1 Kings 18:23
in 1 Kings 18Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.
KJV
Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
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This verse in 1 Kings 18
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD
on 1 Kings 18:22-24
Elijah states the odds as “the only remaining prophet of the LORD” against four hundred and fifty, though Obadiah's hundred say otherwise. The test gives Baal every advantage, since fire is the storm god's own claimed power and his prophets choose their bull first. The people call the terms good.
This site's exposition
Get two bulls for us
Each side lays a bull cut in pieces on the wood and leaves the fire unlit. Livestock was dying in the famine of verse 5. Albert Barnes reads that verse as a hope to save only part of the beasts, so two bulls were a costly offering.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Let them therefore give us two bullocks,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In vain did they continue invoking their senseless deity from morning till noon, and from noon till evening, uttering the most piercing cries, using the most frantic gesticulations, and mingling their blood with the sacrifice. Elijah exposed their folly and imposture with the severest irony and, as the day was far advanced, commenced his operations.
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיִתְּנוּ־ | veyitenu- | and let people give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֜נוּ | lanu | to us | ||
| שְׁנַ֣יִם | shenayim | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| פָּרִ֗ים | parim | young bulls | H6499 → | 132 times |
| וְיִבְחֲר֣וּ | veyivcharu | and let them choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| לָהֶם֩ | lahem | for themselves | ||
| הַפָּ֨ר | hapar | the young bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| הָאֶחָ֜ד | haechad | <the> one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וִֽינַתְּחֻ֗הוּ | vinatechuhu | and let them cut in pieces it | H5408 → | |
| וְיָשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ | veyasimu | and they may put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָ֣עֵצִ֔ים | haetzim | the wood<s> | H6086 → | 328 times |
| וְאֵ֖שׁ | veesh | and fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָשִׂ֑ימוּ | yasimu | they will set | H7760 → | 584 times |
| וַאֲנִ֞י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה׀ | ʾeeseh | I will prepare | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַפָּ֣ר | hapar | the young bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| הָאֶחָ֗ד | haechad | <the> one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְנָֽתַתִּי֙ | venatati | and I will put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָ֣עֵצִ֔ים | haetzim | the wood<s> | H6086 → | 328 times |
| וְאֵ֖שׁ | veesh | and fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָשִֽׂים׃ | ʾasim | I will set | H7760 → | 584 times |
וְיִתְּנוּ־and let people give
veyitenu-H5414 →2011 times
לָ֜נוּto us
lanu
שְׁנַ֣יִםtwo
shenayimH8147 →768 times
פָּרִ֗יםyoung bulls
parimH6499 →132 times
וְיִבְחֲר֣וּand let them choose
veyivcharuH977 →171 times
לָהֶם֩for themselves
lahem
הַפָּ֨רthe young bull
haparH6499 →132 times
הָאֶחָ֜ד<the> one
haechadH259 →971 times
וִֽינַתְּחֻ֗הוּand let them cut in pieces it
vinatechuhuH5408 →
וְיָשִׂ֙ימוּ֙and they may put
veyasimuH7760 →584 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָ֣עֵצִ֔יםthe wood<s>
haetzimH6086 →328 times
וְאֵ֖שׁand fire
veeshH784 →378 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָשִׂ֑ימוּthey will set
yasimuH7760 →584 times
וַאֲנִ֞יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה׀I will prepare
ʾeesehH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַפָּ֣רthe young bull
haparH6499 →132 times
הָאֶחָ֗ד<the> one
haechadH259 →971 times
וְנָֽתַתִּי֙and I will put
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָ֣עֵצִ֔יםthe wood<s>
haetzimH6086 →328 times
וְאֵ֖שׁand fire
veeshH784 →378 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אָשִֽׂים׃I will set
ʾasimH7760 →584 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.