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New Century Version

1 Kings 18:28

The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ahab;   Carmel;   Elijah;   Idol;   Idolatry;   Knife;   Prayer;   Revivals;   Thompson Chain Reference - Awakenings and Religious Reforms;   Awakenings, Religious;   Beauty-Disfigurement;   Body;   Elijah;   Fanaticism;   Knives;   Mutilation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Carmel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Funeral;   Miracle;   Persecution;   Prayer;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hospitality;   Zeal;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Cutting;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arms;   Baal (1);   Cuttings;   Knife;   Madmen (2);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Cattle;   Elijah;   False Prophet;   False Worship;   Fertility Cult;   Gash;   Gods, Pagan;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Knife;   Lance, Lancet;   Mountain;   Prayer;   Ugarit;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ahab;   Baal (1);   Carmel;   Cuttings in the Flesh;   Haggai;   Lance, Lancet;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Prayer;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Circumcision;   Sacrifices ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahab ;   Baal, Baalim ;   Carmel ;   Lancet,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount carmel;   Obadiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Armor;   Arms;   Baal;   Carmel;   Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Elijah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Arms, Armor;   Ba'al,;   Car'mel;   Cuttings [in the Flesh];   Knife;   Lancet;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Altar;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Baal (1);   Cut;   Cuttings in the Flesh;   Elijah;   Idolatry;   Knife;   Lance;   Law in the Old Testament;   Prophecy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cuttings;  

Devotionals:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them.
Hebrew Names Version
They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
King James Version
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
English Standard Version
And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
New English Translation
So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood.
Amplified Bible
So they cried out with a loud voice [to get Baal's attention] and cut themselves with swords and lances in accordance with their custom, until the blood flowed out on them.
New American Standard Bible
So they cried out with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until blood gushed out on them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they cryed loude, and cut them selues as their maner was, with kniues and launcers, till the blood gushed out vpon them.
Legacy Standard Bible
So they cried with a loud voice and gashed themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
Contemporary English Version
The prophets kept shouting louder and louder, and they cut themselves with swords and knives until they were bleeding. This was the way they worshiped,
Complete Jewish Bible
So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and knives, as their custom was, until blood gushed out all over them.
Darby Translation
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with swords and spears, till the blood gushed out upon them.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the prophets prayed louder. They cut themselves with swords and spears. (This was the way they worshiped.) They cut themselves until they were bleeding all over.
George Lamsa Translation
And they cried with a loud voice and they cut themselves after their custom with daggers and lances, until their blood gushed out upon them.
Good News Translation
So the prophets prayed louder and cut themselves with knives and daggers, according to their ritual, until blood flowed.
Lexham English Bible
So they called out with a loud voice, and they cut themselves with swords and with spears as was their custom, until the blood poured out over them.
Literal Translation
And they called with a loud voice, and cut themselves, according to their way, with swords and with spears until blood gushed out on them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And they cried loude, and prouoked the selues with knyues & botkens, (as their maner was) tyll ye bloude folowed.
American Standard Version
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.
Bible in Basic English
So they gave loud cries, cutting themselves with knives and swords, as was their way, till the blood came streaming out all over them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they cried lowde, and cut them selues as their maner was with kniues & launcers, till the blood folowed on the.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with swords and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.
King James Version (1611)
And they cried loud, and cut themselues after their maner, with kniues, and lancers, till the blood gushed out vpon them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves according to their custom with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.
English Revised Version
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them.
Berean Standard Bible
So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed out upon them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thei crieden with greet vois, and thei kerueden hem silf with knyues and launcetis, bi her custom, til thei weren bisched with blood.
Young's Literal Translation
And they call with a loud voice, and cut themselves, according to their ordinance, with swords and with spears, till a flowing of blood [is] on them;
Update Bible Version
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
World English Bible
They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
New King James Version
So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
New Living Translation
So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.
New Life Bible
So they cried with a loud voice. They cut themselves as they had done in the past, with swords and spears until blood poured out on them.
New Revised Standard
Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they cried, with a loud voice, and cut themselves, after their custom, with swords, and with lances, - until the blood gushed out upon them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.
Revised Standard Version
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

