For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

1 KINGS 18:4KJV
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1 Kings 18:4 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 18:4 mean?

1 Kings 18:4 describes how Obadiah secretly protected one hundred prophets of the LORD by hiding them in caves and providing them with food and water when Jezebel was killing the LORD’s prophets. This verse highlights Obadiah’s courage and faithfulness during a time of severe danger for those loyal to God.

In the context of 1 Kings 18, the story takes place during the reign of King Ahab in Israel, with Jezebel, his queen, actively persecuting the prophets of the LORD. Obadiah, who served in Ahab’s household, risked his own safety to save these prophets, splitting them into groups of fifty and hiding them in caves. This act of protection happened while Jezebel was trying to wipe out the influence of the LORD’s prophets in Israel.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 18:4

  • "Cut off" (כָּרַת, karat) means to destroy or eliminate. Here, it emphasizes the violent and decisive actions Jezebel took against the prophets.
  • "Prophets" (נָבִיא, navi) refers to those who spoke for the LORD, showing that Jezebel’s actions targeted God’s messengers specifically.
  • "Hid" (חָבָא, chava) means to conceal or keep safe. Obadiah’s use of this word shows his deliberate and careful effort to protect the prophets from harm.
  • "Fed" (כָּלְכֵם, kilkel) means to provide for or sustain. The verse notes that Obadiah didn’t just hide the prophets but also made sure they had the basic necessities—bread (לֶחֶם, lechem) and water (מַיִם, mayim)—to survive.

Why 1 Kings 18:4 matters

  • This verse clarifies that not everyone in Ahab’s administration supported Jezebel’s actions; Obadiah’s loyalty to the LORD set him apart.
  • It shows the real danger faced by the prophets and the extraordinary risks taken by those who remained faithful.
  • The verse connects to the larger story of Elijah and the confrontation with Baal’s prophets, showing the broader struggle between faithfulness to the LORD and the pressures of idolatry in Israel.

Where else these words appear

“Jezebel” Hebrew H348 · used in 19 verses

  • 1 Kings 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
  • 1 Kings 21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
  • 2 Kings 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

“Obadiah” Hebrew H5662 · used in 19 verses

  • 1 Kings 18:3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house.(Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:
  • 1 Chronicles 7:3 And the sons of Uzzi; Izrahiah: and the sons of Izrahiah; Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five: all of them chief men.
  • 2 Chronicles 17:7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

“hid” Hebrew H2244 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
  • 1 Samuel 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait,(for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him,(for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

“cave” Hebrew H4631 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
  • Joshua 10:16 But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
  • 1 Samuel 24:10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.