God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 18:24
24“You call on the name of your gods, but I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire is the real God.” All the people answered, “That’s fine.”
1 Kings 18:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
- New International Version (NIV)Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.”
Context of 1 Kings 18:24
22So Elijah told the people, “I’m the only surviving prophet of the Lord, but there are 450 prophets of Baal. 23Give us two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose one for themselves, cut it into pieces, lay it on the wood, but not set it on fire. I’ll do the same with the other bull. “You call on the name of your gods, but I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire is the real God.” All the people answered, “That’s fine.” 25Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves. Prepare yours first, because there are more of you. Call on the name of your god, but don’t set the wood on fire.” 26They took the bull he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon. They said, “Baal, answer us!” But there wasn’t a sound or an answer. So they danced around the altar they had made.
Read all of 1 Kings 181 Kings 18:24 word by word
וּקְרָאתֶ֞ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם וַֽאֲנִי֙ אֶקְרָ֣א בְשֵׁם־יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיָ֧ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲנֶ֥ה בָאֵ֖שׁ ה֣וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֧עַן כָּל־הָעָ֛ם וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ ט֥וֹב הַדָּבָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- ye on the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- of your godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that answerethעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- by fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- It is wellטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- spokenדָּבָרdâbâr · word: speakingH1697
Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:24
- 1 Kings 18:38So a fire from the Lord fell down and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dirt. The fire even dried up the water that was in the trench.
- Leviticus 9:24Fire came out from the Lord’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.
- Judges 6:21Then the Messenger of the Lord touched the meat and the bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared up from the rock and burned the meat and the bread. Then the Messenger of the Lord disappeared.
- 1 Chronicles 21:26David built an altar for the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him by ⌞sending⌟ fire from heaven on the altar for burnt offerings.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices, and the Lord’s glory filled the temple.
- 2 Samuel 14:19“Did Joab put you up to this?” the king asked. The woman answered, “I solemnly swear on your life, Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. Yes, your servant Joab ordered me ⌞to do this⌟. He told me to say exactly what I said.
- Isaiah 39:8Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word that you have spoken is good.” He added, “Just let there be peace and security as long as I live.”
Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24The God that answereth by fire - Elijah gave them every advantage when he granted that the God who answered by fire should be acknowledged as the true God; for as the Baal who was worshipped here was incontestably Apollo, or the sun, he was therefore the god of fire, and had only to work in his own element.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24The God that answereth by fire - God had frequently before consumed offerings with supernatural fire Leviticus 9:24; Judges 6:21. The Baal-worshippers were no doubt in the habit of attributing thunder and lightning to their gods - the great Nature-power - and thus had no excuse for declining Elijah‘s challenge.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. 23-24Fire showed the Lord's presence (Exodus 9:23; 19:18; 40:38; Deuteronomy 4:24; 2 Chronicles 7:1; Isaiah 66:15; Amos 7:4), which could have been lightning (see Psalm 18:12–13; Ezekiel 1:13–14; Zechariah 9:14). The contest aimed to prove if Baal, the Canaanite storm god, or the God of Israel was the true God. Only the true God could ignite the wood (see Leviticus 9:24).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 18:24
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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