And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal
Who agreed to this proposal, though not expressed; or they
signified it by their silence. Ben Gersom thinks they agreed to
it, because that, according to their belief, Baal was Mars, and
in the sign of Aries, one of the fiery planets, and therefore
fancied he could send down fire on their sacrifice; but Abarbinel
is of opinion that it was the sun they worshipped, under the name
of Baal, the great luminary which presides over the element of
fire, and therefore had power to cause it to descend; and if not,
they agreed to it, he thinks, for three reasons; one was
necessity, they could not refuse, after the people had approved
of it, lest they should rise upon them, and stone them; and
another was, that Elijah proposed to offer without the temple,
contrary to the law of his God, and therefore concluded he would
not answer him by fire, and so they should be upon a par with
him; and the third was, that they thought they should offer their
bullocks together, so that, if fire descended, it would come upon
them both, and then the dispute would be, whether his God, or
their god, sent it; and so no proof could be made who was God,
nor the matter in controversy decided:
choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first;
for ye are
many;
therefore in civility to them gave the choice of the bullock and
the altar first, he being one and they many:
and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire
under;
under the wood on which was the sacrifice cut in pieces; and when
they had so done, then they were to call on their gods to cause
fire to descend upon it.