Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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THE MESSAGE

1 Kings 18:32

This verse is not available in the MSG!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahab;   Altar;   Carmel;   Faith;   Measure;   Prayer;   Revivals;   Thompson Chain Reference - Altars;   Awakenings and Religious Reforms;   Awakenings, Religious;   Elijah;   Trenches;   Worship;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Miracle;   Persecution;   Prayer;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Easton Bible Dictionary - River;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Altar;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Cattle;   Conduit;   Elijah;   False Prophet;   False Worship;   Fertility Cult;   Gods, Pagan;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Mountain;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Haggai;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Weights and Measures;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahab ;   Baal, Baalim ;   Carmel ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Obadiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Carmel;   Elijah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Car'mel;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Altar;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Elijah;   God;   Measure;   Priesthood;   Sanctuary;   Weights and Measures;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Altar;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for July 25;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and he built an altar with the stones in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.
Hebrew Names Version
With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
King James Version
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord : and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
English Standard Version
and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord . And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed.
New Century Version
Elijah used these stones to rebuild the altar in honor of the Lord . Then he dug a ditch around the altar that was big enough to hold about thirteen quarts of seed.
New English Translation
With the stones he constructed an altar for the Lord . Around the altar he made a trench large enough to contain two seahs of seed.
Amplified Bible
So with the stones Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. He made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures of seed.
New American Standard Bible
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And with the stones he buylt an altar in the Name of the Lorde: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as woulde conteine two measures of seede.
Legacy Standard Bible
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
Complete Jewish Bible
With the stones he built an altar in the name of Adonai . Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough for half a bushel of grain.
Darby Translation
and with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah, and made a trench round about the altar, of the capacity of two measures of seed;
Easy-to-Read Version
Elijah used these stones to repair the altar to honor the Lord . He dug a small ditch around the altar. It was wide enough and deep enough to hold about 4 gallons of water.
George Lamsa Translation
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
Good News Translation
With these stones he rebuilt the altar for the worship of the Lord . He dug a trench around it, large enough to hold about four gallons of water.
Lexham English Bible
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.
Literal Translation
And he built an altar with the stones in the name of Jehovah, and made a trench around the altar large as two seahs of seed in space.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and of ye stones he buylded an altare in the name of the LORDE, & made a pytt rounde aboute the altare, like two forowes in the corne londe,
American Standard Version
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
Bible in Basic English
And with the stones he made an altar to the name of the Lord; and he made a deep drain all round the altar, great enough to take two measures of seed.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And with the stones he made an aulter in the name of the Lorde: And he made a ditch about the aulter, as great as would conteyne two measures of seede.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
King James Version (1611)
And with the stones hee built an altar in the Name of the Lord, and hee made a trench about the altar, as great as would containe two measures of seed.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he built up the stones in the name of the Lord, and repaired the altar that had been broken down; and he made a trench that would hold two measures of seed round about the altar.
English Revised Version
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he bildide an auter of stonys, in the name of the Lord, and he made a ledyng to of watir, `ether a dich, as bi twei litle dichis in the cumpas of the auter.
Young's Literal Translation
and he buildeth with the stones an altar, in the name of Jehovah, and maketh a trench, as about the space of two measures of seed, round about the altar.
Update Bible Version
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed.
Webster's Bible Translation
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
World English Bible
With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
New King James Version
Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
New Living Translation
and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord . Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.
New Life Bible
With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a ditch around the altar, big enough to hold twenty-two jars of seed.
New Revised Standard
with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord . Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and built, with the stones, an altar, in the name of Yahweh, - and he made a trench, as large as would contain two measures of seed, round about the altar;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he built with the stones an altar to the name of the Lord: and he made a trench for water, of the breadth of two furrows, round about the altar.
Revised Standard Version
and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed.

Contextual Overview

21 Elijah challenged the people: "How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it's Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!" Nobody said a word; nobody made a move. 22Then Elijah said, "I'm the only prophet of God left in Israel; and there are 450 prophets of Baal. Let the Baal prophets bring up two oxen; let them pick one, butcher it, and lay it out on an altar on firewood—but don't ignite it. I'll take the other ox, cut it up, and lay it on the wood. But neither will I light the fire. Then you pray to your gods and I'll pray to God . The god who answers with fire will prove to be, in fact, God." All the people agreed: "A good plan—do it!" 25 Elijah told the Baal prophets, "Choose your ox and prepare it. You go first, you're the majority. Then pray to your god, but don't light the fire." 26 So they took the ox he had given them, prepared it for the altar, then prayed to Baal. They prayed all morning long, "O Baal, answer us!" But nothing happened—not so much as a whisper of breeze. Desperate, they jumped and stomped on the altar they had made. 27By noon, Elijah had started making fun of them, taunting, "Call a little louder—he is a god, after all. Maybe he's off meditating somewhere or other, or maybe he's gotten involved in a project, or maybe he's on vacation. You don't suppose he's overslept, do you, and needs to be waked up?" They prayed louder and louder, cutting themselves with swords and knives—a ritual common to them—until they were covered with blood. 29 This went on until well past noon. They used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on the altar, but nothing happened—not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of response. 30Then Elijah told the people, "Enough of that—it's my turn. Gather around." And they gathered. He then put the altar back together for by now it was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom God had said, "From now on your name is Israel." He built the stones into the altar in honor of God . Then Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar. He laid firewood on the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, "Fill four buckets with water and drench both the ox and the firewood." Then he said, "Do it again," and they did it. Then he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water. 36When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, "O God , God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I'm doing what I'm doing under your orders. Answer me, God ; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God , the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance." 38 Immediately the fire of God fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench. 39 All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, " God is the true God! God is the true God!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

And with: Exodus 20:24, Exodus 20:25, Judges 6:26, Judges 21:4, 1 Samuel 7:9, 1 Samuel 7:17

in the name: 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 27:5 - And there Joshua 8:31 - altar 1 Kings 18:35 - the trench Isaiah 37:16 - thou art Ezekiel 43:17 - and the border

Cross-References

Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread."
Genesis 18:7
Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.
Genesis 18:9
The men said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He said, "In the tent."
Genesis 18:10
One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.
Genesis 18:11
Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"
Genesis 18:13
God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for God ? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby."
Genesis 18:15
Sarah lied. She said, "I didn't laugh," because she was afraid. But he said, "Yes you did; you laughed."
Genesis 18:16
When the men got up to leave, they set off for Sodom. Abraham walked with them to say good-bye.
Genesis 18:17
Then God said, "Shall I keep back from Abraham what I'm about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God 's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him."
Genesis 18:20
God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And with the stones he built an altar in the same of the Lord,.... 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He built an altar in the name of the Lord - i. e., calling, as he built it, on the name of Yahweh, and so dedicating it to His service.

Two measures of seed - literally, “two seahs of seed.” The seah contained about three gallons.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. He made a trench — This was to detain the water that might fall down from the altar when the barrels should be poured upon it, 1 Kings 18:35.


 
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