King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid [him] on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
Complete Jewish Bible:
He arranged the wood, cut up the bull and laid it on the wood.
Berean Standard Bible:
Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood,
American Standard Version:
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And he put{H6186} the wood{H6086} in order{H6186}, and cut{H5408} the bullock{H6499} in pieces, and laid{H7760} him on the wood{H6086}, and said{H559}, Fill{H4390} four{H702} barrels{H3537} with water{H4325}, and pour{H3332} it on the burnt sacrifice{H5930}, and on the wood{H6086}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 22:9
- And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Leviticus 1:6
- And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
Leviticus 1:8
- And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that [is] on the fire which [is] upon the altar:
Judges 6:20
- And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay [them] upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
John 19:33
- But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
John 19:34
- But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
Daniel 3:25
- He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for 1 Kings 18:33
1 Kings 18:33 is part of the narrative of the prophet Elijah and his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. This event occurs during the reign of King Ahab in the northern kingdom of Israel, a period marked by the widespread worship of the Canaanite god Baal, largely due to the influence of Ahab's Phoenician wife, Jezebel.
In this verse, Elijah is preparing an altar for a divine test to demonstrate the power of the God of Israel over Baal. The historical context is significant because it represents a climactic moment in the struggle between the worship of Yahweh and Baalism. Elijah's instructions to arrange the wood, cut the sacrificial bull into pieces, and place it on the wood are standard practices for preparing a burnt offering according to Mosaic Law. However, the command to pour water over the sacrifice and the wood is unusual and serves to heighten the drama of the impending miracle. This act is meant to make the ignition of the sacrifice by divine fire more difficult, thus setting the stage for an undeniable display of supernatural power.
The themes present in this verse include the sovereignty and power of God, the challenge to false gods and idolatry, and the role of faith and obedience. Elijah's actions are a direct challenge to the prophets of Baal, who had failed to call down fire from their god to consume their own sacrifice. By drenching the offering in water, Elijah not only makes the miracle more spectacular but also symbolically quenches any doubt about God's ability to answer prayer and affirm His presence and power to the people of Israel. The subsequent divine fire that consumes the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and even the water in the trench becomes a powerful sign that leads to the acclamation of Yahweh as the true God and the execution of the Baal prophets. This event is a turning point in the religious life of Israel, underscoring the ongoing tension between true worship and the syncretism that threatened to undermine the covenant relationship between God and His people.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6186
There are 71 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָרַךְ
Transliteration: ʻârak
Pronunciation: aw-rak'
Description: a primitive root; to set in a row, i.e. arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications); put (set) (the battle, self) in array, compare, direct, equal, esteem, estimate, expert (in war), furnish, handle, join (battle), ordain, (lay, put, reckon up, set) (in) order, prepare, tax, value. - Strong's Number: H6086
There are 288 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵץ
Transliteration: ʻêts
Pronunciation: ates
Description: from עָצָה; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks); [phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood. - Strong's Number: H5408
There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָתַח
Transliteration: nâthach
Pronunciation: naw-thakh'
Description: a primitive root; to dismember; cut (in pieces), divide, hew in pieces. - Strong's Number: H6499
There are 119 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פַּר
Transliteration: par
Pronunciation: par
Description: or פָּר; from פָּרַר; a bullock (apparently as breaking forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof); ([phrase] young) bull(-ock), calf, ox. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H4390
There are 240 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָלֵא
Transliteration: mâlêʼ
Pronunciation: maw-lay'
Description: or מָלָא; (Esther 7:5), a primitive root; to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively); accomplish, confirm, [phrase] consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, [idiom] draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-) flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-) full, [phrase] have wholly. - Strong's Number: H702
There are 383 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַרְבַּע
Transliteration: ʼarbaʻ
Pronunciation: ar-bah'
Description: masculine אַרְבָּעָה; from רָבַע; four; four. - Strong's Number: H3537
There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כַּד
Transliteration: kad
Pronunciation: kad
Description: from an unused root meaning to deepen; properly, a pail; but generally of earthenware; a jar for domestic purposes; barrel, pitcher. - Strong's Number: H4325
There are 525 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַיִם
Transliteration: mayim
Pronunciation: mah'-yim
Description: dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). - Strong's Number: H3332
There are 51 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָצַק
Transliteration: yâtsaq
Pronunciation: yaw-tsak'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to pour out (transitive or intransitive); by implication, to melt or cast as metal; by extension, to place firmly, to stiffen or grow hard; cast, cleave fast, be (as) firm, grow, be hard, lay out, molten, overflow, pour (out), run out, set down, stedfast. - Strong's Number: H5930
There are 262 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֹלָה
Transliteration: ʻôlâh
Pronunciation: o-law'
Description: or עוֹלָה; feminine active participle of עָלָה; a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke); ascent, burnt offering (sacrifice), go up to. See also עֶוֶל.