1 Kings 18:5
3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.
7 And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah?
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock.”
- KJV
- And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
- WEB
- Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.”
- ASV
- And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
- DARBY
- and Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the fountains of water and to all the torrents, perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and the mules alive, so that we may not have to destroy some of [our] beasts.
- BLB
- And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land, to all the springs of the waters and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and keep alive the horses and mules, so that we will not have to cut off any livestock.”
- ÅB
- Akab sa da til Obadja: Dra gjennom landet til alle kilder og bekker! Kanskje vi finner gress, så vi kan holde liv i hester og mulesler og slipper å slakte noe av buskapen.
- OTB
- Da sa Akab til Obadja: "Gå gjennom landet til alle vannkildene og til alle dalene; kanskje vi finner gress så vi kan holde hestene og muldyrene i live, og ikke trenger å drepe noe av buskapen."
- B1930
- Akab sa da til Obadja: Dra gjennem landet til alle kilder og bekker! Kanskje vi finner gress, så vi kan holde liv i hester og mulesler og slipper å slakte noget av buskapen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Jeremiah 14:5–6
Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.
Read in contextJoel 1:18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
Read in contextJoel 2:22
Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
Read in contextHabakkuk 3:17
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Read in contextRomans 8:20–22
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Read in contextPsalms 104:14
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
Read in context