New English Translation
1 Kings 18:28
28So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
- 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.
Context of 1 Kings 18:28
26So they took a bull, as he had suggested, and prepared it. They invoked the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us.” But there was no sound and no answer. They jumped around on the altar they had made. 27At noon Elijah mocked them, “Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.” So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood. 29Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, but there was no sound, no answer, and no response. 30Elijah then told all the people, “Approach me.” So all the people approached him. He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.
Read all of 1 Kings 181 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 must not slash your body for a dead person or incise a tattoo on yourself. I am the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 14:1You are children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald for the sake of the dead.
- Micah 6:7Will the Lord accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my offspring – my own flesh and blood – for my sin?
- Mark 5:5Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
- Mark 9:22It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to 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
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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