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
In the time of King Ahab of Israel, the prophet Elijah had declared a severe drought as divine judgment against the nation's idolatry, leading to widespread famine. Ahab, desperate to end the drought, sent messengers to search for Elijah in every kingdom and nation, requiring them to swear an oath if they couldn't find him. This conversation occurs when Obadiah, Ahab's steward and a secret follower of God, encounters Elijah and expresses his fear of the king's exhaustive pursuit.
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