· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 21:17The word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

The setting

Northern Israel, ~850 BC. Elijah receives a divine command after King Ahab and Queen Jezebel have murdered Naboth for his vineyard. Modern-day West Bank, Palestine.

The emotion here: reverent anticipation of difficult mission

The original word

dāḇār (דָּבָר) — word with power to create or destroy, not mere speech

Why it matters

Elijah's name means 'My God is Yahweh' — a direct challenge to Baal worship

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 21:17

This is the THIRD time God's word comes to Elijah — establishing a pattern of divine urgency

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about God randomly picking Elijah. But Elijah had already proven faithful in famine and fire — this was earned trust.

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 21:17 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionseeking
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone30%
Themes:divine revelationprophecy

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21:17 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine revelation, prophecy. Notable phrases: word of Yahweh came.

Your reflection

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