LORD,that Obadiah took an hundred prophets g, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them 4 with
bread and water z )
g Which Name is not given to ſuch as are endowed with an extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy, but to ſuch Miniiters as devoted themſelves to the Service ot God in preaching,Praying Prajting God, and the like, as 1 Sam: 10: 10511, 12. and in this place compared with wer. 22 Where Elijah ſaith, 1 only remam a Propher of the Lord, to wit, ſtrialy ſo called ; and Matzh. 16. 41. 1 Cor: 12: 28, 29. and 14. 29 hþ With the Hazard of his own Life,and againſt the King's Com- mand ; as wiſely conſidering, that no Command of an Earthly Prince could over-rule the Command of the Supreme Lord, the King of Kings, or diſcharge him froin thoſe Acts of Piety to God, and Charity ro Men, which God's Law indiſpenſably required. 5 Either properly ; which was a great kindneſs in thoſe Circum- ſtances : or figuratively, /. e- w th Mcart and Drink.
5 And Ahab ſaid unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water,and unto all brooks &: per- adventure we may find graſs to ſave the horſes and mules alive, | that we loſe no: all the beaſts. +Heb:rhas k About which, Graſs was moſt probably to be found in that we cut not great Drought. of our 6 So they divided the land between them, to paſs ſelves throughout it. Ahab went one way by himſelf /, and | Soon the Obadiah went another way by himſelf. 3
a I Nor daring to truſt any other, Obadiah excepted, leſt being bribed by ſuch as had Graſs for their own ule, they ſhould nor give him a true Account. | :
7 © And as Obadiah was in the way, Behold, Elijah met him : and he knew him, and fell on his face »z, and ſaid, Art thou that my lord Elijah ?
m By this profound Reverence, ſhewing his great Reſpe& and Love to him.
8 And he anſwered him, I aw: : go tell thy lord s,
Behold, Elijah 3s here. | » Ahab: whom,though a very wicked Man.he owns for Obadiah's Lord and King ; thereby inſtrutting him,thar he did well in owning himasſuch ; and thar the Wickedneſs of Kings doth not exempt their Subje&s from Obedience to their Lawful Commands. '9 And he faid, What have I tinned o, that thou
wouldeſt deliver thy 1ervant into the hand of
t Heb. 9- badiahu.
| +tHeb. over his
keuſe.
N GC %
Ahab, to ſlay me ?
o Wherein have I ſo offended God,and thee,that thou ſhouldeſ; inflict this puniſhment upon me, and expoſe me to certain ruin by this means ?
Io As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no na- tion or Kingdom p, whither my lord hath not ſent to ſeek thee : and when they ſaid, He is not there ; he rook an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not g.
? to wit,near to his own,where he could in reaſon think that Z:. Jah had hid himſelf. Nothing is more frequent than to underſtand General Expreſſions with ſuch Limitations. q Not that he could force other Kingdoms to take anOath,bur that by his Perſuaſions hepre. vailed with the chief Perſons in ſeveral Kingdoms for his Satisfa&i. on to ſwear that they did not know of Elijshs being among them, Which was not hard for him to obtain. For Ahab was a grear Prince, and had a great Intereſt among the Neighbouring Kings. The King of Tyre was his Father-in-law ; the King of Moab Tribu. tary to him ; Fehoſhaphaz, his Friend and Relation, to whom the King of Edom was Tributary. We read alſo of all thc Kings of Arg. bia.and of all the Kings of the Hittites,and of Syria, 1Kings 10:15,29.which as they corroſponded with Solomon,ſo how far they might be Allied to,or Confederate with Ahab,we know not ; nor what Articles or Aggreements were between him and them,among which this mighe be one, That they ſhould deliver up to one another all their Fugi- tive or Baniſhed Subje&s upon Demand ; which might give ſuffi. cient ground for his deſire or expeQation of this Oath. T.ef How then could Elijah lie hid in the Houſe ofrheWidow of Sarepra? Anſw. That might eaſily be, exther,becaule ſhe her ſelf, or at leaft others, did not know particularly who he was ; or, becauſe ſhe uſed all poſſible Care to conceal him, her Conſcience and Intereſt both obliging her ſo to do ; or becauſe God fecured him there.