וַיַּגֵּד אַחְאָב לְאִיזֶבֶל אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר הָרַג אֶת־כָּל־הַנְּבִיאִים בֶּחָרֶב

Ahav told Izevel everything that Elijah had done, as he had personally witnessed the events on Mount Carmel, and all about how he killed all the prophets by the sword.

וַתִּשְׁלַח אִיזֶבֶל מַלְאָךְ אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר כֹּה־יַעֲשׂוּן אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִפוּן כִּי־כָעֵת מָחָר אָשִׂים אֶת־נַפְשְׁךָ כְּנֶפֶשׁ אַחַד מֵהֶם

Izevel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying: So may the gods, in the plural, as she worshipped many gods, do, and so may they add, for at this time tomorrow I will set your life as the life of one of them. By this time tomorrow, I will ensure that your fate will be as theirs. This declaration reveals something of Izevel’s forceful and aggressive personality.

וַיַּרְא וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־נַפְשׁוֹ וַיָּבֹא בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה וַיַּנַּח אֶת־נַעֲרוֹ שָׁם

He, Elijah, saw that Izevel intended to kill him, and he rose and fled for his life, and came to Beersheba, which is in Judah, and he left his lad there.

וְהוּא־הָלַךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר דֶּרֶךְ יוֹם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב תַּחַת רֹתֶם אֶחָד וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת וַיֹּאמֶר רַב עַתָּה ה'קַח נַפְשִׁי כִּי לֹא־טוֹב אָנֹכִי מֵאֲבֹתָי

He himself went further south than Beersheba, one day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat beneath a retama bush and he asked for his life, to die. He said: Enough; now my life has run its course. I have no more strength, as I am broken and in despair. Therefore, Lord, take my life, as I am no better than my fathers. Just as they lived and died, my time too has come; now let me die.

וַיִּשְׁכַּב וַיִּישַׁן תַּחַת רֹתֶם אֶחָד וְהִנֵּה־זֶה מַלְאָךְ נֹגֵעַ בּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ קוּם אֱכוֹל

He lay down and slept beneath a retama bush, and behold, an angel was touching him and said to him: Arise, eat.

וַיַּבֵּט וְהִנֵּה מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו עֻגַת רְצָפִים וְצַפַּחַת מָיִם וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּשָׁב וַיִּשְׁכָּב

He looked around him, and behold, near his head, there was a cake baked on coals, and an earthenware cruse of water (see commentary on 17:12). Since he had not eaten anything for a long time, as he had not brought food with him, he ate and drank, and lay down again. In his despair, he had not been concerned about his impending death.

וַיָּשָׁב מַלְאַךְ ה' שֵׁנִית וַיִּגַּע־בּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר קוּם אֱכֹל כִּי רַב מִמְּךָ הַדָּרֶךְ

The angel of the Lord returned a second time, touched him, and said: Arise and eat, as the way ahead is too great for you, and you have not eaten enough. It would seem that Elijah had a general idea of his desired destination, but had not received an explicit command in this regard.

וַיָּקָם וַיֹּאכַל וַיִּשְׁתֶּה וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּכֹחַ הָאֲכִילָה הַהִיא אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה עַד הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵב

He rose and ate and drank, and he walked on the strength of that eating, the miraculous food that had been prepared for him, for forty days and forty nights until the mountain of God, Mount Horev.

וַיָּבֹא־שָׁם אֶל־הַמְּעָרָה וַיָּלֶן שָׁם וְהִנֵּה דְבַר־ה' אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מַה־לְּךָ פֹה אֵלִיָּהוּ

He came there into a cave in the mountain and stayed the night there, and behold, the word of the Lord was with him, and He said to him: What are you doing here, Elijah?

וַיֹּאמֶר קַנֹּא קִנֵּאתִי לַה' אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת כִּי־עָזְבוּ בְרִיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ הָרָסוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶיךָ הָרְגוּ בֶחָרֶב וָאִוָּתֵר אֲנִי לְבַדִּי וַיְבַקְשׁוּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁי לְקַחְתָּהּ

He, Elijah, said: I have been zealous for the Lord, God of hosts. I have been led here by my zealousness for God, which stems from my love for Him. Such zealousness leaves no room for any other considerations. For the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant; they have destroyed your altars and killed Your prophets by the sword; I alone remain of all Your prophets, and they, the rulers, have sought my life to take it.

וַיֹּאמֶר צֵא וְעָמַדְתָּ בָהָר לִפְנֵי ה'וְהִנֵּה ה' עֹבֵר וְרוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה וְחָזָק מְפָרֵק הָרִים וּמְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים לִפְנֵי ה'לֹא בָרוּחַ ה'וְאַחַר הָרוּחַ רַעַשׁ לֹא בָרַעַשׁ ה'

He, the voice of God, said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord was passing, and there was a great and powerful wind, smashing mountains and shattering rocks before the Lord, but it became apparent that the Lord was not in the wind, as this great and awesome wind soon dissipated. After the wind, an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake.

וְאַחַר הָרַעַשׁ אֵשׁ לֹא בָאֵשׁ ה' וְאַחַר הָאֵשׁ קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּה

After the earthquake, fire; the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, a faint sound of silence.

