1 Kings 18:31-41

31 Elijah took twelve * stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "¹Israel shall be your name."

32 So with the stones he built an altar in ²the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.

33 ³Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood.

34 And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time.

35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah's Prayer

36 ⁴At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "⁵O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that ⁶You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and ⁷I have done all these things at Your word.

37 "Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again."

38 Then the ⁸fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "⁹The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God."

40 Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape." So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to ¹⁰the brook Kishon, ¹¹and slew them there.

41 Now Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower."

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1 Kings 18:31-41 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 18

In this chapter Elijah has an order from the Lord to show himself to Ahab, who, going first, and meeting with a servant of his, Obadiah, charges him to tell his master where he was, that he might meet him, 1Ki 18:1-16, and, upon meeting him, desires that all Israel, and the prophets of Baal, might be convened, which was accordingly done, 1Ki 18:17-20, when he expostulated with the people of Israel for their idolatry, mocked and confounded the prophets of Baal, and gave the strongest proofs, to the conviction of the people, that Jehovah is the true God, 1Ki 18:21-39, on which all the prophets of Baal were slain, 1Ki 18:40, and rain in great abundance was given at the prayer of the prophet, 1Ki 18:41-46.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. Genesis 32:28; Genesis 35:10; 2 Kings 17:34
2. Colossians 3:17
3. Genesis 22:9; Leviticus 1:7, 8
4. 1 Kings 18:29
5. Genesis 28:13; Exodus 3:6; Exodus 4:5; Matthew 22:32
6. 1 Kings 8:43
7. Numbers 16:28-32
8. Genesis 15:17; Leviticus 9:24; Leviticus 10:1, 2; Judges 6:21; 2 Kings 1:12; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1; Job 1:16
9. 1 Kings 18:21, 24
10. Judges 4:7; Judges 5:21
11. Deuteronomy 13:5; Deuteronomy 18:20; 2 Kings 10:24, 25

Footnotes 1

[a]. Heb "seahs;" i.e. one seah equals approx 11 qts