1 Kings 18:44
New International Version
The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

New Living Translation
Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

English Standard Version
And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’”

Berean Standard Bible
On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

King James Bible
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

New King James Version
Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
And when he returned the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a person’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot horses and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’”

NASB 1995
It came about 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 heavy shower does not stop you.’”

NASB 1977
And it came about 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 heavy shower does not stop you.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
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.’”

Amplified Bible
And at the seventh time the servant said, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And Elijah said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the rain shower does not stop you.’”

Christian Standard Bible
On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming up from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

American Standard Version
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And at the seventh time, he said: “I saw and behold, a small cloud like the palm of a hand coming up from the sea!” And he said to him: “Go up, say to Akhab: ‘Ride and come down before the rain will stop you!’”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the servant went again seven times: and it came to pass at the seventh time, that, behold, a little cloud like the sole of a man's foot brought water; and he said, Go up, and say to Achaab, make ready thy chariot, and go down, lest the rain overtake thee.

Contemporary English Version
After the seventh time the servant replied, "I see a small cloud coming this way. But it's no bigger than a fist." Elijah told him, "Tell Ahab to get his chariot ready and start home now. Otherwise, the rain will stop him."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And at the seventh time, behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man's foot. And he said: Go up and say to Achab: Prepare thy chariot and go down, lest the rain prevent thee.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
After the seventh time the servant said, "A little cloud like a man's hand is coming from the sea." Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Prepare [ your chariot], and leave before the rain delays you.'"

Good News Translation
The seventh time he returned and said, "I saw a little cloud no bigger than a man's hand, coming up from the sea." Elijah ordered his servant, "Go to King Ahab and tell him to get in his chariot and go back home before the rain stops him."

International Standard Version
On the seventh look, he said, "Look! There's a cloud, a small one, about the size of a man's hand. It's coming up out of the sea!" "Get up and find Ahab!" Elijah said. "Tell him, 'Mount your chariot and ride down the mountain so the storm doesn't stop you.'"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said: 'Behold, there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand.' And he said: 'Go up, say unto Ahab: Make ready thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.'

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, at the seventh, that he says, “Behold, a little thickness as the palm of a man is coming up out of the sea.” And he says, “Go up, say to Ahab, Bind and go down, and the shower does not restrain you.”

Majority Standard Bible
On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

New American Bible
And the seventh time the youth reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Elijah said, “Go and say to Ahab, ‘Harness up and go down the mountain before the rain stops you.’ ”

NET Bible
The seventh time the servant said, "Look, a small cloud, the size of the palm of a man's hand, is rising up from the sea." Elijah then said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up the chariots and go down, so that the rain won't overtake you.'"

New Revised Standard Version
At the seventh time he said, “Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.” Then he said, “Go say to Ahab, ‘Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

New Heart English Bible
It happened at the seventh time, that he said, "Look, a small cloud, like a man's hand, is rising out of the sea." He said, "Go up, tell Ahab, 'Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn't stop you.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and go down, that the rain may not hinder thee.

World English Bible
On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, at the seventh, that he saith, 'Lo, a little thickness as the palm of a man is coming up out of the sea.' And he saith, 'Go up, say unto Ahab, 'Bind -- and go down, and the shower doth not restrain thee.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Sends Rain
43“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” 44 On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” 45Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.…

Cross References
Luke 12:54
Then Jesus said to the crowds, "As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, 'A shower is coming,' and that is what happens.

1 Kings 18:43
"Go and look toward the sea," he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, "There is nothing there." Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there rises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot, and get you down that the rain stop you not.

a little cloud.

Job 8:7
Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Zechariah 4:10
For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Prepare [heb] Tie, or Bind

1 Samuel 6:7,10
Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: …

Micah 1:13
O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

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1 Kings 18
1. In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah
9. Obadiah brings Ahab to Elijah
17. Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets
41. Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel














Verse 44. - And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. [כַּפ lit., palm, hollow of hand. Cf. Luke 12:54, "When ye see the cloud (Gr. τὴν νεφέλην) arise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is." "Still in autumn the little cloud comes up like a man's hand and swells till huge thunder pillars are piled black and high above the mountains" (Condor). But it is not in Palestine alone that a little cloud on the horizon is frequently the harbinger of rain]. And he said, Go up [see note on ver. 42], say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot [Heb. bind], and get thee down [Keil, Stanley, and others assume that Ahab's chariot was waiting at the foot of the mountain. But it is to be noticed that the command to harness the horses precedes that to "go down." The writer rode down from El Murahkah to the plain, and it is quite conceivable that the royal chariot may have conveyed Ahab to the plateau of sacrifice and have waited for him there], that the rain stop thee not, [After heavy rain (גֶּשֶׁם) the Kishon, which "collects the whole drainage of this large basin" (Conder), the Great Plain, soon becomes an impassable swamp.(Judges 5:21), "I can tell you from experience that in wet seasons it (the Wady) is extremely muddy, and then the Kishon causes great tribulation to the muleteers. Rarely indeed do they get over it without some of their animals sticking fast in its oozy bottom" (Thomson, L. and B. 2. p. 218).]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
On the seventh time
בַּשְּׁבִעִ֔ית (baš·šə·ḇi·‘îṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular
Strong's 7637: Seventh (an ordinal number)

[the servant] reported,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“There is
הִנֵּה־ (hin·nêh-)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

a cloud
עָ֛ב (‘āḇ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 5645: An envelope, darkness, a, cloud, a copse

as small
קְטַנָּ֥ה (qə·ṭan·nāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

as a man’s
אִ֖ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

hand
כְּכַף־ (kə·ḵap̄-)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

rising
עֹלָ֣ה (‘ō·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

from the sea.”
מִיָּ֑ם (mî·yām)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

And Elijah replied,
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Go
עֲלֵ֨ה (‘ă·lêh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

and tell
אֱמֹ֤ר (’ĕ·mōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

Ahab,
אַחְאָב֙ (’aḥ·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 256: Ahab -- 'father's brother', a king of Israel, also a false prophet

‘Prepare [your chariot]
אֱסֹ֣ר (’ĕ·sōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 631: To yoke, hitch, to fasten, to join battle

and go down
וָרֵ֔ד (wā·rêḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

before the rain
הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ (hag·gā·šem)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1653: Rain, shower

stops you.’”
יַעַצָרְכָ֖ה (ya·‘a·ṣā·rə·ḵāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6113: To inclose, to hold back, to maintain, rule, assemble


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OT History: 1 Kings 18:44 It happened at the seventh time that (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 18:43
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