1 Kings 19:13

1Ki 19:13 And it was [so], when Elijah heard [it], that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, [there came] a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Ver. 13. He wrapped his face in his mantle.] As not able to behold God’s surpassing brightness, whereby the very angels might have their eyes put out, did they not cover their faces with their wings as with a double scarf.

What dost thou here, Elijah?] q.d., Speak out, man; let me have a more direct answer. But this his guiltiness would not let him do. He is at it, therefore, as before.

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 19:13. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle — Through dread of God’s presence, being sensible that he was neither worthy of nor able to endure the sight of God with open face. And went out and stood, &c. — Which God had commanded him to do; and as he was going toward the mouth of the cave, he was affrighted and stopped in his course by the dreadful wind, and earthquake, and fire; when these were past, he proceeds, and goes on to the month of the cave. Moses was put into the cave when God’s glory passed before him, but Elijah was called out of it: but neither Moses nor Elijah saw any manner of similitude. And, behold, a voice — What dost thou here, Elijah? — What God before spake by an angel, he now speaks to him himself immediately.

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

19:13-14 What are you doing here? The Lord repeats his question (see 19:9), and Elijah gives exactly the same response as earlier. Elijah’s answer gives no indication that he understood how God was working through all that had happened. Paul makes reference to this interchange in Rom 11:3-4.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. Wrapped his face in his mantle] This he did to signify his respect; so Moses hid his face, for he dared not to look upon God Ex 3:6. Covering the face was a token of respect among the Asiatics, as uncovering the head is among the Europeans.

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

13. wrapped his face in his mantle] The revelation was not one for the eye, but for the spirit, of the prophet. Like Moses ‘he was afraid to look upon God’ (Exo_3:6).

in the entering in of the cave] The command given before had been ‘Go forth and stand upon the mount,’ but this only applies to such an advance as would bring him out of the cave and into the open air, not to any climbing to the mountain top.

What doest thou here?] This repeated question seeks to know whether the prophet has understood the manifestations that have been made to him, and whether he is able to apply them to his own circumstances. The answer coming in the same words as before seems to declare that Elijah is still ignorant of what is meant. God therefore gives him direct charges which shall make it clear that, though his own success has not been such as he expected, yet God’s work is still going forward and that new agents are already prepared, in Jehovah’s design, for advancing it as He sees best.

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 it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle,.... Through reverence of the divine Majesty he perceived was there, and through shame and confusion under a sense of his impurity, imperfections, and unworthiness, as the seraphim in Isa 6:2, and as Moses, Exo 3:6, and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave; he attempted to come forth out of the cave upon the divine order, Kg1 19:11, but was stopped by the terrible appearances of the wind, earthquake, and fire, a little within it; but now he came quite out, and stood at the mouth of it, to hear what the Lord would say unto him:

and, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, what dost thou here, Elijah? the same question is here put as in Kg1 19:9, though there by an angel, here by the Lord himself.

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

Mantle - The upper garment, a sort of short cloak or cape - perhaps made of untanned sheepskin, which was, besides the strip of leather round his loins, the sole apparel of the prophet (compare Mat 3:4). For the action compare the marginal references.

There came a voice unto him ... - The question heard before in vision is now put again to the prophet by the Lord Himself. Elijah gives no humbler and more gentle answer. He is still satisfied with his own statement of his case.

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

Mantle, out of respect, like Moses, Exodus iii. 6. So the cherubim veil their faces with their wings, Isaias vi. 2. (Menochius) --- Among the Orientals, to cover the face has the same import as when we pull of our hats. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He wrapped his face in his mantle, through horror and dread of God’s presence, being sensible that he was neither worthy nor able to endure the sight of God with open face. Compare Gen 16:13, with Exo 3:6.

Stood in the entering in of the cave; which God commanded him to do; and as he was going towards the mouth of the cave, he was affrighted and stopped in his course, by the dreadful wind, and earthquake, and fire; and when these were past, he prosecutes his journey, and goeth on to the mouth of the cave, and there stands still. Or the words may be rendered, after (as vau is elsewhere used) he was gone out, and standing in the mouth of the cave; which may be mentioned as the reason why he covered his face, because now he wanted the shelter of the cave.

