1 Kings 18:21

1 Kings 18:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
• New International Version (NIV)Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

Context of 1 Kings 18:21

19Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire.

1 Kings 18:21 word by word

וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ עַד־מָתַ֞י אַתֶּ֣ם פֹּסְחִים֮ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַסְּעִפִּים֒ אִם־יְהוָ֤ה הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְאִם־הַבַּ֖עַל לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
• cameנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
• unto all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• How longעַל‛al · uponH5921
• haltפָּסַחpâsach · to limpH6452
• ye between twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• opinionsסְעִפָּהsâ‛iph ώâ‛iph · divisionH5587
• if the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• follow him: but if Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
• followאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• followיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• him not a wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:21

• Deuteronomy 4:35You were shown these things so that you would know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.
• 2 Kings 17:41They feared the Lord but also served their idols. Still today, their children and grandchildren continue doing as their ancestors did.
• Zephaniah 1:5those who bow in worship on the rooftops to the stars in the sky; those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;
• Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
• Luke 6:13When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:
• Romans 6:16Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey — either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?
• 1 Corinthians 10:21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
• 2 Corinthians 6:14Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
• Revelation 3:15I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot.
• 1 Kings 18:39When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”
• Exodus 5:1Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.”
• Joshua 24:15But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship — the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”
• 1 Samuel 7:3Samuel told them, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, set your hearts on the Lord, and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
• 1 Chronicles 17:26Lord, you indeed are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
• 2 Chronicles 33:13He prayed to him, and the Lord was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord is God.
• Psalms 100:3Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his— his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21How long halt ye between two opinions? - Literally, "How long hop ye about upon two boughs?" This is a metaphor taken from birds hopping about from bough to bough, not knowing on which to settle. Perhaps the idea of limping through lameness should not be overlooked. They were halt, they could not walk uprightly; they dreaded Jehovah, and therefore could not totally abandon him; they feared the king and queen, and therefore thought they must embrace the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21The people were mute. They could not but feel the logical force of Elijah‘s argument; but they were not prepared at once to act upon it. They wished to unite the worship of Yahweh with that of Baal - to avoid breaking with the past and completely rejecting the old national worship, yet at the same time to have the enjoyment of the new rites, which were certainly sensuous, and probably impure.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-40Verses 21-40 Many of the people wavered in their judgment, and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baal was the self-existent, supreme God, the Creator, Governor, and Judge of the world, and to follow him alone. It is dangerous to halt between the service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts. If Jesus be the only Saviour, let us cleave to him alone for every…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The Hebrew word translated waver means “to be lame” or “to limp.” Elijah compared the people's indecision between worshiping the Lord and Baal to someone limping awkwardly from one foot to the other. Elijah might have also referred to the ritual dance performed by Baal's prophets as they tried to get the storm-god's attention (1 Kings 18:26).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-4021-40. Elijah said unto all the people, How long halt ye?--They had long been attempting to conjoin the service of God with that of Baal. It was an impracticable union and the people were so struck with a sense of their own folly, or dread of the king's displeasure, that they "answered not a word." Elijah proposed to decide for them the controversy between God and Baal by an appeal, not to the authority of the law, for that would have no weight, but by a…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 18:21

• Ahab
• Carmel
• Choice
• Decision
• Indecision
• Instability
• Reproof
• Revivals

In the dictionaries

• Baal
• Elijah
• God
• Ahab
• Answer
• Carmel
• Cut
• Either
• Follow
• Halt

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings