1 Kings 18:20 (YLT)

Passage

And Ahab sendeth among all the sons of Israel, and gathereth the prophets unto the mount of Carmel;

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:18 And he saith, `I have not troubled Israel, but thou and the house of thy father, in your forsaking the commands of Jehovah, and thou goest after the Baalim;

1 Kings 18:19 and now, send, gather unto me all Israel, unto the mount of Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the shrine, four hundred--eating at the table of Jezebel.'

1 Kings 18:20 And Ahab sendeth among all the sons of Israel, and gathereth the prophets unto the mount of Carmel;

1 Kings 18:21 and Elijah cometh nigh unto all the people, and saith, `Till when are ye leaping on the two branches? --if Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> God, go after Him; and if Baal, go after him;' and the people have not answered him a word.

1 Kings 18:22 And Elijah saith unto the people, `I--I have been left a prophet of Jehovah--by myself; and the prophets of Baal <FI>are<Fi> four hundred and fifty men;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ahab", "sendeth", "sons", "israel", "gathereth", "prophets", "mount", and "carmel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ahab" and "sendeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "and now send gather unto me all..." into verse 21's "and Elijah cometh nigh unto all the...", so "ahab" and "sendeth" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

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