1 Kings 18:33

33 He arranged the wood for the fire. He cut the bull into pieces. He placed the pieces on the wood. Then he said to some of the people, "Fill four large jars with water. Pour it on the offering and the wood." So they did.

1 Kings 18:33 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:33

And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces,
and laid him on the wood
Just in such manner as sacrifices usually were:

and said, fill four barrels with water;
either from the brook Kishon, or, if that was dried up, from the sea; for both were near this mountain, and so to be had, though a time of drought:

and pour it on the burnt sacrifice;
that which was intended to be one:

and upon the wood:
wherewith it was to be burnt, and so made unfit for it; and which would make the miracle appear the greater, when fire came down and consumed it.

1 Kings 18:33 In-Context

31 Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The LORD's message had come to Jacob. It had said, "Your name will be Israel."

32 Elijah used the stones to build an altar in honor of the Lord. He dug a ditch around it. The ditch was large enough to hold 13 quarts of seeds.

33 He arranged the wood for the fire. He cut the bull into pieces. He placed the pieces on the wood. Then he said to some of the people, "Fill four large jars with water. Pour it on the offering and the wood." So they did.

34 "Do it again," he said. So they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered. And they did it the third time.

35 The water ran down around the altar. It even filled the ditch.