1 Kings 18:5
New International Version
Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.”

New Living Translation
Ahab said to Obadiah, “We must check every spring and valley in the land to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules.”

English Standard Version
And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then 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.”

King James Bible
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

New King James Version
And Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the springs of water and to all the brooks; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, so that we will not have to kill any livestock.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the river valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

NASB 1995
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

NASB 1977
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to cut down some of the cattle.”

Amplified Bible
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the sources of water and to all the streams; perhaps we may find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

Christian Standard Bible
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go throughout the land to every spring of water and to every wadi. Perhaps we’ll find grass so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to destroy any cattle.”

American Standard Version
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Akhab said to Oubdaya: “Go walk in the land to all springs of waters and to all the torrents; perhaps we will find grass and we will save the horses and the shemules, and we will not be deprived of the animals.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Achaab said to Abdiu, Come, and let us go through the land, and to the fountains of water, and to the brooks, if by any means we may find grass, and may save the horses and mules, and so they will not perish from the tents.

Contemporary English Version
and said, "We have to find something for our horses and mules to eat. If we don't, we will have to kill them. Let's look around every creek and spring in the country for some grass.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Achab said to Abdias: Go into the land unto all fountains of waters, and into all valleys, to see if we can find grass, and save the horses and mules, that the beasts may not utterly perish.

English Revised Version
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go through the land, unto all the fountains of water, and unto all the brooks: peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Ahab told Obadiah, "Let's go throughout the countryside to every spring and stream. If we can find grass, then we can keep the horses and mules alive and not lose any animals."

Good News Translation
Ahab said to Obadiah, "Let us go and look at every spring and every stream bed in the land to see if we can find enough grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Maybe we won't have to kill any of our animals."

International Standard Version
Ahab had instructed Obadiah, "Go throughout the land to all of the water springs and to all of the valleys. Maybe we'll find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive. Also, maybe we won't have to kill some of our cattle."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Ahab said unto Obadiah: 'Go through the land, unto all the springs of water, and unto all the brooks; peradventure we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.'

Literal Standard Version
and Ahab says to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all fountains of waters, and to all the brooks, perhaps we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the livestock.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then 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.”

New American Bible
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all sources of water and to all the wadies. We may find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, so that we shall not have to slaughter any of the beasts.”

NET Bible
Ahab told Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grazing areas so we can keep the horses and mules alive and not have to kill some of the animals."

New Revised Standard Version
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.”

New Heart English Bible
And Ahab said to Obadiah, "Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the wadis. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all brooks: it may be we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

World English Bible
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose all the animals.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Ahab saith unto Obadiah, 'Go through the land, unto all fountains of waters, and unto all the brooks, if so be we find hay, and keep alive horse and mule, and do not cut off any of the cattle.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Confronts Ahab
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.…

Cross References
1 Kings 18:4
for 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.)

1 Kings 18:6
So they divided the land to explore. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went the other way by himself.

Jeremiah 14:3
The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads.

Joel 1:20
Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.

Amos 4:8
People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me," declares the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.

grass

Psalm 104:14
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

Jeremiah 14:5,6
Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass…

Joel 1:18
How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

Jump to Previous
Ahab Alive Animals Beasts Brooks Find Fountains Grass Horses Kill Lose Mules Obadiah Peradventure Perhaps Save Springs Valleys Water
Jump to Next
Ahab Alive Animals Beasts Brooks Find Fountains Grass Horses Kill Lose Mules Obadiah Peradventure Perhaps Save Springs Valleys Water
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














Verse 5. - And Ahab said [had said] unto Obadiah, Go into [Heb. in] the land, unto all fountains [Heb. places of fountains. Cf. with מַעְיָן from מָאור עַיִן from אור etc.] of water, and unto all brooks [wadies; see on 1 Kings 17:3]: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive [It has been inferred from Ahab's concern for his stud that he viewed the sufferings of his subjects with comparative indifference, or at least regarded them as of altogether secondary importance. But this is a too hasty conclusion. His subjects were, for the most part, as well able to find water for themselves as he was for them, and he might safely trust to their instinct of self preservation to do their best to meet the emergency. But the dumb cattle, con. fined to the stall, could not act for themselves. Hence this expedition in search of fodder], that we lose not all the beasts. [Marg. that we cut not ourselves off from, etc. But this rendering, and still more that of the text, misinterprets the force of the Hiphil נַקְרִית. The literal translation is, "That we may not have to cut off from (i.e., a portion of, מִן partitive, as in ver. 13 below, מגְּבִיאֵי). What Ahab means is that, unless they soon find fodder, they will have to slaughter a portion of their animals. So Bahr, Und nicht von dem Vieh (einen Theil) umbringen mussen. Similarly Keil.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Ahab
אַחְאָב֙ (’aḥ·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Obadiah,
עֹ֣בַדְיָ֔הוּ (‘ō·ḇaḏ·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5662: Obadiah -- 'servant of Yah', the name of a number of Israelites

“Go
לֵ֤ךְ (lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

throughout the land
בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

spring
מַעְיְנֵ֣י (ma‘·yə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 4599: A fountain, a source

and
וְאֶ֖ל (wə·’el)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

valley.
הַנְּחָלִ֑ים (han·nə·ḥā·lîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

Perhaps
אוּלַ֣י ׀ (’ū·lay)
Adverb
Strong's 194: Perhaps

we will find
נִמְצָ֣א (nim·ṣā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

grass
חָצִ֗יר (ḥā·ṣîr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2682: Green grass, herbage

to keep the horses
ס֣וּס (sūs)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5483: A swallow, swift (type of bird)

and mules
וָפֶ֔רֶד (wā·p̄e·reḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6505: A mule

alive
וּנְחַיֶּה֙ (ū·nə·ḥay·yeh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

so that we will not
וְל֥וֹא (wə·lō·w)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

have to destroy
נַכְרִ֖ית (naḵ·rîṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

any livestock.�
מֵהַבְּהֵמָֽה׃ (mê·hab·bə·hê·māh)
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal


Links
1 Kings 18:5 NIV
1 Kings 18:5 NLT
1 Kings 18:5 ESV
1 Kings 18:5 NASB
1 Kings 18:5 KJV

1 Kings 18:5 BibleApps.com
1 Kings 18:5 Biblia Paralela
1 Kings 18:5 Chinese Bible
1 Kings 18:5 French Bible
1 Kings 18:5 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Kings 18:5 Ahab said to Obadiah Go through (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 18:4
Top of Page
Top of Page