1 Kings 18:26

1 Kings 18:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
• New International Version (NIV)So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So 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.

Context of 1 Kings 18:26

24Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed. 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 27About 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!” 28So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

1 Kings 18:26 word by word

וַ֠יִּקְחוּ אֶת־הַפָּ֨ר אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֣ן לָהֶם֮ וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֒ וַיִּקְרְא֣וּ בְשֵׁם־הַ֠בַּעַל מֵהַבֹּ֨קֶר וְעַד־הַצָּהֳרַ֤יִם לֵאמֹר֙ הַבַּ֣עַל עֲנֵ֔נוּ וְאֵ֥ין ק֖וֹל וְאֵ֣ין עֹנֶ֑ה וַֽיְפַסְּח֔וּ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the bullockפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
• which was givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• them, and they dressedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• and calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• on the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
• from morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
• even until noonצֹ֫הַרtsôhar · middayH6672
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• hearעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• noאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• And they leapedפָּסַחpâsach · to limpH6452
• upon the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196

Cross-references for 1 Kings 18:26

• Matthew 6:7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
• 1 Kings 18:24Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed.
• Psalms 115:4Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
• Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
• Isaiah 37:38One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.
• Isaiah 44:17Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. “Rescue me!” he says. “You are my god!”
• Isaiah 45:20“Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save!
• Jeremiah 10:5Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”
• Daniel 5:23For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!
• Habakkuk 2:18“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!
• 1 Corinthians 8:4So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.
• 1 Corinthians 10:19What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods?
• 1 Corinthians 12:2You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.
• Zephaniah 1:9Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies, and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 18:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26From morning even until noon - It seems that the priests of Baal employed the whole day in their desperate rites. The time is divided into two periods: From morning until noon; this was employed in preparing and offering the sacrifice, and in earnest supplication for the celestial fire. Still there was no answer, and at noon Elijah began to mock and ridicule them, and this excited them to commence anew. And, They continued from noon till the time of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26And called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon - Compare the parallel in the conduct of the Greeks of Ephesus. Acts 19:34. The words “O Baal, hear us,” probably floated on the air as the refrain of a long and varied hymn of supplication. They leaped upon the altar which was made - The marginal rendering is preferable to this. Wild dancing has always been a devotional exercise in the East, and remains so to this day; witness the dancing…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. 1-46The prophet Elijah's work was closely tied to his spiritual growth. Elijah challenged Israel's interest in Baal, the Canaanite storm god. During this conflict, Elijah saw God's power and support, unlike Baal's weakness. This was shown in Elijah's contest with Baal's prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:1–46). After fleeing from Jezebel, God renewed Elijah's mission at Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:1–18). Elijah's mission was finished by his successor, Elisha (1…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 18:26

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

In the dictionaries

• Baal
• Ahab
• Answer
• 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