1 Kings 19 · Verse 4

1 Kings 19:4

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
1 Kings 19:4, King James Version

1 Kings 19:4 in other translations

BSBwhile he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
WEBBut he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”
ASVBut he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
YLTand he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, ‘Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I am not better than my fathers.'
DARBYAnd he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a certain broom-bush, and requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough: now, Jehovah, take my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
BBEWhile he himself went a day's journey into the waste land, and took a seat under a broom-plant, desiring for himself only death; for he said, It is enough: now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.
WebsterBut he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

What does 1 Kings 19:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 19:4-18
4-18. went a day's journey into the wilderness--on the way from Beer-sheba to Horeb--a wide expanse of sand hills, covered with the retem (not juniper, but broom shrubs), whose tall and spreading branches, with their white leaves, afford a very cheering and refreshing shade. His gracious God did not lose sight of His fugitive servant, but watched over him, and, miraculously ministering to his wants, enabled him, in a better but not wholly right frame of mind, by virtue of that supernatural supply, to complete his contemplated journey. In the solitude of Sinai, God appeared to instruct him. "What doest thou here, Elijah?" was a searching question addressed to one who had been called to so arduous and urgent a mission as his. By an awful exhibition of divine power, he was made aware of the divine speaker who addressed him; his attention was arrested, his petulance was silenced, his heart was touched, and he was bid without delay return to the land of Israel, and prosecute the Lord's work there. To convince him that an idolatrous nation will not be unpunished, He commissions him to anoint three persons who were destined in Providence to avenge God's controversy with the people of Israel. Anointing is used synonymously with appointment (Jud 9:8), and is applied to all named, although Jehu alone had the consecrated oil poured over his head. They were all three destined to be eminent instruments in achieving the destruction of idolaters, though in different ways. But of the three commissions, Elijah personally executed only one; namely, the call of Elisha to be his assistant and successor [1Ki 19:19], and by him the other two were accomplished (2Ki 8:7-13; 9:1-10). Having thus satisfied the fiery zeal of the erring but sincere and pious prophet, the Lord proceeded to correct the erroneous impression under which Elijah had been laboring, of his being the sole adherent of the true religion in the land; for God, who seeth in secret, and knew all that were His, knew that there were seven thousand persons who had not done homage (literally, "kissed the hand") to Baal.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 A day's journey into the wilderness - Probably in his way to Mount Horeb. See 1Kgs 19:8. Juniper tree - A tree that afforded him a shade from the scorching sun. It is enough - I have lived long enough! I can do no more good among this people; let me now end my days.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 19:1-8

Jezebel sent Elijah a threatening message. Carnal hearts are hardened and enraged against God, by that which should convince and conquer them. Great faith is not always alike strong. He might be serviceable to Israel at this time, and had all reason to depend upon God's protection, while doing God's work; yet he flees. His was not the deliberate desire of grace, as Paul's, to depart and be with Christ. God thus left…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 19:1-8 →

1 Kings 19:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהֽוּא\־ve.hu'-and heH1931
הָלַ֤ךְha.Lakhhe wentH1980
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ba.mid.Barin the wildernessH4057
דֶּ֣רֶךְDe.rekha journey ofH1870
י֔וֹםYoma dayH3117
וַיָּבֹ֕אvai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935
וַיֵּ֕שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he satH3427
תַּ֖חַתTa.chatunderH8478
רֹ֣תֶםRo.tema broom plantH7574
אֶחָ֑ד'e.chatoneH259
וַיִּשְׁאַ֤לvai.yish.'Aland he askedH7592
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נַפְשׁוֹ֙naf.Shoself hisH5315
לָמ֔וּתla.Mutto dieH4191
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר\׀vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
רַ֗בRavenoughH7227
עַתָּ֤ה'a.TahnowH6258
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehO YahwehH3068
קַ֣חkachtakeH3947
נַפְשִׁ֔יnaf.Shilife myH5315
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
ט֥וֹבTov[am] goodH2896
אָנֹכִ֖י'a.no.KhiIH595
מֵאֲבֹתָֽי\׃me.'a.vo.Taimore than ancestors myH1

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 19:4

  • Jonah 4:3

    Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

  • Numbers 11:15

    And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

  • Jonah 4:8

    And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

  • Jeremiah 20:14-18

    Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. …

  • Philippians 1:21-24

    For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

  • 1 Kings 13:14

    And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

  • 1 Kings 19:3

    And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

  • 2 Kings 2:11

    And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

  • Job 3:20-22

    Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

  • Romans 3:9

    What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

  • John 4:6

    Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

  • Genesis 21:15-16

    And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sat down.
13:14; Ge 21:15,16; Joh 4:6
he requested.
3; Nu 11:15; 2Ki 2:11; Job 3:20-22; Jer 20:14-18; Jon 4:3,8
Php 1:21-24
for himself. Heb. for his life. better.
Am 6:2; Na 3:8; Mt 6:26; Ro 3:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 19:3

    And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

  • 1 Kings 19:4

    But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

  • 1 Kings 19:5

    And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

Read all of 1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y él se fué por el desierto un día de camino, y vino y sentóse debajo de un enebro; y deseando morirse, dijo: Baste ya, oh Jehová, quita mi alma; que no soy yo mejor que mis padres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et il s’en alla, lui, dans le désert, le chemin d’un jour, et vint et s’assit sous un genêt; et il demanda la mort pour son âme, et dit: C’est assez! maintenant, Éternel, prends mon âme, car je ne suis pas meilleur que mes pères.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Er selbst aber ging in die Wüste, eine Tagereise weit, und kam und setzte sich unter einen Ginsterstrauch. Und er bat, daß seine Seele stürbe, und sprach: Es ist genug; nimm nun, Jehova, meine Seele, denn ich bin nicht besser als meine Väter.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et perrexit in desertum, viam unius diei. Cumque venisset, et sederet subter unam juniperum, petivit animæ suæ ut moreretur, et ait: Sufficit mihi, Domine: tolle animam meam: neque enim melior sum quam patres mei.