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Bible in Basic English

1 Kings 18:10

By the life of the Lord your God, there is not a nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent in search of you; and when they said, He is not here; he made them take an oath that they had not seen you.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Doubting;   Elijah;   Extradition;   Obadiah;   Persecution;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophets;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Flood;   Obadiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Noah;   Shalman;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kings, 1 and 2;   Obadiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Elijah;   Haggai;   Obadiah;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Obadiah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Obadiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elijah;   Jezebel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Obadi'ah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elijah;   Oath;   Obadiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made that kingdom or nation swear they had not found you.
Hebrew Names Version
As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent to seek you: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you.
King James Version
As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
English Standard Version
As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ‘He is not here,' he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.
New Century Version
As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has sent people to every country to search for you. If the ruler said you were not there, Ahab forced the ruler to swear you could not be found in his country.
New English Translation
As certainly as the Lord your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, ‘He's not here,' he makes them swear an oath that they could not find you.
Amplified Bible
"As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent messengers to seek you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' Ahab made the kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.
New American Standard Bible
"As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my master has not sent word to search for you; and whenever they say, 'He is not here,' he makes the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
As the Lorde thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whither my lorde hath not sent to seeke thee: and when they sayd, He is not here, he tooke an othe of the kingdome and nation, if they had not found thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and if they said, ‘He is not here,' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.
Contemporary English Version
I swear to you in the name of the living Lord your God that the king has looked everywhere for you. He sent people to look in every country, and when they couldn't find you, he made the leader of each country swear that you were not in that country.
Complete Jewish Bible
As Adonai your God lives, there can't be a single nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent to search you out; and in each kingdom or nation where they said, ‘He isn't here,' he made them take an oath that they hadn't found you.
Darby Translation
As Jehovah thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord has not sent to seek thee; and when they said, He is not [here], he took an oath of the kingdom or nation that they found thee not.
Easy-to-Read Version
As surely as the Lord your God lives, the king has been looking for you everywhere. He has sent people to every country to find you. He even made the rulers of those countries swear that you were not there.
George Lamsa Translation
As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdoms and nations, that they had not found you.
Good News Translation
By the living Lord , your God, I swear that the king has made a search for you in every country in the world. Whenever the ruler of a country reported that you were not in his country, Ahab would require that ruler to swear that you could not be found.
Lexham English Bible
As Yahweh your God lives, surely there is not a nation or a kingdom to which my lord has not sent me to seek you. If they would say, ‘He is not here,' then he would make the kingdom or the nation swear that it could not find you.
Literal Translation
As Jehovah your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they said, He is not here, then he caused the kingdom and the nation to swear that it did not find you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As truly as the LORDE thy God lyueth, there is no people ner kingdome, but my lorde hath sent thither to seke the. And whan they sayde: He is not here, he toke an ooth of the same kyngdome and nacion, that they had not founde the.
American Standard Version
As Jehovah thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
As the Lorde thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whyther my lord hath not sent to seeke thee: And when they saide, he is not there: he toke an oth of the kingdome and nation when he found thee not.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and when they said: He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
King James Version (1611)
As the Lord thy God liueth, there is no nation or kingdome, whither my lord hath not sent to seeke thee: and when they said, He is not there, hee tooke an oath of the kingdome and nation, that they found thee not.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As the Lord thy God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom, whither my lord has not sent to seek thee; and if they said, He is not here, then has he set fire to the kingdom and its territories, because he has not found thee.
English Revised Version
As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
Berean Standard Bible
As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent someone to search for you. When they said, 'He is not here,' he made that kingdom or nation swear that they had not found you.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thi Lord God lyueth, for no folk ethir rewme is, whidur my lord, sekynge thee, sente not; and whanne alle men answeriden, He is not here, he chargide greetli alle rewmes and folkis, for thou were not foundun; and now thou seist to me,
Young's Literal Translation
Jehovah thy God liveth, if there is a nation and kingdom whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and they said, He is not, then he caused the kingdom and the nation to swear, that it doth not find thee;
Update Bible Version
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent to seek you: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you.
Webster's Bible Translation
[As] the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation nor kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, [He is] not [there]; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
World English Bible
As Yahweh your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord has not sent to seek you: and when they said, He is not here, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn't find you.
New King James Version
As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, "He is not here,' he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.
New Living Translation
For I swear by the Lord your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, ‘Elijah isn't here,' King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim.
New Life Bible
As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation where the king has not sent men to look for you. And when they said, ‘He is not here,' he made the nation prove that they could not find you.
New Revised Standard
As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, ‘He is not here,' he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
By the life of Yahweh thy God, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee, and, when they have said - Nay! he hath taken an oath of the kingdom or the nation, that no one could find thee;
Douay-Rheims Bible
As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when all answered: He is not here: he took an oath of every kingdom and nation, because thou wast not found.
Revised Standard Version
As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, 'He is not here,' he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

