The Meaning of 1 Kings 19:10 Explained

1 Kings 19:10

KJV: And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD 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.

YLT: And he saith, 'I have been very zealous for Jehovah, God of Hosts, for the sons of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant -- Thine altars they have thrown down, and Thy prophets they have slain by the sword, and I am left, I, by myself, and they seek my life -- to take it.'

Darby: And 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 am left, I alone, and they seek my life, to take it away.

ASV: And 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  I have been very  jealous  for the LORD  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. 

What does 1 Kings 19:10 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 19:9-14 - Learning How God Works
God knew how to treat His servant, resting beneath the juniper tree. He steeped his nature in refreshing sleep, fed his exhausted energies, caused angel-hands to minister to him, and finally conducted him across the desert to that sacred mountain where Moses in the old time had stood in the divine audience-chamber. There the forces of nature spoke to Elijah's varying moods. In the fire, the earthquake, and the tempest, he heard the voices of his own soul. They expressed what he would say, and relieved him in the expression. Then the accents of the "still small voice" fell upon his ear, calming, quieting, soothing. Best of all, the voice of God commissioned him once more with the words, "Go, return." The vacated post was open still; the crown of the life-work could be worthily placed; the gate was open through which he might serve the land he loved.
Often we lie down on the desert-sands, and think that death is near. But it is not so. God does not judge us by our moods. He knows the faithful heart that is true to Him, and he wants to bestow the crown of life. Not the winding-sheet of the desert-sands, but the chariot of fire to the Home-Land was to be the portion of God's faithful prophet. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 19

1  Elijah, threatened by Jezebel, flees to Beersheba
4  In the desert, being weary of his life, he is comforted by an angel
9  At Horeb God appears unto him, sending him to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha
19  Elisha, taking leave of his friends, follows Elijah

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 19:10 mean?

so he said very I have been zealous for Yahweh God of hosts for have forsaken Your covenant the sons of Israel - Your altars torn down and Your prophets killed with the sword and am left I alone and they seek my life to take
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ קַנֹּ֨א קִנֵּ֜אתִי לַיהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָא֗וֹת כִּֽי־ עָזְב֤וּ בְרִֽיתְךָ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־ מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ הָרָ֔סוּ וְאֶת־ נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ הָרְג֣וּ בֶחָ֑רֶב וָֽאִוָּתֵ֤ר אֲנִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ נַפְשִׁ֖י לְקַחְתָּֽהּ

וַיֹּאמֶר֩  so  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
קַנֹּ֨א  very 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: קָנָא  
Sense: to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous.
קִנֵּ֜אתִי  I  have  been  zealous 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: קָנָא  
Sense: to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous.
לַיהוָ֣ה ׀  for  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
צְבָא֗וֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
עָזְב֤וּ  have  forsaken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
בְרִֽיתְךָ֙  Your  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִזְבְּחֹתֶ֣יךָ  Your  altars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
הָרָ֔סוּ  torn  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָרַס  
Sense: to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly.
נְבִיאֶ֖יךָ  Your  prophets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הָרְג֣וּ  killed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
בֶחָ֑רֶב  with  the  sword 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וָֽאִוָּתֵ֤ר  and  am  left 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַר  
Sense: to be left over, remain, remain over, leave.
לְבַדִּ֔י  alone 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
וַיְבַקְשׁ֥וּ  and  they  seek 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
נַפְשִׁ֖י  my  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לְקַחְתָּֽהּ  to  take 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.