And he said to his servant: Go up, and look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said: There is nothing. And again he said to him: Return seven times.

And said to his servant, Go up now, look towards the sea. And he went up and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

and saith unto his young man, 'Go up, I pray thee, look attentively the way of the sea;' and he goeth up and looketh attentively, and saith, 'There is nothing;' and he saith, 'Turn back,' seven times.

And he said to his servant, Go now, and take a look in the direction of the sea. And he went up, and after looking said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times; and he went seven times.

And he said to his servant, "Ascend, and gaze out toward the sea." And when he had ascended, and had contemplated, he said, "There is nothing." And again, he said to him, "Return seven times."

Tradition says that Elijah's servant was the son of the widow of Sarepta 1-Kings 17:23.

Look toward the sea - From the top of Mount Carmel the Mediterranean Sea was full in view.

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, [There is] nothing. And he said, Go again (p) seven times.
(p) As God's spirit moved him to pray, so was he strengthened by the same that he did not faint, but continued still till he had obtained.

And said to his servant,.... Whom some take to be the son of the widow of Sarepta, but he must be too young to be employed in such service as this was:
go up now; still higher on Mount Carmel; than where he was, even to the highest point of it:
look towards the sea: or the west, as the Targum, the Mediterranean sea, which lay to the west of the land of Israel:
and he went up and looked, and he said, there is nothing; there was nothing in the sky, or arising out of the sea, that looked like or foreboded rain:
and he said, go again seven times; till he should see something.

Go up now, look toward the sea--From the place of worship there is a small eminence, which, on the west and northwest side, intercepts the view of the sea [STANLEY; VAN DE VELDE]. It can be ascended in a few minutes, and presents a wide prospect of the Mediterranean. Six times the servant went up, but the sky was clear--the sea tranquil. On the seventh he described the sign of approaching rain [1-Kings 18:44].

Go - While I continue praying. Elijah desired to have timely notice of the first appearance of rain, that Ahab and the people might know that it was obtained from Jehovah by the prophet's prayers, and thereby be confirmed in the true religion.