SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:18
Y yo haré que queden en Israel siete mil; todas las rodillas que no se encorvaron a Baal, y todas las bocas que no lo besaron.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 19:18
Verse 18. Seven thousand in Israel] That is, many thousands; for seven is a number of perfection, as we have often seen: so, The barren has borne seven-has had a numerous off-spring; Gold seven times purified-purified till all the dross is perfectly separated from it. The court and multitudes of the people had gone after Baal; but perhaps the majority of the common people still worshipped in secret the God of their fathers. Every mouth which hath not kissed him.] Idolaters often kissed their hand in honour of their idols; and hence the origin of adoration-bringing the hand to the mouth after touching the idol, if it were within reach; and if not, kissing the right hand in token of respect and subjection. The word is compounded of ad, to, and os, oris, the mouth. Dextera manu deum contingentes, ori admovebant: "Touching the god with their right hand, they applied it to their mouth." So kissing the hand, and adoration, mean the same thing-thus Pliny, Inter adorandum, dexteram ad osculum referimus, totum corpus circumagimus: Nat. Hist. lib. xxviii., cap. 2. - "In the act of adoration we kiss the right hand, and turn about the whole body." Cicero mentions a statue of Hercules, the chin and lips of which were considerably worn by the frequent kissing of his worshippers: Ut rictus ejus, et mentum paulo sit attritius, quod in precibus et gratulationibus, non solum id venerari, sed etiam osculari solent. - Orat. in VERREM.
I have seen several instances of this, especially in the paintings of old saints: the lips and mouth of beautiful paintings literally worn away by the unmerciful osculations of devotees.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 18. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel , etc.] From perishing by the sword of either of them: all the knees which have not bowed to Baal ; that is, had not worshipped him, which was signified by this gesture: and every mouth which hath not kissed him ; either the image of Baal itself, or the hand, in reverence of him; which rites, one or other, or both, were used by his worshippers; (see Gill on “ Hosea 13:2”). This either refers, as some think, to the present time, and so is an answer to Elijah, who thought he was the only worshipper left with which seems to agree ( Romans 11:2-4), or to the times to come, when destruction should be made by the above persons, and when God would have some faithful worshippers, and would take care of them; so some render the words, “I will reserve”, etc. f419 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-18 - God repeated the question, What doest thou here? Then he complained of his discouragement; and whither should God's prophets go with their complaints of that kind, but to their Master? The Lord gave him a answer. He declares that the wicked house of Ahab shall be rooted out that the people of Israel shall be punished for their sins; and he shows that Elijah was not left alone as he had supposed, and also tha a helper should at once be raised up for him. Thus all his complaint are answered and provided for. God's faithful ones are often his hidde ones, Ps 83:3, and the visible church is scarcely to be seen: the whea is lost in chaff, and the gold in dross, till the sifting, refining separating day comes. The Lord knows them that are his, though we d not; he sees in secret. When we come to heaven we shall miss many who we thought to have met there; we shall meet many whom we little though to have met there. God's love often proves larger than man's charity and far more extended.
Original Hebrew
והשׁארתי 7604 בישׂראל 3478 שׁבעת 7651 אלפים 505 כל 3605 הברכים 1290 אשׁר 834 לא 3808 כרעו 3766 לבעל 1168 וכל 3605 הפה 6310 אשׁר 834 לא 3808 נשׁק׃ 5401
