At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
Parallel Translations
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At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
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And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
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And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said: 'Cry aloud; for he is a god; either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.'
Cross-references (16)
Passages linked to 1 Kings 18:27 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 78:65-66 Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine. He struck his adversaries backward. He put them to a perpetual reproach.
- Isaiah 41:23 Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and see it together.
- 1 Kings 22:15 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?” He answered him, “Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
- 2 Chronicles 25:8 But if you will go, take action, and be strong for the battle. God will overthrow you before the enemy; for God has power to help, and to overthrow.”
- Psalms 44:23 Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.
- Psalms 121:4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
- Ecclesiastes 11:9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
- Isaiah 8:9-10 Make an uproar, you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress for battle, and be shattered! Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.”
- Isaiah 44:15-17 Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it, and warms himself. Yes, he burns it, and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself, and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.” The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me; for you are my god!”
- Ezekiel 20:39 “ ‘As for you, house of Israel, the Lord Yahweh says: “Go, everyone serve his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but you shall no more profane my holy name with your gifts and with your idols.
- Amos 4:4-5 “Go to Bethel, and sin; to Gilgal, and sin more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days, offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened, and proclaim free will offerings and brag about them: for this pleases you, you children of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh.
- Matthew 26:45 Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
- Mark 4:38-39 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
- Mark 7:9 He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
- Mark 14:41 He came the third time, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
- Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of Yahweh! Awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn’t it you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the monster?
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain You esteem him as God.
You esteem him as God.
He mocketh their beastly madness, which think that by any instance or suit, the dead and vile idols can help their worshippers in their necessity.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon,…
1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he [is] a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
Ver. 27. That Elijah mocked them.] All mocking therefore is not unlawful: not that which tendeth to the discountenancing of sin; but that which is to the unjust disgrace and just grief of another.
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Or he is pursuing.] Heb., He hath a pursuit, viz., hostium vel ferarum: either he is chasing his enemies, or hunting some wild creatures for his recreation.
Or he is in a journey, &c.] Homer brings in the gods journeying, fighting, feasting, sleeping, &c. Lucian feigneth that there are certain chasms or chinks in heaven, through which only Jupiter, at certain times, heareth men’s prayers. Of Diana they say, that being busy at great Alexander’s birth, she could not be present at Ephesus to preserve her temple, which was, the same time, set on fire and burnt to ashes.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain At noon; when they had long tried all means…
At noon; when they had long tried all means in vain.
Elijah mocked them; derided them and their gods, which were indeed, and had now proved themselves to be, ridiculous and contemptible things. By this example we see that all jesting is not unlawful, but only that which intrencheth upon piety and good manners. See Poole "Eph 5:4".
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Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey; he is employed about some other business, and hath not leisure to mind you; for being a god of a small and narrow understanding, he cannot mind two things at once, and you are immodest and unreasonable to expect it from him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And it came to pass when midday was past,....…
And it came to pass when midday was past,.... And nothing done, no fire descended:
and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; continued praying to Baal, and singing his praises, but all to no purpose; or they behaved like madmen, as the Targum; thus they went on until it was time to offer the evening sacrifice; so that they had no interruption in their service, and had all the time they could desire to have to importune their god to do the favour for them they requested:
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that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded; no voice was heard that returned them any answer; nor was any answer made by fire, nor any regard shown to their mad gestures, and barbarous actions; and very likely the people also, by this time, paid no regard unto them, perceiving they were not able, by all their cries and methods they took, to obtain an answer.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Mocked them - Derided them and their gods, which…
Mocked them - Derided them and their gods, which had now proved themselves to be ridiculous and contemptible things.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 27. At noon - Elijah mocked them] Had…
Verse 27. At noon - Elijah mocked them] Had not Elijah been conscious of the Divine protection, he certainly would not have used such freedom of speech while encompassed by his enemies.
Cry aloud] Make a great noise; oblige him by your vociferations to attend to your suit.
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For he is a god] כי אלהים הוא ki Elohim hu, he is the supreme God, you worship him as such, he must needs be such, and no doubt jealous of his own honour and the credit of his votaries! A strong irony.
He is talking] He may be giving audience to some others; let him know that he has other worshippers, and must not give too much of his attention to one. Perhaps the word שיח siach should be interpreted as in the margin, he meditateth; he is in a profound revery; he is making some god-like projects; he is considering how he may best keep up his credit in the nation. Shout! let him know that all is now at stake.
He is pursuing] He may be taking his pleasure in hunting, and may continue to pursue the game in heaven, till he have lost all his credit and reverence on earth.
The original words, שיג לו sig lo, are variously translated; He is in a hotel, in diversorio, VULGATE. Perhaps he is delivering oracles, μη ποτε χρηματιζει αυτος, SEPTUAGINT. Or, he is on some special business. Therefore, cry aloud!
He is in a journey] He has left his audience chamber, and is making some excursions; call aloud to bring him back, as his all is at stake.
Peradventure he sleepeth] Rab. S. Jarchi gives this the most degrading meaning; I will give it in Latin, because it is too coarse to be put in English; Fortassis ad locum secretum abiit, ut ventrem ibi exomeret; "Perhaps he is gone to the ______." This certainly reduces Baal to the lowest degree of contempt, and with it the ridicule and sarcasm are complete.
Among Asiatic idolaters their gods have different functions to fulfil, and require sleep and rest. Vishnoo sleeps four months in the year. Budhoo is represented in his temple as sleep, though his eyes are open. Vayoo manages the winds; Varoona, the waters; Indra, the clouds, c. and according to many fables in the Pooranas, the gods are often out on journeys, expeditions, &c.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Ki 18:27. And it came to pass at noon…
1Ki 18:27. And it came to pass at noon — When they had long tried all means in vain. Elijah mocked them — He derided them and their god, that he might awaken them out of their stupidity, and expose them to all the bystanders as deceivers of the people, in leading them to worship such senseless and contemptible things. Cry aloud, for he is a god — As you suppose: but what a god, who cannot be made to hear without all this clamour! Either he is talking — Or meditating, as the Hebrew is, thinking of something else, and not minding his own important concerns, when not only your credit, but all his honour lies at stake, and his interest in Israel. Or he is pursuing — His enemies, or hunting and pursuing the prey. He is employed about some other business, and is not at leisure to mind you. For, being a god of a small and narrow understanding, he cannot mind two things at once; and you are unreasonable to expect it from him. Or he is in a journey, &c. — The worship of idols being a most ridiculous thing, it is perfectly just to represent it so, and expose it to scorn. And “nothing can be imagined more cutting and sarcastic than these words of the prophet, in which he ridicules, in the finest manner possible, their wretched, false, and derogatory ideas of the Deity. The two last notions of being asleep and not at home, how absurd soever they may be, when applied to the Deity, were certainly such as several idolaters conceived of their gods, as appears from various passages in Homer; in one of which, (Iliad 1. 18:423,) he tells us, that Thetis could not meet with Jupiter, because he was gone abroad, and would not return in less than twelve days; and at the conclusion of that book he gives us an account of the manner in which the gods went to sleep. How debasing ideas these compared with that awful intelligence which revelation gives us of the true God, who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth; but who, everywhere present, is, at all times, conscious even of the secrets of the heart; at all times ready to hear, and able to grant the petitions of his people!” — Dodd.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain The object of Elijah’s irony was two-fold;
The object of Elijah’s irony was two-fold;
(1) to stimulate the priests to greater exertions, and so to make their failure more complete, and
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(2) to suggest to the people that such failure would prove absolutely that Baal was no God.
The force of the expressions seems to be, “Cry on, only cry louder, and then you will make him hear, for surely he is a god; surely you are not mistaken in so regarding him.” He is “talking,” or “meditating;” the word used has both senses, for the Hebrews regarded “meditation” as “talking with oneself;” “or he is pursuing;” rather, perhaps, “he hath a withdrawing,” i. e., “he hath withdrawn himself into privacy for awhile,” as a king does upon occasions. The drift of the whole passage is scornful ridicule of the anthropomorphic notions of God entertained by the Baal-priests and their followers (compare Psa 50:21). The pagan gods, as we know from the Greek and Latin classics, ate and drank, went on journeys, slept, conversed, quarrelled, fought. The explanations of many of these absurdities were unknown to the ordinary worshipper, and probably even the most enlightened, if his religion was not a mere vague Pantheism, had notions of the gods which were largely tainted with a false anthropomorphism.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Talking to some of his prophets, (Calmet) or in…
Talking to some of his prophets, (Calmet) or in deep contemplation. (Montanus) --- An inn. Septuagint, "giving oracles;" or, "he is pursuing." (Pagnin)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 27. Mocked them — A mockery consisting of the…
27. Mocked them — A mockery consisting of the most biting ridicule, irony, and sarcasm imaginable.
Cry aloud — Scream with a great voice. Your god cannot hear your low tones; he needs a mighty noise to call his attention to these parts, where his interests are sadly at stake!
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For he is a god — Rather, For God is he! He is, of course, the Supreme Divinity! He must be that, or nothing at all.
He is talking — Talking with somebody else, and don’t know of the sore distress of his four hundred and fifty prophets here! Or שׂיחmay mean, as in the margin, He meditateth. He is all swallowed up in profound contemplation; in such a brown study that at present he knows nothing else!
