Tanach
Melachim I 19 מלכים א י״ט
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיַּגֵּד אַחְאָב לְאִיזֶבֶל אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר הָרַג אֶת־כׇּל־הַנְּבִיאִים בֶּחָֽרֶב׃
Achov told Ezevel all that Eliyahu had done, and all about his killing all the prophets by the sword.
Achov told Ezevel all that Eliyahu had done, and all about his killing all the prophets by the sword.
וַתִּשְׁלַח אִיזֶבֶל מַלְאָךְ אֶל־אֵלִיָּהוּ לֵאמֹר כֹּֽה־יַעֲשׂוּן אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יֽוֹסִפוּן כִּֽי־כָעֵת מָחָר אָשִׂים אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ כְּנֶפֶשׁ אַחַד מֵהֶֽם׃
And Ezevel sent a messenger to Eliyahu saying, “So may the gods do, and may they do even more, for by this time tomorrow I will make your soul like the soul of one of them.”
And Ezevel sent a messenger to Eliyahu saying, “So may the gods do, and may they do even more, for by this time tomorrow I will make your soul like the soul of one of them.”
Rashi
וַיַּרְא וַיָּקׇם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־נַפְשׁוֹ וַיָּבֹא בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה וַיַּנַּח אֶֽת־נַעֲרוֹ שָֽׁם׃
And he realized and got up and went to [save] his life. He came to Beer Sheva which belonged to Yehudah, and left his servant there.
And he realized and got up and went to [save] his life. He came to Beer Sheva which belonged to Yehudah, and left his servant there.
וְהֽוּא־הָלַךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר דֶּרֶךְ יוֹם וַיָּבֹא וַיֵּשֶׁב תַּחַת רֹתֶם (אחת) [אֶחָד] וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת וַיֹּאמֶר ׀ רַב עַתָּה יְהֹוָה קַח נַפְשִׁי כִּֽי־לֹא־טוֹב אָנֹכִי מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃
And he traveled into the desert, [which was] a one day journey. He arrived and sat under a single juniper tree, and asked for his soul, that it die, and he said, “It is enough, now Adonoy, take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers.”
And he traveled into the desert, [which was] a one day journey. He arrived and sat under a single juniper tree, and asked for his soul, that it die, and he said, “It is enough, now Adonoy, take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers.”
Rashi
רותם. ייניבר"א בלע"ז:
Juniper. Genevrier, in O.F.
ויאמר רב. (תרגום:) סגי לי ארכא, עד אימתי אנא מטריף כדין:
And he said, “It is enough.” [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “My long life is enough,1According to the opinion that Eliyahu is Pinchos, Aharon’s grandson, he was over 500 years old at this time. until when will I be confused like this?”
וַיִּשְׁכַּב וַיִּישַׁן תַּחַת רֹתֶם אֶחָד וְהִנֵּה־זֶה מַלְאָךְ נֹגֵעַ בּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ קוּם אֱכֽוֹל׃
He lay down and slept under the one juniper, and behold an angel touched him, and said to him, “Get up and eat.”
He lay down and slept under the one juniper, and behold an angel touched him, and said to him, “Get up and eat.”
וַיַּבֵּט וְהִנֵּה מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו עֻגַת רְצָפִים וְצַפַּחַת מָיִם וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּשׇׁב וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃
He looked, and there near his head was a cake baked on hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.
He looked, and there near his head was a cake baked on hot coals and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.
Rashi
רצפים. פחמים, וכן (ישעיהו ו ו): ובידו רצפה:
Hot coals. Hot coals, and similarly, “and in his hand was a hot coal [רצפה].”2Yeshayahu 6:6.
וַיָּשׇׁב מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה ׀ שֵׁנִית וַיִּגַּע־בּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר קוּם אֱכֹל כִּי רַב מִמְּךָ הַדָּֽרֶךְ׃
And the angel of Adonoy returned, and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, because it is a long journey for you.”
And the angel of Adonoy returned, and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, because it is a long journey for you.”
וַיָּקׇם וַיֹּאכַל וַיִּשְׁתֶּה וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּכֹחַ ׀ הָאֲכִילָה הַהִיא אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה עַד הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵֽב׃
So he got up and he ate and drank; and he traveled with the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights, until [he came to] the Mountain of God, Chorev.
