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1 Kings 19:8

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Kings 19:8 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
1 Kings 19:8 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Kings 19

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
5And he lay down and slept under a juniper-tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7And the angel of Jehovah came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee.
8And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake:
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he arose, and did eat and drink, etc.] Of what was left of the cake and cruse of water, before provided for him: and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God; for so long he was going to that place, though it might have been gone in three or four days; but he went in byways, and wandered about in the wilderness, as the Israelites did, and that for the space of forty days, as they did near forty years; and all this while he had no other sustenance than what he had taken under the juniper tree, from whence he set out, which must be supernatural; for it is said f415, a man cannot live without food beyond seven days, (see Gill on…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The old commentators generally understood this to mean that Elijah had no other food at all, and compared this long fast with that of Moses and that of our Lord (marginal references). But the words do not exclude the notion of the prophet’s having obtained such nourishment from roots and fruits as the desert offers to a wanderer, though these alone would not have sustained him. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“And went - He wandered hither and thither for forty days, 'till at last he came to Horeb, which in the direct road was not above three or four days journey. Thither the spirit of the Lord led him, probably beyond his own intention, that he might have communion with God, in the same place that Moses had. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 19:9”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“19:8 Elijah’s determination to go to Mount Sinai took him on a journey of approximately 200 miles. The trip would not have required forty days and forty nights, so Elijah may have set a pace that was symbolic of Israel’s past. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai, and Israel subsequently wandered in the wilderness for forty years (Num 14:33-34; Deut 1:2-3). Forty sometimes represented a period of full testing (Gen 7:4; Ps 95:10; Jon 3:4; Matt 4:1-2).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“in the strength: Dan 1:15; Co2 12:9 forty days: Exo 24:18, Exo 34:28; Deu 9:9, Deu 9:18; Mat 4:2; Mar 1:13; Luk 4:2 Horeb: Exo 3:1, Exo 19:18; Mal 4:4, Mal 4:5 3 Kings (1 Kings) 19:9”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification