מלכים א, פרק י״ח, פסוק י״ג

A desperate plea for survival unfolds as a loyal servant of God confronts a dangerous reality. Speaking directly to Elijah, Obadiah reveals the immediate mortal danger he faces and recalls his own self-sacrifice to protect God's prophets during a time of terrible persecution [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He shares this history to explain why he cannot simply assume King Ahab will look the other way if Elijah suddenly disappears.

Obadiah makes it clear that his past actions are already well known within the royal court. Even though it was Queen Jezebel who actively carried out the slaughter of the prophets, Ahab eventually learned that Obadiah had secretly rescued one hundred of them. Because of this discovery, the king already views Obadiah with deep suspicion, seeing him as a collaborator who actively works to protect God's servants. Given this existing mistrust, any sudden vanishing of Elijah would not be treated as a random event. Instead, the king would immediately blame Obadiah for helping the prophet escape, leading directly to Obadiah's execution [מלבי״ם].