1 Kings 18:31

31 Elijah took 12 stones-according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel will be your name"^[a]-

1 Kings 18:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:31

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob
Which he might very easily come at from the mountain:

unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name,
which signifies one that has power with God, as Jacob had, when the word came to him to make a change in his name at Penuel, ( Genesis 32:28 ) , and as Elijah hoped and believed he should have at this time, being a prophet, and a worshipper of Israel's God.

1 Kings 18:31 In-Context

29 All afternoon, they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound, no one answered, no one paid attention.

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near me." So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord's altar that had been torn down:

31 Elijah took 12 stones-according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel will be your name"-

32 and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.

33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, "Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood."

Footnotes

• [a]. Gn 35:10