1 Kings 19:4

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

He went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom tree, sat under it, and prayed that he might die. 'Enough, LORD,' he said. 'Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְהֽוּא־הָלַ֤ךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ י֔וֹם וַיָּבֹ֕א וַיֵּ֕שֶׁב תַּ֖חַת רֹ֣תֶם *אחת **אֶחָ֑ד וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ לָמ֔וּת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ רַ֗ב עַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ קַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֔י כִּֽי־לֹא־ט֥וֹב אָנֹכִ֖י מֵאֲבֹתָֽי׃

Transliteration

And he hālaḵ in the midbār dereḵ day and wayyāḇōʾ and wayyēšeḇ under rōtem one and wayyišʾal ʾet-napšô to die and wayyōʾmer enough now YHWH take napšî for not good ʾānōḵî than my ʾăḇōtāy.

Grammar Details

• *hālaḵ*: Qal perfect 3rd masculine singular - he went/walked
• *midbār*: noun masculine singular + definite article - the wilderness/desert
• *dereḵ*: noun masculine construct - journey/way/road of
• *wayyāḇōʾ*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he came
• *wayyēšeḇ*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he sat
• *rōtem*: noun masculine singular - broom tree/juniper
• *wayyišʾal*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he requested
• *napšô*: noun feminine singular construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his life/soul
• *wayyōʾmer*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *napšî*: noun feminine singular construct + 1st common singular suffix - my life/soul
• *ʾānōḵî*: personal pronoun 1st common singular - I
• *ʾăḇōtāy*: noun masculine plural construct + 1st common singular suffix - my fathers/ancestors

Word Meanings

• *midbār*: wilderness/desert
• *dereḵ yôm*: a day's journey
• *rōtem*: broom tree/juniper/desert bush
• *wayyišʾal ʾet-napšô lāmût*: he asked for his life to die/he requested to die

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree, and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am not better than my ancestors.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  But he himself went{H1980} a day's{H3117} journey{H1870} into the wilderness,{H4057} and came{H935} and sat down{H3427} under a{H259} juniper-tree:{H7574} and he requested{H7592} for himself{H5315} that he might die,{H4191} and said,{H559} It is enough;{H7227} now, O Jehovah,{H3068} take away{H3947} my life;{H5315} for I am not better{H2896} than my fathers.{H1}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  But he himself went{H1980}{(H8804)} a day's{H3117} journey{H1870} into the wilderness{H4057}, and came{H935}{(H8799)} and sat down{H3427}{(H8799)} under a{H259} juniper tree{H7574}: and he requested{H7592}{(H8799)} for himself{H5315} that he might die{H4191}{(H8800)}; and said{H559}{(H8799)}, It is enough{H7227}; now, O LORD{H3068}, take away{H3947}{(H8798)} my life{H5315}; for I am not better{H2896} than my fathers{H1}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But he him selfe wente a daies iourney in to ye wyldernes, & came in, & sat him downe vnder a Iuniper tre, & wy?shed vnto his soule yt he mighte dye, & sayde: It is now ynough LORDE, take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But he went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sate downe vnder a iuniper tree, and desired that he might die, and sayde, It is now ynough: O Lord, take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But he him selfe went a dayes iourney into the wildernesse, and came and sat downe vnder a Iuniper tree, and desired for his soule that he might dye, and sayde: It is nowe enough O Lorde, take my soule, for I am not better then my fathers.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I [am] not better than my fathers.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he himself hath gone into the wilderness a day's Journey, and cometh and sitteth under a certain retem-tree, and desireth his soul to die, and saith, `Enough, now, O Jehovah, take my soul, for I `am' not better than my fathers.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  While he himself went a day's journey into the waste land, and took a seat under a broom-plant, desiring for himself only death; for he said, It is enough: now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.

• World English Bible (2000)

  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  while he went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the LORD to take his life:“I’ve had enough! Now, O LORD, take my life. After all, I’m no better than my ancestors.”

Referenced Verses

• Num 11:15 : 15 If this is how You are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and do not let me see my misery.
• Jonah 4:8 : 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wished to die and said, 'It is better for me to die than to live.'
• Jonah 4:3 : 3 Now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.
• Jer 20:14-18 : 14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother gave birth to me not be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, saying, 'A male child has been born to you,' and made him very glad. 16 May that man be like the cities the LORD overthrew without relenting. May he hear cries of distress in the morning and shouts of alarm at noon. 17 For he did not kill me in the womb, so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever pregnant. 18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?
• 1 Kgs 19:3 : 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there.
• 2 Kgs 2:11 : 11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
• Job 3:20-22 : 20 Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter in soul? 21 To those who long for death, but it does not come, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures. 22 Who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave.
• 1 Kgs 13:14 : 14 He went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, 'Are you the man of God who came from Judah?' He replied, 'I am.'
• Amos 6:2 : 2 Go to Calneh and look, then go from there to great Hamath, and go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Is their territory greater than yours?
• Gen 21:15-16 : 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she placed the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said to herself, 'I cannot watch the boy die.' And as she sat there, she began to weep loudly.
• Nah 3:8 : 8 Are you better than Thebes, situated by the Nile with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall.
• Matt 6:26 : 26 Look at the birds of the sky: they do not sow, they do not reap, and they do not store away in barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are?
• John 4:6 : 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
• Rom 3:9 : 9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already charged that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
• Phil 1:21-24 : 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful labor for me. Yet I do not know what I shall choose. 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better; 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.