He is pursuing — This is an erroneous rendering of שׂיג, which means a withdrawing, retirement. The idea here expressed euphemistically is, He has gone aside, that is, to do his need. “He covereth his feet in his summer chamber.” Jdg_3:24.
He is in a journey — He has, perhaps, gone travelling, and ought to be called home again to take care of his worshippers, who are terribly annoyed by his absence!
He sleepeth — And he sleeps so soundly that it doubtless needs a great voice to start him up!
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 27. Elijah mocked them] i.e. To make their folly…
27. Elijah mocked them] i.e. To make their folly more apparent to the people, he urged them on to greater exertions.
for he is a god] As you deem him. Elijah attributed no power to Baal. He merely addresses the priests from their own level, and to make the object of their worship more contemptible attributes to him certain acts and necessities which proclaim him no more powerful than his worshippers.
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either he is talking] R.V. musing. The word and its cognates are more frequently used of meditation than of speech, and to picture Baal as so preoccupied by thought as not to hear the loud cries of these frantic prophets suits, better than the rendering of A.V., with the mockery which Elijah designed.
or he is pursuing] R.V. gone aside. The word appears to be used here to express the idea that Baal had withdrawn himself for rest or some other physical necessity. Gesenius renders ‘recessit in conclavia interiora.’
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (27) Elijah mocked them.—The mockery of Elijah—apparently even blunter…
(27) Elijah mocked them.—The mockery of Elijah—apparently even blunter and more scornful in the sense of the original—has been with over-ingenuity explained as applying to various supposed actions of Baal. It is merely the bitter irony of sheer contempt, calling Baal a god only to heap upon him ideas most ungodlike; “He is busy, or he is in retirement; he is far away, or in the noon-day heat he is asleep.” Characteristic of the fierce indignation of Elijah’s nature, in this crisis of conflict, it is yet not unlike the righteous scorn of the psalmists or the prophets (see Psa_115:4-8; Psa_135:15-18; Isa_44:9-20; Isa_46:1-7; Jer_10:2-10, &c.) for the worship of “the vanities” of the heathen. There was no place for toleration of prejudice, or tender appreciation of a blind worship feeling after God, like that of St. Paul at Athens (Act_17:22-23). The conflict here was between spiritual worship and a foul, cruel idolatry; and the case was not of heathen ignorance, but of Israel’s apostasy.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah…
And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked or deceived them, and said, Cry aloud Heb. with a great voice: for he is a god i.e. , in your estimation. "Here is one of the few examples of irony in Scripture" (Wordsworth); either he is talking the marg. he meditateth is preferable. Cf. 1Sa_1:16; Psa_142:3. But the word has both meanings, (see 2Ki_9:11) fairly preserved in the LXX, ajdolescia aujtw ejsti, or he is pursuing Heb. for he hath a withdrawal, i.e., for the purpose of relieving himself. An euphemism. Cf. Jud_1:3:24; 2Sa_24:3. Stanley attempts to preserve the paronomasia, jyci gyci, by the translation, "he has his head full" and "he has his stomach full" or he is in a Journey the thrice repeated yKi must be noticed. It heightens the effect of the mockery, or peradventure he sleepeth Though it was noon, it is not clear that there is a reference to the usual midday siesta of the East, and must be awaked.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Perhaps he is thinking
Perhaps he is thinking
"Maybe he is thinking" or "It could be that he is thinking"
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relieving himself
This euphemism is a more pleasant way to express a harsh statement. Elijah uses understatement to insult Baal with sarcasm. AT: "in the bathroom" (See: Euphemism)
must be awakened
This can be stated in active form. AT: "you must awaken him" or "you must wake him up" (See: Active or Passive)
they were still raving
"they continued their wild behavior." Prophets often acted in ways that seemed unusual or even crazy. In this case they were calling on Baal while dancing, shouting loudly, and cutting themselves with knives.
of offering of the evening sacrifice
"to offer the evening sacrifice"
but there was no voice or anyone to answer; there was no one who paid any attention to their pleadings
These phrases share similar meanings and emphasize that no one responded to the prayers of the false prophets. AT: "but Baal did not say or do anything or even pay attention" (See: Parallelism and Metonymy)
there was no voice or anyone to answer
See how you translated this in 1 Kings 18:26.
translationWords
Elijah
mock
false god
asleep
sword
spear
blood
sacrifice
plea
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 18:27 is relieving himself: Elijah’s sarcastic taunts mocked the…
18:27 is relieving himself: Elijah’s sarcastic taunts mocked the personification of the gods as having human needs. Egyptian priests awakened their god, then fed, washed, and dressed the idol in fresh clothing. They even put rouge on the idol’s face and placed the proper emblem of royalty on it.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.