1 Kings 18:5

1Ki 18:5 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.

Ver. 5. And Ahab said unto Obadiah.] Goodness carrieth away trust, where it cannot have imitation.

Peradventure we may find grass.] Which groweth best in locis irriguis, in low and moist places that lie by water sides.

To save the horses and mules alive.] These were his delight and confidence; and for this more care is taken than for those "precious sons of Zion," the prophets, whom he suffered to be cut off by his wicked wife Jezebel.

That we lose not all the beasts.] The loss of their souls, meanwhile, is never thought on; though our Saviour - who only went to the price of souls - showeth that the loss of a soul is, (1.) incomparable, (2.) irreparable. {Mat 16:26}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 18:5-6. Go unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks — About which grass was most probably to be found in that great drought; that we lose not all the beasts — Many, it appears, were already dead for want of grass, which he hoped they might find in such moist places, sufficient to preserve, at least, a part of the rest. Ahab went one way by himself — Not daring to trust any other, Obadiah excepted; lest, being bribed by such as had grass for their own use, they should not give him a true account.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 5. Unto all fountains of water] All marshy or well-watered districts, where grass was most likely to be preserved.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Go into [R.V. through] the land] The change gives a clearer idea of what is meant, and the preposition is the same which in 1Ki_18:6 is rendered ‘throughout.’ In the next clause, as both nouns are definite in the original, the R.V. has ‘the fountains’ and ‘the brooks.’ In their neighbourhood grass would remain longest.

grass to save] R.V. ‘grass and save,’ which is literal and equally good English with A.V.

that we leese not all the beasts] They might have to kill some, but the discovery of grass might save a part. The LXX. gives καὶ οὐκ ἐξολοθρευθήσονται ἀπὸ τῶν σκηνῶν. ‘Leese’ is the old English form of ‘lose.’ Cf. Shakspeare, Sonn. 1Ki_18:14, ‘Flowers distilled leese but their show.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Ahab said unto Obadiah, go into the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks,.... To observe in what condition they were, and the places adjoining to them, the meadows and valleys:

peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive; particularly those which belonged to the king's stables, to find provisions for which it was found difficult:

that we lose not all the beasts; many of them, doubtless, were lost through the drought already, and there was great danger of the rest, and so, in time, of there being none to procreate and preserve their species, and to prevent which Ahab proposed to take this method.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks - Rather, “to all springs of water and to all torrent-courses.” The former are the perennial streams; the latter are the torrent-courses which become dry in an ordinary summer.

All the beasts - Rather, some, or, “a portion of our beasts.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Unto all fountains of water, and unto all brooks; about which grass was most probably to be found in that great drought.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And Ahab said had said unto Obadiah, Go into Heb. in the land, unto all fountains Heb. places of fountains. Cf. with ym from yi rwOam; from rwOa etc. of water, and unto all brooks wadies; (see on 1Ki_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 tyriqn." The literal translation is, That we may not have to cut off from (i.e. , a portion of, mi partitive, as in ver. 13 below, yaeybiGm). 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.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

save the horses and mules alive ... not lose all the animals

These two phrases mean basically the same thing and are combined for emphasis. AT: "prevent the horses and mules from dying" (See: Parallelism)

Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way

The phrase "by himself" emphasizes that Ahab and Obadiah went in separate directions, not necessarily that no one was with Ahab. AT: "Ahab lead a team in one direction and Obadiah lead a team in the other direction" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

water

save

horse

donkey

life

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And we will not be bereft of [our] animals. All our animals will not be cut off from us.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.