So he got up and he ate and drank; and he traveled with the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights, until [he came to] the Mountain of God, Chorev.
וַיָּבֹא־שָׁם אֶל־הַמְּעָרָה וַיָּלֶן שָׁם וְהִנֵּה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מַה־לְּךָ פֹה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
He came there, to the cave, and he rested there; and behold, the word of Adonoy [came] to him; and said to him, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?”
He came there, to the cave, and he rested there; and behold, the word of Adonoy [came] to him; and said to him, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?”
Rashi
אל המערה. היא נקרת צור (שמות לג כב) שעמד בה משה (ראה מגילה יט ב):
To the cave. That is the cleft of the rock where Moshe stood.3Shemos 33:22. The cave that Eliyahu entered is “the cleft of the rock” in which Moshe stood while God’s Divine Presence passed.4See Maseches Megillah 19b and Rashi there.
וַיֹּאמֶר קַנֹּא קִנֵּאתִי לַיהֹוָה ׀ אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת כִּֽי־עָזְבוּ בְרִֽיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ הָרָסוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶיךָ הָרְגוּ בֶחָרֶב וָאִוָּתֵר אֲנִי לְבַדִּי וַיְבַקְשׁוּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁי לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃
And he said, “I have acted jealously for Adonoy, God of Hosts, for the Bnei Yisroel have abandoned Your covenant. They have demolished Your Altars, and killed Your prophets by the sword; and I alone have remained, and they seek my soul to take it.”
And he said, “I have acted jealously for Adonoy, God of Hosts, for the Bnei Yisroel have abandoned Your covenant. They have demolished Your Altars, and killed Your prophets by the sword; and I alone have remained, and they seek my soul to take it.”
Rashi
את מזבחותיך הרסו. במות יחיד הנעשות לשם שמים, שהרי מזבח בית הבחירה בירושלים היה:
They have demolished Your Altars. [I.e.,] the private altars that were built in the Name of Heaven,5See above 18:30 and Rashi there. for the altar of the Beis [Hamikdosh] was in Yerusholayim.6Eliyahu intimated that God should take vengeance against the Bnei Yisroel.—Ralbag
וַיֹּאמֶר צֵא וְעָמַדְתָּ בָהָר לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְהִנֵּה יְהֹוָה עֹבֵר וְרוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה וְחָזָק מְפָרֵק הָרִים וּמְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לֹא בָרוּחַ יְהֹוָה וְאַחַר הָרוּחַ רַעַשׁ לֹא בָרַעַשׁ יְהֹוָֽה׃
And He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before Adonoy.” And behold, Adonoy was passing, and a great and mighty wind splitting mountains and shattering rocks, before Adonoy, but Adonoy was not in the wind. And after the wind, there was an earthquake, but Adonoy was not in the earthquake.
And He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before Adonoy.” And behold, Adonoy was passing, and a great and mighty wind splitting mountains and shattering rocks, before Adonoy, but Adonoy was not in the wind. And after the wind, there was an earthquake, but Adonoy was not in the earthquake.
Rashi
ורוח גדולה. (תרגום:) משרית מלאכי רוחא:
And a great wind. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a camp of angels of the wind.”
ברעש. (תרגום:) משרית מלאכי זיעא:
In the earthquake. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a camp of angels of earthquake.
וְאַחַר הָרַעַשׁ אֵשׁ לֹא בָאֵשׁ יְהֹוָה וְאַחַר הָאֵשׁ קוֹל דְּמָמָה דַקָּֽה׃
After the earthquake, there was fire, but Adonoy was not in the fire, and after the fire there was a calm, quiet sound.
After the earthquake, there was fire, but Adonoy was not in the fire, and after the fire there was a calm, quiet sound.
Rashi
אש. (תרגום:) משרית מלאכי אשתא:
Fire. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a camp of angels of fire.”
