1 Reyes 19:3

3. When he saw Saw how things stood; saw the storm coming because of Ahab’s instability and lack of moral courage and firm principle to rule his house, and silence the rage of Jezebel.

He arose, and went for his life Strange spectacle! the man at whose word but yesterday the life of Jehovah miraculously fell, and four hundred and fifty false prophets were slain, now flies for his life before the threat of an idolatrous queen! Jehovah seems to have left him for a season to himself. Perhaps there was danger that, like the apostle, he might become exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations and of power which were manifested through him, (2 Corinthians 12:7,) and it was needful to remind him by an impressive experience that he was still a man encompassed with human passions and infirmities. To many it may seem that a great opportunity to reform the worship of the kingdom was lost by Elijah’s flight. The people were convinced. Ahab was awed to reverent silence and submission. Only Jezebel and her Asherah priests seem to have remained an obstacle in the way of reform; and how easily might they have been removed by the Divine power which had already wrought such wonders! So we might judge. But there is a point beyond which Divine power will not multiply miracles, and the turning-point here was the instability of Ahab. He had the power, and ought to have shown the courage, to silence the ravings of his impious wife, and to command his household and the whole kingdom to keep the way of the Lord. But he was governed by his wife, became false to his deepest convictions of truth, and Jehovah would proceed no further at that time to magnify his name. But the moral lessons of the scene at Carmel have never been lost. Though failing to reform the king and the nation, they speak to every after age, and form a part of that Divine revelation which claims the admiration and reverence of all that desire to know and worship the true God.

Beersheba The southern extremity of the Promised Land, and the home of the patriarchs.

Which belongeth to Judah It was originally assigned to the tribe of Simeon, (Joshua 19:2;) whence it appears that the tribe had now become largely absorbed in the tribe of Judah.

Left his servant He would be entirely alone; and in that utter solitude to which he fled, in which he might suffer hunger and many dangers, he wished to have no partaker of his sufferings.