1 Kings 19:18

“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, etc.] From perishing by the sword of either of them: all the knees which have not bowed to Baal; that is, had not worshipped him, which was signified by this gesture: and every mouth which hath not kissed him; either the image of Baal itself, or the hand, in reverence of him; which rites, one or other, or both, were used by his worshippers; (see Gill on “<281302>Hosea 13:2”). This either refers, as some think, to the present time, and so is an answer to Elijah, who thought he was the only worshipper left with which seems to agree ( <451102> Romans 11:2-4), or to the times to come, when destruction should be made by the above persons, and when God…”

“Yet I have left me ... - Rather, as in the margin. “Seven thousand” faithful Israelites shall survive all the persecutions of Ahab and Jezebel, and carry down the worship of Yahweh to another generation. Elijah is mistaken in supposing that he only is left. The number is manifestly a “round” number, not an exact estimate. Perhaps it is, moreover, a mystical or symbolic number. Compare Revelation 7:5-8. Of all the symbolic numbers used in Scripture, seven is the most common. Every mouth which hath not kissed him - Idolaters sometimes kissed the hand to the object of their worship Job 31:26-27; at other times they kissed the actual image (marginal reference). return to 'Top of Page'”

“I have left - Or, I have reserved to myself; I have kept from the common contagion: therefore thou art mistaken to think that thou art left alone. Seven thousand - Either, definitely so many: or rather, indefinitely, for many thousands; the number of seven being often used for a great number. Kissed him - That is, all those who have not worshipped Baal, nor professed reverence or subjection to him: which idolaters did to their idols, by bowing the knee, and by kissing them. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 19:19”

“19:18 The Lord corrected Elijah’s thinking; the prophet was not alone. Earlier he had forgotten the 100 prophets protected by Obadiah (18:4, 13). Now he learned that there were 7,000 others who remained faithful to the Lord. • bowed down . . . or kissed him: These common forms of submission in the ancient Near East (2 Kgs 21:3; Isa 46:6; 60:14; Hos 13:2) are often mentioned in the annals of victorious kings or in the ancient epics. Ashurbanipal reported that on his sixth campaign, an Elamite king kissed his royal feet and tidied up the ground with his beard. In the Mesopotamian creation epic (Enuma Elish, V 86), even the great gods bowed down and kissed the feet of Marduk, the victorious…”

“Yet I have left: or, Yet I will leave, Isa 1:9, Isa 10:20-22; Rom 11:4, Rom 11:5 the knees: Exo 20:5; Isa 49:23; Rom 14:10-12; Phi 2:10 every mouth: Idolaters often kissed their hand in honour of their idols; and hence the origin of adoration from ad, to and os, oris, the mouth. Cicero mentions a statue of Hercules, the chin and lips of which were considerably worn by the kissing of his worshippers. Job 31:27; Psa 2:12; Hos 13:2 3 Kings (1 Kings) 19:19”