1 Kings 18:32

32 And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. ^[a]

1 Kings 18:32 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:32

And with the stones he built an altar in the same of the Lord,
&c.] Whom the twelve tribes had formerly worshipped; and though now divided in their civil state, yet ought to be united in the worship of God:

and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two
measures of seed;
or two seahs, one of which was the third part of an ephah, and two of them were more than half a bushel; and this trench or ditch round the altar was as broad as such a measure of seed would sow.

1 Kings 18:32 In-Context

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”

32 And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.

33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,

34 and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time.

Footnotes

• [a]. 2 seahs is approximately 13.2 dry quarts or 14.6 liters (probably about 25.4 pounds or 11.5 kilograms of seed).