1 Kings 18:27

1 Kings 18:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
• New International Version (NIV)At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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."
• New Living Translation (NLT)About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

Context of 1 Kings 18:27

25Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.

1 Kings 18:27 word by word

וַיְהִ֨י בַֽצָּהֳרַ֜יִם וַיְהַתֵּ֧ל בָּהֶ֣ם אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ קִרְא֤וּ בְקוֹל־גָּדוֹל֙ כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֣ים ה֔וּא כִּ֣י שִׂ֧יחַ וְכִֽי־שִׂ֛יג ל֖וֹ וְכִֽי־דֶ֣רֶךְ ל֑וֹ אוּלַ֛י יָשֵׁ֥ן ה֖וּא וְיִקָֽץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass at noonצֹ֫הַרtsôhar · middayH6672
• that Elijahאֵלִיָּה'êlîyâh 'êlîyâhû · ElijahH452
• mockedהָתַלhâthal · to mockH2048
• them, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Cryקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
• aloudקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• aloudגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• a godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• either he is talkingשִׂיחַώîyach · complaintH7879
• or he is pursuingשִׂיגώîyg · pursuingH7873
• or he is in a journeyדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• peradventureאוּלַי'ûlay 'ûlay · perhapsH194
• he sleepethיָשֵׁןyâshên · sleepingH3463
• and must be awakedיָקַץyâqats · to awakeH3364

People and places in 1 Kings 18:27

• Elijah

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:27

• 1 Kings 22:15Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king!”
• 2 Chronicles 25:8But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow.”
• Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
• Isaiah 8:9“Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces.
• Isaiah 44:15Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
• Ezekiel 20:39“As for you, O house of Israel,” thus says the Lord God: “Go, serve every one of you his idols—and hereafter—if you will not obey Me; but profane My holy name no more with your gifts and your idols.
• Amos 4:4“Come to Bethel and transgress, At Gilgal multiply transgression; Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.
• Matthew 26:45Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
• Mark 7:9He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
• Mark 14:41Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
• Isaiah 41:23Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.
• Psalms 44:23Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever.
• Psalms 78:65Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
• Psalms 121:4Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
• Isaiah 51:9Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent?
• Mark 4:38But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27At noon - Elijah mocked them - Had not Elijah been conscious of the Divine protection, he certainly would not have used such freedom of speech while encompassed by his enemies. Cry aloud - Make a great noise; oblige him by your vociferations to attend to your suit. For he is a god - הוא אלהים כי ki Elohim hu, he is the supreme God, you worship him as such, he must needs be such, and no doubt jealous of his own honor and the credit of his votaries! A…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27The object of Elijah‘s irony was two-fold; (1) to stimulate the priests to greater exertions, and so to make their failure more complete, and (2) to suggest to the people that such failure would prove absolutely that Baal was no God. The force of the expressions seems to be, “Cry on, only cry louder, and then you will make him hear, for surely he is a god; surely you are not mistaken in so regarding him.” He is “talking,” or “meditating;” the word used…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. 27occupied: Elijah mocked the false gods by speaking as if they had human needs. His sarcasm showed how powerless they were. In some religions, such as in Egypt, priests treated idols like people. They would wake up the idol, feed it, wash it, dress it in fresh clothes, put makeup on its face, and place a royal emblem on it.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 18:27

• Ahab
• Carmel
• Elijah
• Idol
• Idolatry
• Irony
• Mocking
• Prayer
• Revivals
• Sarcasm
• Tantalizing

In the dictionaries

• Elijah
• God
• Ahab
• Answer
• Baal
• 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