1 Kings 18:46 (LSB)

Passage

But the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab unto where you enter Jezreel.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:44 Now it happened at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the rain does not stop you.’”

1 Kings 18:45 Now it happened that in a little while the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.

1 Kings 18:46 But the hand of Yahweh was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab unto where you enter Jezreel.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hand", "yahweh", "elijah", "girded", "loins", "outran", "ahab", and "where". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hand" and "yahweh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Now it happened that in a little...", giving immediate footing for "hand" and "yahweh". In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hand" and "yahweh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.