1 Kings 18:28

1 Kings 18:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
• New International Version (NIV)So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

Context of 1 Kings 18:28

26And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. 30Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down.

1 Kings 18:28 word by word

וַֽיִּקְרְאוּ֙ בְּק֣וֹל גָּד֔וֹל וַיִּתְגֹּֽדְדוּ֙ כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔ם בַּחֲרָב֖וֹת וּבָֽרְמָחִ֑ים עַד־שְׁפָךְ־דָּ֖ם עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• aloudגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• aloudקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• and cutגָּדַדgâdad · to cutH1413
• themselves after their mannerמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: customH4941
• with knivesחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• and lancetsרֹ֫מַחrômach · spearH7420
• till the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• gushed outשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: pourH8210

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:28

• Leviticus 19:28You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 14:1"You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead.
• Micah 6:7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
• Mark 5:5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.
• Mark 9:22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28They cried aloud - The poor fools acted as they were bidden. And cut themselves after their manner - This was done according to the rites of that barbarous religion; if the blood of the bullock would not move him they thought their own blood might; and with it they smeared themselves and their sacrifice. This was not only the custom of the idolatrous Israelites, but of the Syrians, Persians, Greeks, Indians, and in short of all the heathen world.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Elijah‘s scorn roused the Baal-priests to greater exertions. At length, when the frenzy had reached its height, knives were drawn, and the blood spirted forth from hundreds of self-inflicted wounds, while an ecstasy of enthusiasm seized many, and they poured forth incoherent phrases, or perhaps an unintelligible jargon, which was believed to come from divine inspiration, and constituted one of their modes of prophecy. The practice of inflicting gashes on…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. 28-29shouted … cut themselves … raving: This behavior was typical in ancient pagan religions, but their actions received no response. There is only one true God (Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4; Isaiah 44:8), and all other hopes will fail (Isaiah 45:22).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 18:28

• Ahab
• Carmel
• Elijah
• Idol
• Idolatry
• Knife
• Prayer
• Revivals

In the dictionaries

• Ahab
• Answer
• Baal
• Carmel
• Cut
• Either
• Follow
• Halt
• Lord
• Quotations

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