As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
I swear by the LORD your God who lives, there isn't a single nation or kingdom where my master hasn't sent people to look for you. And whenever they said, 'He's not here,' he made that kingdom and nation swear an oath that they truly couldn't find you.
The speaker is emphasizing how desperately and thoroughly King Ahab has searched everywhere for Elijah, making entire nations swear they couldn't find him.
📚 Historical Context
This is Obadiah speaking to the prophet Elijah during the severe drought that had lasted three and a half years. King Ahab had been frantically searching for Elijah throughout Israel and surrounding nations because he blamed the prophet for the devastating famine. Obadiah was Ahab's palace administrator who secretly protected God's prophets while serving the wicked king.
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