1 Kings 18:28

28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

1 Kings 18:28 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:28

And they cried aloud
Trying to make him hear, if possible: and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the
blood gushed out upon them;
so the priests of Heathen deities used to slash themselves on their shoulders, arms, and thighs, in their devotions to them, as many writers observe ^F26, fancying their gods were delighted with human blood; particularly the priests of Bellona {a}, and the worshippers of the Syrian goddess ^F2, and of the Egyptian Isis ^F3.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Vid. Kipping. Antiqu. Roman. l. 1. c. 10. p. 202.
F1 Tertul Apolog. c. 9. Lactant. Institut. l. 1. c. 21.
F2 Apulei Metamorph. l. 8.
F3 Herodot. Euterpe, c. 61. Manetho. Apotelesm. l. 1. ver. 243, 244. Seneca de vita beata, c. 27.

1 Kings 18:28 In-Context

26 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.

27 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!”

28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.