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיָּלֶט פָּנָיו בְּאַדַּרְתּוֹ וַיֵּצֵא וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הַמְּעָרָה וְהִנֵּה אֵלָיו קוֹל וַיֹּאמֶר מַה־לְּךָ פֹה אֵלִיָּהוּ

It was when Elijah heard the faint sound that he realized that God was revealing Himself through that sound, and he therefore wrapped and hid his face in his cloak, as one may not behold the face of God, and he came out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice again came to him and said: What are you doing here, Elijah? It seems that Elijah was asked the same question again, as perhaps after God had revealed Himself in the faint sound, the prophet’s appraisal of the events would change.

וַיֹּאמֶר קַנֹּא קִנֵּאתִי לַה' אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת כִּי־עָזְבוּ בְרִיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ הָרָסוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶיךָ הָרְגוּ בֶחָרֶב וָאִוָּתֵר אֲנִי לְבַדִּי וַיְבַקְשׁוּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁי לְקַחְתָּהּ

However, the prophet repeated the exact same answer as before. He said: I have been zealous for the Lord, God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant; they have destroyed Your altars and killed Your prophets by the sword. I alone remain and they have sought my life, to take it. Consequently, in my despair I fled here. Evidently, the revelation had no effect on Elijah’s viewpoint.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו לֵךְ שׁוּב לְדַרְכְּךָ מִדְבַּרָה דַמָּשֶׂק וּבָאתָ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת־חֲזָאֵל לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־אֲרָם

The Lord said to him: I will not take your soul yet, as you still have several tasks to perform: Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you will come and anoint Hazael, the Aramean captain, as king over Aram.

וְאֵת יֵהוּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁי תִּמְשַׁח לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן־שָׁפָט מֵאָבֵל מְחוֹלָה תִּמְשַׁח לְנָבִיא תַּחְתֶּיךָ

You shall anoint Yehu son of Nimshi, an officer in Ahav’s army, as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shafat, of the town of Avel Mehola, near the Jordan Valley, as prophet in your place. Once you have fulfilled all these assignments, you will be released from your position.

וְהָיָה הַנִּמְלָט מֵחֶרֶב חֲזָאֵל יָמִית יֵהוּא וְהַנִּמְלָט מֵחֶרֶב יֵהוּא יָמִית אֱלִישָׁע

It shall be that he who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Yehu will put to death, and he who escapes from the sword of Yehu, Elisha will put to death. Each of your appointees will punish Israel in his own way: Hazael in battle, Yehu through his rebellion, and Elisha by means of his reproof and his deeds.

וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי בְיִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים כָּל־הַבִּרְכַּיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־כָרְעוּ לַבַּעַל וְכָל־הַפֶּה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נָשַׁק לוֹ

I will leave only seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that did not kneel to the Baal and every mouth that did not kiss it, whereas the sinners of whom you spoke will be removed from the world.

וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם וַיִּמְצָא אֶת־אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן־שָׁפָט וְהוּא חֹרֵשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר צְמָדִים לְפָנָיו וְהוּא בִּשְׁנֵים הֶעָשָׂר וַיַּעֲבֹר אֵלִיָּהוּ אֵלָיו וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אַדַּרְתּוֹ אֵלָיו

He, Elijah, went from there, and went to Avel Mehola where he found Elisha son of Shafat; he was plowing a large tract of land with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Elisha walked at the end of the row of oxen as he was the owner of the field or the animals, or because he was in charge of the other plowers. Elijah went over to him, and he cast his cloak upon him, thereby appointing him as a prophet. This act also served to illuminate Elisha’s soul and transfer to him some of Elijah’s power. At this point, a deep bond was formed between the pair, to the extent that Elisha immediately wished to cleave to Elijah. However, the older prophet continued on his way without saying a word.

וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶת־הַבָּקָר וַיָּרָץ אַחֲרֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶשֳּׁקָה־נָּא לְאָבִי וּלְאִמִּי וְאֵלְכָה אַחֲרֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֵךְ שׁוּב כִּי מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לָךְ

He, Elisha, left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said: I wish to accompany you. Just wait and please, let me kiss my father and my mother goodbye, and then I will follow you. He, Elijah, said to him, as a test:Go, return, for what did I do to you? What do you want from me? I asked nothing from you. All I did was throw my mantle upon you; you can simply return it to me.

וַיָּשָׁב מֵאַחֲרָיו וַיִּקַּח אֶת־צֶמֶד הַבָּקָר וַיִּזְבָּחֵהוּ וּבִכְלִי הַבָּקָר בִּשְּׁלָם הַבָּשָׂר וַיִּתֵּן לָעָם וַיֹּאכֵלוּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיְשָׁרְתֵהוּ

He, Elisha, returned from following him and took the pair of oxen with which he had been plowing, and slaughtered them; he cooked the flesh with the equipment of the oxen, and he gave it to the people and they ate. He distributed the meat to the rest of the plowers, and perhaps to other local residents. Whether or not Elisha went back to kiss his parents, from that moment onward he ceased to be a mere farmer from Avel Mehola and became a prophet. Through the ritual of slaughtering the oxen, he signaled that he was cutting his former ties to the world of the farmer. He then rose and followed Elijah and served him, replacing the attendant who had served Elijah until he reached Beersheba. The other two missions that God had given Elijah, the anointments of Hazael and Yehu, were not performed by the prophet himself; rather, he delegated them to Elisha, his successor.