1 Kings 18:33

33 And he arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and placed [it] on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four jars [with] water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood."

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 took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of God came, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

32 With them, he built an altar in the name of Yahweh, and he made a trench {which would have held} about two seahs of seed, all around the altar.

33 And he arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces, and placed [it] on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four jars [with] water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood."

34 He said, "Do [it] again!" They did [it] again. He said, "Do [it] a third time!" So they did [it] a third time.

35 The water went all around the altar, and the trench also was filled [with] water.

Footnotes

• [a] in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings 18:34 begins here