What doest thou here, Elijah? what before he spake by an angel, he now speaks to him again immediately.

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

13. Wrapped his face in his mantle — Conscious of his infirmities and shortcomings, he was, like Moses, “afraid to look upon God.” Exo_3:6. He began to realize that as yet he knew comparatively little of the Divine nature and will.

There came a voice unto him — It was the voice of Jehovah; perhaps the same as that whose soft whisper followed the lightning flash; but, if so, it now rose to a clearer and more intelligible sound.

What doest thou here — The Lord’s question and the prophet’s answer are repeated (compare 1Ki_19:9) in order to deepen the impression of the scene. The repetition also shows Elijah still presuming to justify his flight. He was guilty of no wilful sin. His error was not one of the heart, but of the understanding; and his flight to Horeb, though not blameless, was largely the result of disappointment and discouragement. He had, indeed, been very zealous for the Lord, and had expected too much from the triumph at Carmel. Jehovah proceeds to show him there are other ways of taking off the wicked than by miraculous interference.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle Like Moses, Exo_3:6.; cf. 33:20; 34:33; 2Co_3:13; Isa_6:1, Isa_6:2. This mantle (see note on 1Ki_18:46) was probably a sheepskin. The LXX calls it nhlwth (cf. Heb_11:37) In, Zec_13:4 we find that the prophets wore a mantle of hair and went out, and stood Same words as in ver. 11. It was the still small voice, apparently, that first brought him to obey the command there given. He would perhaps be afraid to issue from the shelter of his cave during the tempest and the earthquake, which may have followed directly after the instruction to go forth was given. Possibly there was a lesson for him here also, viz., that amid the din and excitement and torture of drought and famine and fire and blood the commands of God are less likely to be heard in the soul and obeyed, than in the hour of peace and stillness. The drought and famine and sword have their work to do, even as the tempest and the earthquake have theirs; but it is by the voice of mercy and love that the hearts of men are turned back again. "Not in the strong east wind that parted the Red Sea, or the fire that swept the top of Sinai, or the earthquake that shook down the walls of Jericho would God be brought so near to man as in the still small voice of the child of Bethlehem" (Stanley) in the entering in of the cave. He hardly obeyed the letter of the command of ver. 11 even then. Does not this point to a rebellious and unsubdued heart? Is it not a confirmation of the view taken above, that he fled to Horeb, full of bitter disappointment and murmuring against God; and that the purpose of this revelation was not only to teach him as to God"s dealings with men, but also to school and subdue his own rebellious heart? And, behold, there came a voice unto him The expression is different from that of ver. 9. There we read of the "word of the Lord," here of a "voice." But this is not to be identified with the "still small voice" of ver. 12, and said, What doest, thou here, Elijah? As in ver. 9.

Wrapped his face in his mantle." He was afraid to look upon (Exo_3:6; cf. Gen_3:10, "I hid myself "Conscience makes cowards of us all." Besides, no man can see His face and live. (Exo_33:20) The beatific vision is too much for our poor mortality, too much for the angelic powers. (Isa_6:2) It is in mercy that God isveiled from our view. The seeing God as He is belongs to the times of restitution. (Mat_5:8; Heb_12:14; Rev_1:7 Rev_22:4; 1Co_13:12)

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

He wrapped, &c. - Through dread of God's presence, being sensibly that he was neither worthy nor able to endure the sight of God with open face. And stood, &c. - Which God commanded him to do; and as he was going towards the mouth of the cave, he was affrighted and stopped in his course, by the dreadful wind, and earthquake, and fire; when these were past, he prosecutes his journey, and goeth on to the mouth of the cave.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

he wrapped his face in his cloak

"he covered his face with his cloak" A cloak is a long robe, a piece of clothing that covers the whole body.

Then a voice came to him

"Then he heard a voice"

What are you doing here ... and they are also trying to take my life

See how you translated this text in 1 Kings 19:9-10.

I, only I, am left

Here the word "I" is repeated for emphasis.

translationWords

face

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

He wrapped his face. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “and he wrapped his face,” and so it states, “wrapped up [לוטה] in a cloth.”

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.