1 Kings 18:18

18 "It's not I who has caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government - you've dumped God's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals.

1 Kings 18:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:18

And he answered
That is, Elijah, with great boldness and undaunted courage, not fearing the face of the king, being sent to show himself to him in the name of the King of kings:

I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house;
they, by their sins, were the cause of all the troubles, those sore evil and sad calamities that were upon them:

in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord:
to have no other gods before him, and not to make images, and worship them, which they had done:

and thou hast followed Baalim;
the several Baals, the Sun, moon, and stars, the whole host of heaven, worshipped under this name; or, not content with the Phoenician Baal, or Baal of the Zidonians, followed others, see ( Judges 2:11 ) .

1 Kings 18:18 In-Context

16 So Obadiah went straight to Ahab and told him. And Ahab went out to meet Elijah.

17 The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, "So it's you, old troublemaker!"

18 "It's not I who has caused trouble in Israel," said Elijah, "but you and your government - you've dumped God's ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals.

19 Here's what I want you to do: Assemble everyone in Israel at Mount Carmel. And make sure that the special pets of Jezebel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of the local gods, the Baals, and the four hundred prophets of the whore goddess Asherah, are there."

20 So Ahab summoned everyone in Israel, particularly the prophets, to Mount Carmel.