The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 451

proleptio&lly, and that it wo.s bestowed on gea~<tJ of the Almi~hty upon all idolaters" the Mount of the Law because of the (Keil). The quest!on !n itseU, it is true, specie.I revelation of the Godhead there noes not necessarily impart c~nsure-il (E:rnd. iii. 6; xix. 3, 11, 18; Deut. i. 6 ; might merely mean, "What wouldst thou iv. 10; v. 2, &c.)] learn of mo?" But when it is remembered Ver. 9.-And he came thither unto a cave that the prophet had been sent to every [Heb. the cave. LXX. ro cff7/\a1ov. Many other destination by the "word of the commentators identifv this with "the clift Lord," and that he had left Jezreel without of the rock" where • Moses was concealed any such word-left it in terror and bitter while the Lord " passed by " (Exod. xxxiii. dise.ppointment and sheer distrust of God- 22), and the use of the same word, i~l' it does look as if the words conveyed a in ver. 11 certainly favours this view. But gentle reminder that he had deserted the is it clear that the clift (i1);?~ fissure) was a post of duty, and had np right to be there. c,1:,c? E,rnld understands "the cave in So Clericus, " Quasi Difus diceret nihil esse Eliae nrgotii in solitudine, sed potius in locis which at that time travellers to Sinai hauitatis, ut illic homines ad. veri Dei cul tum co=only rested." It is perhaps worth adduceret.''] remembering that a part of the desert, Ver. 10.-And he said, I have been very though at some distance from Horcb, bears jealous [Cf. Num. xxv. 11, which tbe pro- at this day the name of JJiaglw.rah, or cave. phet may have had in his mind. But the Dut there is a "narrow grot" pointed out jealousy of Phinehas was in harmony with 1.v tradition as the abode of Elijah, on the that of God (ver. 13)] for the Lord God of £ide of Jebel Musa. "There is nothing to hosts[" The title of Loi·d God of hosts is first con 6rm, but there is nothing to contradict, heard in the mouth of Elijah the prophet, the belief that it may have been in that who had been very jealous for Jehovah in secluded basin, which has long been pointed opposition to Baal and Ashtaroth [Ash- out as the spot. . . . No scene could be toreth ?J the Phoenician deities; cf. 2 Kings more suitable for the vision which follows" xxiii. 5, 'Baal, the sun, and moon, and (Stanley). There is, however, one formidable planets, and all the host of heaven' " diffi.cnlty in the way of this identification, (Wordsworth)]: for the children of Israel viz., that the cave is only just large enough have forsaken thy covenant [he had memo- for a man's body, which does not agree with ries of the covenant all around himJ, ver. 13], and lodged [p:, means strictly to thrown down thine altars [cf. eh. xviii. 30, pass the night. It is possibly connected note. It is clear that many altars, similar to that on Carmel, had been built, and had radically with ;,:,,:,] there; and, behold, the been overturned] , and sla.1n thy prophets word of the Lo;d came to him [Not "in witll the sword [If the " hundred prophets " vision as he slept" (Rawlinson). He could of eh. xviii. 13 escaped, of which we can- not " go forth'' in his sleep. That he was not be certain, others did not]; and I, even to go forth "on the morrow" is equally I only, am left [See note on eh. xviii. 22. It unlikely see ver. 11, note], a.nd he said must be confessed that the prima fal:ie unto him, What doest thou here, Elljah? view is that the prophets had been well- [Many writers, Bahr and Keil among them, nigh exterminated. But we must take into will not allow that there is aught of reproof account the deep despondency with which in this question, or that Elijah had in any Elijah spoke, and remember the correction way erred in his hasty flight. The former which his words received (ver. 18)]; and asks how it comes to pass that the angel, they seek my llfe, to take 1t away. [The instead of reproving him, succoured and commentators are hopelessly divided as to strengthened him (vers. 6, 7), if he was the spirit and temper with which these acting in faithlessness or disobedience. But words were spoken. Bii.hr, as before, is very 11urel:, it does not follow that God denies all positive that there is no complaint or mur- grace and sustenance to His elect servants muring against God on Elijah's part. He even if they do, in a moment of despair, contends that the prophet has been led to forget or distrust Him. Elijah may have Sinai simply by the earnest longing for • been strengthened for this very journey, disclosure concerning the dealings of God, because God would meet with him and and for instructions as to his future conduct; teach him the lessons of patience and trust and this view has the support of other be needed to learn, at the "mount of God" weighty authorities. But it is extremely itself. And hie answer, especially when difficult to resist the conclusion that we contrasted with that of ver. 14 (where see have here at the least a " tacit reproof that note), certainly betre.ye, not only irritation God had looked on so quietly for such a and despair, but a "ce.me.l zeal whioh length of time, and had suffered things to would gliw.ly have called aown the ven- oome to suoh an extremity" (Keil). St. OB. XIX. 1-21.) THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 461