Contextual Overview

1 Now after a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, Go and let Ahab see you, so that I may send rain on the earth. 2 So Elijah went to let Ahab see him. Now there was no food to be had in Samaria. 3 And Ahab sent for Obadiah, the controller of the king's house. (Now Obadiah had the fear of the Lord before him greatly; 4 For when Jezebel was cutting off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred of them, and kept them secretly in a hole in the rock, fifty at a time, and gave them bread and water.) 5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, Come, let us go through all the country, to all the fountains of water and all the rivers, and see if there is any grass to be had for the horses and the transport beasts, so that we may be able to keep some of the beasts from destruction. 6 So they went through all the country, covering it between them; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another by himself. 7 And while Obadiah was on his way, he came face to face with Elijah; and seeing who it was, he went down on his face and said, Is it you, my lord Elijah? 8 And Elijah in answer said, It is I; now go and say to your lord, Elijah is here. 9 And he said, What sin have I done, that you would give up your servant into the hand of Ahab, and be the cause of my death? 10 By the life of the Lord your God, there is not a nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent in search of you; and when they said, He is not here; he made them take an oath that they had not seen you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord: 1 Kings 18:15, 1 Kings 1:29, 1 Kings 2:24, 1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 17:12, 1 Samuel 29:6

whither my lord: Psalms 10:2, Jeremiah 26:20-23

they found thee not: 1 Kings 17:5, 1 Kings 17:9, Psalms 12:7, Psalms 12:8, Psalms 31:20, Psalms 91:1, Jeremiah 36:26, John 8:59

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 23:23 - I will search 1 Kings 19:10 - they seek my life 2 Kings 1:9 - sent unto 2 Kings 11:4 - took an oath Jeremiah 36:19 - General John 8:21 - I go John 18:4 - Whom Romans 10:18 - unto the ends

Cross-References

Genesis 16:10
And the angel of the Lord said, Your seed will be greatly increased so that it may not be numbered.
Genesis 17:16
And I will give her a blessing so that you will have a son by her: truly my blessing will be on her, and she will be the mother of nations: kings of peoples will be her offspring.
Genesis 17:19
And God said, Not so; but Sarah, your wife, will have a son, and you will give him the name Isaac, and I will make my agreement with him for ever and with his seed after him.
Genesis 17:21
But my agreement will be with Isaac, to whom Sarah will give birth a year from this time.
Genesis 18:3
And said, My Lord, if now I have grace in your eyes, do not go away from your servant:
Genesis 18:5
And let me get a bit of bread to keep up your strength, and after that you may go on your way: for this is why you have come to your servant. And they said, Let it be so.
Genesis 18:8
And he took butter and milk and the young ox which he had made ready and put it before them, waiting by them under the tree while they took food.
Genesis 18:9
And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, She is in the tent.
Genesis 18:13
And the Lord said, Why was Sarah laughing and saying, Is it possible for me, being old, to give birth to a child?
Genesis 18:14
Is there any wonder which the Lord is not able to do? At the time I said, in the spring, I will come back to you, and Sarah will have a child.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

As the Lord thy God liveth,.... Which is the form of an oath he thought fit to make, to ascertain the truth of what he was about to say:

there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; which is either an hyperbolical expression, signifying he had sought for him in many places, and in every place he could think of; or it must be understood either of the ten tribes, which were as so many nations and kingdoms as they had been; or were more in the times of the Canaanites; or of the nations round about, that were in alliance with or tributary to the king of Israel:

and when they said, he is not there, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not; which he might exact of his own subjects, but could not of other nations, unless they were free to it of themselves; or he might take it of their ambassadors or merchants that came into his land, of whom he inquired, and adjured them to tell him the truth.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There is no nation ... - This is expressed in the style of Oriental hyperbole. What Obadiah means is: “there is no nation nor kingdom, of those over which he has influence, whither the king has not sent.” He could scarcely, for example, have exacted an oath from such countries as Egypt or Syria of Damascus. But Ahab may have been powerful enough to expect an oath from the neighboring Hittite, Moabite, and Edomite tribes, perhaps even from Ethbaal his father-in-law, and the kings of Hamath and Arpad.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 18:10. There is no nation or kingdom — He had sent through all his own states and to the neighbouring governments to find out the prophet, as he knew, from his own declaration, that both rain and drought were to be the effect of his prayers. Had he found him, he no doubt intended to oblige him to procure rain, or punish him for having brought on this drought.

He took an oath — Ahab must have had considerable power and authority among the neighbouring nations to require and exact this, and Elijah must have kept himself very secret to have shunned such an extensive and minute search.


 
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