[4] The focus of this chapter is the activity of prophet Elijah during the reign of king Ahab in the northern kingdom.

[5] As the land of Israel including the king suffered under the drought, YHWH sent for Elijah to bring about the crisis and then the solution to the conflict between the worship of two deities.

Obadiah was also the one helping to hide Yahweh's servants during a purge of prophets by queen Jezebel (apparently the reason of Elijah's journey to the river of Kerith into the foreign territory of Phoenicia in Zarephath), so when Elijah unexpectedly standing before him, Obadiah fell to the ground in fear and respect.

[9] Elijah immediately threw the accusation back at Ahab for the apostasy sin of him and his father's house forsaking Yahweh and following the Baals.

[15] A miracle must bring truth to light, and it was quickly revealed that the Baals are incapable of doing this, even after their priests performing the whole cultic and ritual activities of Baalistic religion (as reliably reported in this narrative: the 'prayer, rhythmic movements, and self-mortification building up to ecstasy', verses 26–29).

[15] This violent cultic frenzy of Baalistic activities with 'swords and lances' (=spears) was attested by an Egyptian traveller "Wen-Amon" or "Wenamun", who around 1100 BCE witnessed it in Byblos, a Phoenician coastal city north of Jezebel's hometown of Sidon.