Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 20th, 2025
the Third Week of Advent
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

1 Kings 18:9

But Obadiah replied, "How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Doubting;   Elijah;   Obadiah;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Obadiah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - 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 - Obadiah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But Obadiah said, “What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?
Hebrew Names Version
He said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ach'av, to kill me?
King James Version
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
English Standard Version
And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
New Century Version
Then Obadiah said, "What wrong have I done for you to hand me over to Ahab like this? He will put me to death.
New English Translation
Obadiah said, "What sin have I committed that you are ready to hand your servant over to Ahab for execution?
Amplified Bible
But he said, "What sin have I committed, that you would hand over your servant to Ahab to put me to death?
New American Standard Bible
But he said, "What sin have I committed, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab, to put me to death?
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he said, What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the hande of Ahab, to slay me?
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, "What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?
Contemporary English Version
Obadiah replied: King Ahab would kill me if I told him that. And I haven't even done anything wrong.
Complete Jewish Bible
‘Ovadyah replied, "How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ach'av to kill me?
Darby Translation
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou givest thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to put me to death?
Easy-to-Read Version
Obadiah said, "If I tell Ahab that I know where you are, he will kill me! I have done nothing wrong to you. Why do you want me to die?
George Lamsa Translation
And Obadiah said, What sin have I committed, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
Good News Translation
Obadiah answered, "What have I done that you want to put me in danger of being killed by King Ahab?
Lexham English Bible
He said, "How have I sinned that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?
Literal Translation
And he said, What have I sinned, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But he sayde: What haue I offended, that thou wilt delyuer thy seruaunt in to the handes of Achab, that he maye slaye me?
American Standard Version
And he said, Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
Bible in Basic English
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?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He saide: What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest delyuer thy seruaunt into the hande of Ahab, to slay me?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said: 'Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
King James Version (1611)
And he said, What haue I sinned, that thou wouldest deliuer thy seruant into the hand of Ahab, to slay mee?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Abdiu said, What sin have I committed, that thou givest thy servant into the hand of Achaab to slay me?
English Revised Version
And he said, Wherein have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Abdie seide, What `synnede Y, for thou bitakist me in the hond of Achab, that he sle me?
Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, `What have I sinned, that thou art giving thy servant into the hand of Ahab -- to put me to death?
Update Bible Version
And he said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your slave into the hand of Ahab, to slay me?
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me?
World English Bible
He said, Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
New King James Version
So he said, "How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
New Living Translation
"Oh, sir," Obadiah protested, "what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab?
New Life Bible
Obadiah said, "What sin have I done? Why are you giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to be killed?
New Revised Standard
And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - How have I sinned, - that, thou, art delivering thy servant into the hand of Ahab, to put me to death?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: What have I sinned, that thou wouldst deliver me, thy servant, into the hand of Achab, that he should kill me?
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "Wherein have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
THE MESSAGE
Obadiah said, "But what have I done to deserve this? Ahab will kill me. As surely as your God lives, there isn't a country or kingdom where my master hasn't sent out search parties looking for you. And if they said, ‘We can't find him; we've looked high and low,' he would make that country or kingdom swear that you were not to be found. And now you're telling me, ‘Go and tell your master Elijah's found!' The minute I leave you the Spirit of God will whisk you away to who knows where. Then when I report to Ahab, you'll have disappeared and Ahab will kill me. And I've served God devoutly since I was a boy! Hasn't anyone told you what I did when Jezebel was out to kill the prophets of God , how I risked my life by hiding a hundred of them, fifty to a cave, and made sure they got food and water? And now you're telling me to draw attention to myself by announcing to my master, ‘Elijah's been found.' Why, he'll kill me for sure."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said, "What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?

Contextual Overview

1After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth." 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria, 3and Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah greatly feared the LORD, 4for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go throughout the land to every spring and every valley. Perhaps we will find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to destroy any livestock." 6So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself. 7Now as Obadiah went on his way, Elijah suddenly met him. When Obadiah recognized him, he fell facedown and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?" 8"It is I," he answered. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here!'" 9But Obadiah replied, "How have I sinned, that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to put me to death?10As 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What have I sinned: 1 Kings 18:12, 1 Kings 17:18, Exodus 5:21

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 16:2 - How can I go 2 Kings 4:16 - do not lie Acts 9:13 - Lord

Cross-References

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I do not know!" he answered. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis 24:67
And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 31:33
So Laban went into Jacob's tent, then Leah's tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.
Titus 2:5
to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said, what have I sinned,.... Or in what have I offended God or his prophet, that revenge should be taken on me in this way:

that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me? for that he supposed would be the consequence of it, as he argues and more plainly expresses his sense in the following words.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Obadiah thinks that to execute this commission will be fatal to him 1 Kings 18:12.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile