Christian Standard Bible
1 Kings 18:31
31Elijah took twelve stones — according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name” —
1 Kings 18:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
- New International Version (NIV)Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name,"
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
Context of 1 Kings 18:31
29All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down: Elijah took twelve stones — according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name” — 32and he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. 33Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.”
Read all of 1 Kings 181 Kings 18:31 word by word
וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ אֲבָנִ֔ים כְּמִסְפַּ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֑ב אֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- twelveעָשָׂר‛âώâr · tenH6240
- twelveשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- according to the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
- of the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- unto whom the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- came, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- shall be thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:31
- Exodus 24:4And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain.
- Joshua 4:3and command them: Take twelve stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night.”
- Ezra 6:17For the dedication of God’s house they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, as well as twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel — one for each Israelite tribe.
- Jeremiah 31:1“At that time” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
- Ezekiel 37:16“Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph — the stick of Ephraim — and all the house of Israel associated with him.
- Ezekiel 47:13This is what the Lord God says: “This is the border you will use to divide the land as an inheritance for the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph will receive two shares.
- Ephesians 2:20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
- Ephesians 4:4There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope at your calling —
- Revelation 7:4And I heard the number of the sealed: 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the Israelites:
- Revelation 21:12The city had a massive high wall, with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates; the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates.
- Genesis 32:28“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
- Genesis 33:20And he set up an altar there and called it God, the God of Israel.
- Genesis 35:10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be named Jacob, but your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.
- 2 Kings 17:34They are still observing the former practices to this day. None of them fear the Lord or observe the statutes and ordinances, the law and commandments that the Lord had commanded the descendants of Jacob, whom he had given the name Israel.
- Isaiah 48:1“Listen to this, house of Jacob — those who are called by the name Israel and have descended from Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and declare the God of Israel, but not in truth or righteousness.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Took twelve stones - He did this to show that all the twelve tribes of Israel should be joined in the worship of Jehovah.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. 31-32The twelve stones Elijah used to rebuild the altar for the Lord should have reminded the people that God was the redeemer of all Israel (compare Joshua 4:1–11; see Isaiah 41:14; 49:26).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 18:31
In the dictionaries
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
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