1 Kings 21:20

KJV1611 – Modern English

And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you: because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַחְאָב֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ הַֽמְצָאתַ֖נִי אֹיְבִ֑י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מָצָ֔אתִי יַ֚עַן הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

Transliteration

wa-yōʾmer ʾaḥʾāb to-ʾēlîyāhû, have-you-found-me, my-ʾōyəbî? wa-yōʾmer, I-have-found-you, because hitmakerəkā to-do the-raʿ in-ʿênê YHWH.

Grammar Details

• *wa-yōʾmer*: conjunction + imperfect, 3rd singular masculine, Qal - and he said
• *ʾaḥʾāb*: proper name, masculine - Ahab
• *ʾēlîyāhû*: proper name, masculine - Elijah
• *hamṣāʾtanî*: perfect, 2nd singular masculine, Qal + interrogative prefix + 1st person singular suffix - have you found me
• *ʾōyəbî*: noun, masculine singular + 1st person singular suffix - my enemy
• *māṣāʾtî*: perfect, 1st singular, Qal - I have found
• *hitmakerəkā*: infinitive construct, Hithpael + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your selling yourself
• *raʿ*: adjective, masculine singular - evil/bad
• *ʿênê*: noun, feminine dual construct - eyes of
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh/the LORD

Word Meanings

• *ʾōyəbî*: my enemy/my adversary
• *hitmakerəkā*: your selling yourself/your devoting yourself
• *raʿ*: evil/wickedness/bad
• *bəʿênê YHWH*: in the eyes of YHWH/in the sight of the LORD

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Ahab said to Elijah, 'So, have you found me, my enemy?' 'I have found you,' he answered, 'because you have devoted yourself to doing evil in the eyes of the LORD.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And Achab sayde vnto Elias: Hast thou euer founde me thine enemye? He saide: Yee, I haue founde the, because thou art euen solde to do euell in the sighte of the LORDE.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And Ahab sayd to Eliiah, Hast thou found mee, O mine enemie? And he answered, I haue found thee: for thou hast solde thy selfe to worke wickednes in the sight of the Lord.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Ahab sayde to Elias: Hast thou founde me, O thou myne enemie? He aunswered: I haue founde thee, for thou hast sold thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found [thee]: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, my enemy? He answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Ahab saith unto Elijah, `Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?' and he saith, `I have found -- because of thy selling thyself to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you come face to face with me, O my hater? And he said, I have come to you because you have given yourself up to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him,“So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied,“I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Kgs 17:17 : 17 They caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
• Rom 7:14 : 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
• 1 Kgs 18:17 : 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Are you he who troubles Israel?
• 1 Kgs 21:25 : 25 But there was none like Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
• 1 Kgs 22:8 : 8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
• 1 Kgs 16:30 : 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
• Gal 4:16 : 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
• Eph 4:19 : 19 Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
• Rev 11:10 : 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwelt on the earth.
• 2 Kgs 21:2 : 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, following the abominations of the nations whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
• 2 Chr 18:7 : 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
• 2 Chr 18:17 : 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me, but evil?
• 2 Chr 33:6 : 6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; also he observed times, used enchantments, used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards; he did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
• Isa 50:1 : 1 Thus says the LORD, Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, whom I have put away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you have sold yourselves, and for your transgressions your mother is put away.
• Isa 52:3 : 3 For thus says the LORD, You have sold yourselves for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money.
• Amos 5:10 : 10 They hate him that rebukes in the gate, and they abhor him that speaks uprightly.
• Mark 12:12 : 12 They sought to arrest him, but feared the crowd, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away.