קול דממה דקה. (תרגום:) קל דמשבחין בחשאי, אבל בנביאי אומות העולם אומר (איוב ד טז): דממה וקול אשמע, דממה היתה לשבח. ואני שמעתי קול הבא מתוך הדממה, דטינטישמנ"ט בלע"ז, ואין שומעין הקול ממש:
A calm quiet. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “a voice of those praising quietly,” but regarding the prophets of the [other] nations, it states, “Silence and a voice I heard,”7Iyov 4:16. there was silence to the praising. But I heard, it is a voice coming out of the silence, rentesment, in O.F., but the voice itself is not heard.
וַיְהִי ׀ כִּשְׁמֹעַ אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיָּלֶט פָּנָיו בְּאַדַּרְתּוֹ וַיֵּצֵא וַֽיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הַמְּעָרָה וְהִנֵּה אֵלָיו קוֹל וַיֹּאמֶר מַה־לְּךָ פֹה אֵלִיָּֽהוּ׃
When Eliyahu heard he wrapped his face with his cloak, and he went out, and stood at the entrance to the cave; and behold a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?”
When Eliyahu heard he wrapped his face with his cloak, and he went out, and stood at the entrance to the cave; and behold a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?”
Rashi
וילט פניו. (תרגום:) וכריך אפוהי, וכן הוא אומר (שמואל א כא י): לוטה בשמלה:
He wrapped his face. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “and he wrapped his face,”8In the same manner that Moshe covered his face at the “burning bush” in Shemos 3:6. and so it states, “wrapped up [לוטה] in a cloth.”9I Shmuel 21:10.
וַיֹּאמֶר קַנֹּא קִנֵּאתִי לַיהֹוָה ׀ אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת כִּֽי־עָזְבוּ בְרִֽיתְךָ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתֶיךָ הָרָסוּ וְאֶת־נְבִיאֶיךָ הָרְגוּ בֶחָרֶב וָאִוָּתֵר אֲנִי לְבַדִּי וַיְבַקְשׁוּ אֶת־נַפְשִׁי לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃ {ס}
And he said, “I have acted jealously for Adonoy, God of Hosts, for the Bnei Yisroel have abandoned Your covenant. They have demolished Your Altars, and killed Your prophets by the sword; and I alone have remained, and they seek my soul to take it.”
And he said, “I have acted jealously for Adonoy, God of Hosts, for the Bnei Yisroel have abandoned Your covenant. They have demolished Your Altars, and killed Your prophets by the sword; and I alone have remained, and they seek my soul to take it.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו לֵךְ שׁוּב לְדַרְכְּךָ מִדְבַּרָה דַמָּשֶׂק וּבָאתָ וּמָשַׁחְתָּ אֶת־חֲזָאֵל לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃
And Adonoy said to him, “Go, return to your route, to the desert of Damascus; and [when] you arrive, you shall annoint Chazoheil as king over Arom.
And Adonoy said to him, “Go, return to your route, to the desert of Damascus; and [when] you arrive, you shall annoint Chazoheil as king over Arom.
וְאֵת יֵהוּא בֶן־נִמְשִׁי תִּמְשַׁח לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן־שָׁפָט מֵאָבֵל מְחוֹלָה תִּמְשַׁח לְנָבִיא תַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃
And Yeihu ben Nimshi, you shall annoint as king over Yisroel, and Elisha ben Shofat, from Aveil Mecholoh, you shall annoint as prophet in your place.
And Yeihu ben Nimshi, you shall annoint as king over Yisroel, and Elisha ben Shofat, from Aveil Mecholoh, you shall annoint as prophet in your place.
Rashi
תמשח לנביא תחתיך. אי איפשי בנביאותך, מאחר שאתה מלמד קטיגוריא על בני:
You should anoint as prophet in your place. [God said,] “I do not want your prophecy, because you plead for the prosecution of My children.10Alternatively, “you should appoint another prophet in your place because you had asked to die, and for God to take your soul,” in v. 4 above.—Radak
וְהָיָה הַנִּמְלָט מֵחֶרֶב חֲזָאֵל יָמִית יֵהוּא וְהַנִּמְלָט מֵחֶרֶב יֵהוּא יָמִית אֱלִישָֽׁע׃
And it will be that those that escape from the sword of Chazoheil, Yeihu will kill; and those that escape Yeihu’s sword, Elisha will kill.