Contextual Overview

21 Elijah approached the people and said, "How long will you not decide between two choices? If the Lord is the true God, follow him, but if Baal is the true God, follow him!" But the people said nothing. 22 Elijah said, "I am the only prophet of the Lord here, but there are four hundred fifty prophets of Baal. 23 Bring two bulls. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull and kill it and cut it into pieces. Then let them put the meat on the wood, but they are not to set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull, putting the meat on the wood but not setting fire to it. 24 You prophets of Baal, pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord . The god who answers by setting fire to his wood is the true God." All the people agreed that this was a good idea. 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "There are many of you, so you go first. Choose a bull and prepare it. Pray to your god, but don't start the fire." 26 So they took the bull that was given to them and prepared it. They prayed to Baal from morning until noon, shouting "Baal, answer us!" But there was no sound, and no one answered. They danced around the altar they had built. 27 At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. "Pray louder!" he said. "If Baal really is a god, maybe he is thinking, or busy, or traveling! Maybe he is sleeping so you will have to wake him!" 28 The prophets prayed louder, cutting themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed, which was the way they worshiped. 29 The afternoon passed, and the prophets continued to act like this until it was time for the evening sacrifice. But no voice was heard; Baal did not answer, and no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Now come to me." So they gathered around him, and Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord , which had been torn down.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cut themselves: Leviticus 19:28, Deuteronomy 14:1, Micah 6:7, Mark 5:5, Mark 9:22

the blood gushed out upon them: Heb. they poured out blood upon them

Reciprocal: Judges 10:14 - General Psalms 145:18 - nigh unto Jeremiah 47:5 - how Jeremiah 48:37 - cuttings Zechariah 13:6 - What

Cross-References

Genesis 18:3
and said, "Sir, if you think well of me, please stay awhile with me, your servant.
Genesis 18:4
I will bring some water so all of you can wash your feet. You may rest under the tree,
Genesis 18:17
The Lord said, "Should I tell Abraham what I am going to do now?
Genesis 18:19
I have chosen him so he would command his children and his descendants to live the way the Lord wants them to, to live right and be fair. Then I, the Lord , will give Abraham what I promised him."
Genesis 18:26
The Lord said, "If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I will save the whole city because of them."
Genesis 18:29
Again Abraham said to him, "If you find only forty good people there, will you destroy the city?" The Lord said, "If I find forty, I will not destroy it."
Genesis 18:32
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there?" He said, "If I find ten there, I will not destroy it."
Genesis 18:33
When the Lord finished speaking to Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they cried aloud,.... Trying to make him hear, if possible:

and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them; so the priests of Heathen deities used to slash themselves on their shoulders, arms, and thighs, in their devotions to them, as many writers observe z, fancying their gods were delighted with human blood; particularly the priests of Bellona a, and the worshippers of the Syrian goddess b, and of the Egyptian Isis c.

z Vid. Kipping. Antiqu. Roman. l. 1. c. 10. p. 202. a Tertul Apolog. c. 9. Lactant. Institut. l. 1. c. 21. b Apulei Metamorph. l. 8. c Herodot. Euterpe, c. 61. Manetho. Apotelesm. l. 1. ver. 243, 244. Seneca de vita beata, c. 27.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Elijah’s scorn roused the Baal-priests to greater exertions. At length, when the frenzy had reached its height, knives were drawn, and the blood spirted forth from hundreds of self-inflicted wounds, while an ecstasy of enthusiasm seized many, and they poured forth incoherent phrases, or perhaps an unintelligible jargon, which was believed to come from divine inspiration, and constituted one of their modes of prophecy.

The practice of inflicting gashes on their limbs, in their religious exercises, was common among the Carians, the Syrians, and the Phrygians. We may regard it as a modification of the idea of human sacrifice. The gods were supposed to be pleased with the shedding of human blood.

Lancets - Lancets, in our modern sense of the word, can scarcely have been intended by our translators. The Hebrew word is elsewhere always translated “spears,” or “lances;” and this is probably its meaning here.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 28. They cried aloud — The poor fools acted as they were bidden.

And cut themselves after their manner — This was done according to the rites of that barbarous religion; if the blood of the bullock would not move him they thought their own blood might; and with it they smeared themselves and their sacrifice. This was not only the custom of the idolatrous Israelites, but of the Syrians, Persians, Greeks, Indians, and in short of all the heathen world.


 
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