1 Kings 18:25
in 1 Kings 18Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under.
KJV
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
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This verse in 1 Kings 18
Commentary
7 notes on this verse[Elijah] ordered [the prophets of Baal] to sacrifice first, in order that they might not have any excuse [by saying], "If we had sacrificed first, [Baal] would have accepted our sacrifice, but now he is angry with us, because we have sacrificed last." They planned …
This site's exposition
prepare it first
on 1 Kings 18:25-26
From morning until noon the name of Baal is called on by four hundred and fifty professionals. The narrator's verdict is a silence: “there was no sound, and no one answered”. They leap upon the altar, limping about it in the ritual dance the verb of verse 21 already mocked.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They got their sacrifices ready; and we may well imagine what a noise 450 men made, when they cried as one man, and with all their might, O Baal! hear us, O Baal! answer us; as it is in the margin: and this for some hours together, longer than Diana's worshippers made their cry, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, Acts xix.
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal,.... Who agreed to this proposal, though not expressed; or they signified it by their silence.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Elijah gives precedence in everything to the Baal-priests, to take away all ground for cavil in case of failure. It is his object to make an impression on king and people; and he feels rightly that the impression will depend greatly on the contrast between their inability and the power given to him.
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.
For ye are many - And therefore shall have the preference, and the advantage of being first in your application to the deity.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ | ʾeliyahu | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| לִנְבִיאֵ֣י | linviei | to [the] prophets of | H5030 → | 314 times |
| הַבַּ֗עַל | habaal | <the> Baal | H1168 → | 82 times |
| בַּחֲר֨וּ | bacharu | choose | H977 → | 171 times |
| לָכֶ֜ם | lakhem | for yourselves | ||
| הַפָּ֤ר | hapar | the young bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| הָֽאֶחָד֙ | haechad | <the> one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וַעֲשׂ֣וּ | vaasu | and prepare [it] | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| רִאשֹׁנָ֔ה | rishonah | first | H7223 → | 182 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַתֶּ֖ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| הָרַבִּ֑ים | harabim | [are] the many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וְקִרְאוּ֙ | vekiru | and call | H7121 → | 733 times |
| בְּשֵׁ֣ם | beshem | on [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | god your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְאֵ֖שׁ | veesh | and fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תָשִֽׂימוּ׃ | tasimu | you will set | H7760 → | 584 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלִיָּ֜הוּElijah
ʾeliyahuH452 →71 times
לִנְבִיאֵ֣יto [the] prophets of
linvieiH5030 →314 times
הַבַּ֗עַל<the> Baal
habaalH1168 →82 times
בַּחֲר֨וּchoose
bacharuH977 →171 times
לָכֶ֜םfor yourselves
lakhem
הַפָּ֤רthe young bull
haparH6499 →132 times
הָֽאֶחָד֙<the> one
haechadH259 →971 times
וַעֲשׂ֣וּand prepare [it]
vaasuH6213 →2628 times
רִאשֹׁנָ֔הfirst
rishonahH7223 →182 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אַתֶּ֖םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
הָרַבִּ֑ים[are] the many
harabimH7227 →454 times
וְקִרְאוּ֙and call
vekiruH7121 →733 times
בְּשֵׁ֣םon [the] name of
beshemH8034 →864 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔םgod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
וְאֵ֖שׁand fire
veeshH784 →378 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תָשִֽׂימוּ׃you will set
tasimuH7760 →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
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 1 KINGS 18:25; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.