And it will be that those that escape from the sword of Chazoheil, Yeihu will kill; and those that escape Yeihu’s sword, Elisha will kill.
Rashi
ימית אלישע. לא מצינו שהמית אלא ארבעים ושנים ילדים על ידי הדובים ביריחו (מלכים ב ב כד):
Elisha will kill. We do not find that Elisha killed anyone but the forty-two children through the bears in Yericho.11See II Melochim 2:24. Alternatively, the hunger in Shomron was initiated by Elisha’s curse, as implied in II Melochim 6:31.—Ralbag
וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי בְיִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים כׇּל־הַבִּרְכַּיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־כָֽרְעוּ לַבַּעַל וְכׇל־הַפֶּה אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־נָשַׁק לֽוֹ׃
And I will let seven thousand remain in Yisroel, all those whose knees did not bend to Baal, all those whose mouth did not kiss him.”
And I will let seven thousand remain in Yisroel, all those whose knees did not bend to Baal, all those whose mouth did not kiss him.”
וַיֵּלֶךְ מִשָּׁם וַיִּמְצָא אֶת־אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן־שָׁפָט וְהוּא חֹרֵשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר צְמָדִים לְפָנָיו וְהוּא בִּשְׁנֵים הֶעָשָׂר וַיַּעֲבֹר אֵלִיָּהוּ אֵלָיו וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אַדַּרְתּוֹ אֵלָֽיו׃
And he [Eliyahu] went from there and found Elisha ben Shofot. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Eliyohu passed by him and threw his cloak over him.
And he [Eliyahu] went from there and found Elisha ben Shofot. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Eliyohu passed by him and threw his cloak over him.
וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶת־הַבָּקָר וַיָּרׇץ אַחֲרֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶשְּׁקָה־נָּא לְאָבִי וּלְאִמִּי וְאֵלְכָה אַחֲרֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לֵךְ שׁוּב כִּי מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לָֽךְ׃
He left the oxen, and ran after Eliyahu and said, “Let me just kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you.” And he [Eliyahu] said to him, “Go back, for what have I done to you.”
He left the oxen, and ran after Eliyahu and said, “Let me just kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you.” And he [Eliyahu] said to him, “Go back, for what have I done to you.”
Rashi
לך שוב. מאחרי:
Go back. From following me.12Eliyahu was testing Elisha’s resolve.—Radak
כי מה עשיתי לך. שתבא אחרי:
For what have I done to you. That you should follow me.
וַיָּשׇׁב מֵאַחֲרָיו וַיִּקַּח אֶת־צֶמֶד הַבָּקָר וַיִּזְבָּחֵהוּ וּבִכְלִי הַבָּקָר בִּשְּׁלָם הַבָּשָׂר וַיִּתֵּן לָעָם וַיֹּאכֵלוּ וַיָּקׇם וַיֵּלֶךְ אַחֲרֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ וַֽיְשָׁרְתֵֽהוּ׃ {פ}
He went back after following him, and took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them, and with the gear of the oxen, he cooked the meat for them and he gave it the people and they ate. Then he got up and followed after Eliyohu, and he served him.
He went back after following him, and took the pair of oxen and slaughtered them, and with the gear of the oxen, he cooked the meat for them and he gave it the people and they ate. Then he got up and followed after Eliyohu, and he served him.
Rashi
בשלם הבשר. בשל להם את הבשר, כך פירשו דונ"ש ומנחם, וכן תרגמו יונתן בשתי תיבות (בשיל להון) ואני אומר, אין צריך לחלקו לשתי תיבות, ומהו בשלם הבשר, בשלם לשני השוורים את הבשר שלהם, שהצמד אין פחות משנים:
He cooked the meat for them. He cooked for them the meat, so do Dunash and Menachem explain, and so did [Targum] Yonoson render [בשלם] as two words [בשיל להון]. But I say, that it is unnecessary to divide it into two words, and what is the meaning of “בשלם הבשר”? He cooked the two oxen, their flesh, for צמד is a minimum of two.
ויתן לעם. מרוב שמחה עשה משתה
And he gave it the people. He made a feast out of great joy.
כה יעשון אלהים. כמו שעשית לנביאי הבעל:
So may the gods do. As you have done to the prophets of the Baal.