The Meaning of 1 Kings 18:1 Explained

1 Kings 18:1

KJV: And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

YLT: And the days are many, and the word of Jehovah hath been unto Elijah in the third year, saying, 'Go, appear unto Ahab, and I give rain on the face of the ground;'

Darby: And it came to pass after many days, that the word of Jehovah came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.

ASV: And it came to pass after many days, that the word of Jehovah came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass [after] many  days,  that the word  of the LORD  came to Elijah  in the third  year,  saying,  Go,  shew  thyself unto Ahab;  and I will send  rain  upon  the earth. 

What does 1 Kings 18:1 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 18:1-15 - Behold, Elijah!
"The word of the Lord came" to Elijah on four successive occasions- 1 Kings 17:2; 1 Kings 17:8; 1 Kings 18:1; 1 Kings 19:9. God has many things to say to us, if we will only listen. His word may find us in very different places, and direct us to varied duties; but to live by it is to execute the perfect plan of life.
Obadiah was a good man, but weak. He did his best to shield the prophets and to keep the true light from becoming extinguished- 1 Kings 18:13. But court favor had corrupted him. He stood before Ahab, while Elijah stood before God. Our Lord said that soft raiment and the king's court go together, Luke 7:25; and in the enervating atmosphere of a palace, it is granted to very few to retain the spirit and power of Elijah or of the Baptist. Who would not rather be Elijah than Obadiah! Elijah dared confront Ahab as the troubler of Israel, while Obadiah daily feared for his own life. Elijah rooted up idolatry, while Obadiah endeavored only to check its excesses. Obadiah sought grass for the royal steeds, but Elijah's prayer brought the rain. Let us dare to stand for God, though we stand alone! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 18

1  In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah
9  Obadiah brings Ahab to Elijah
17  Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets
41  Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 18:1 mean?

And it came to pass [after] days many that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the year third saying go present yourself Ahab and I will send rain on on the earth
וַיְהִי֙ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים וּדְבַר־ יְהוָ֗ה הָיָה֙ אֶל־ אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ית לֵאמֹ֑ר לֵ֚ךְ הֵרָאֵ֣ה אַחְאָ֔ב וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה מָטָ֖ר עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה

וַיְהִי֙  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יָמִ֣ים  [after]  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רַבִּ֔ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וּדְבַר־  that  the  word 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֗ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָיָה֙  came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ  Elijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵלִיָּה 
Sense: the great prophet of the reign of Ahab.
בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה  in  the  year 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ית  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לֵ֚ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
הֵרָאֵ֣ה  present  yourself 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אַחְאָ֔ב  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה  and  I  will  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מָטָ֖ר  rain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
הָאֲדָמָֽה  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.