1 Kings 18 21

1 Kings 18:21 kjv

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

1 Kings 18:21 nkjv

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.

1 Kings 18:21 niv

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

1 Kings 18:21 esv

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.

1 Kings 18:21 nlt

Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent.

1 Kings 18 verses

1 Kings 18 21 Meaning

1 Kings 18:21 presents Elijah's urgent call to the people of Israel, challenging their spiritual indecision and syncretism. They were attempting to combine the worship of Yahweh with the worship of Baal, unable to commit exclusively to one deity. Elijah compels them to make a definitive choice, emphasizing the singular nature of true worship and demanding loyalty to either the Lord or Baal. Their silence indicates their profound spiritual paralysis and deep-seated idolatry.

1 Kings 18 21 Context

The verse is a pivotal moment in the dramatic confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel, as described in 1 Kings chapter 18. Following a devastating three-year drought prophesied by Elijah as a divine judgment against Israel's idolatry, the prophet gathers the entire nation along with King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah (who ate at Jezebel's table). This setting highlights the direct challenge to the authority of Baal, whom many Israelites had begun to worship alongside Yahweh, particularly under the influence of Queen Jezebel. The people's silence reflects the spiritual apathy and divided loyalty that had become rampant in the nation, revealing their compromised position before Elijah's sharp indictment. This moment precedes the fiery display of divine power, where God responds to Elijah's prayer by consuming the sacrifice, definitively proving His sole deity over Baal.

1 Kings 18 21 Word analysis

• And Elijah came near to all the people: Shows Elijah's prophetic boldness and direct confrontation with the entire nation, not just the king. He positions himself centrally.

• How long (ʿAd māh): A rhetorical question expressing divine and prophetic impatience. It implies the time for decision is past due, carrying a tone of frustration and urgency. It signifies that the situation of spiritual indecisiveness has persisted for too long.

• will you go limping (pasach, פָּסַח): The Hebrew word suggests "to hesitate," "to waver," or "to hobble." It paints a vivid picture of someone unable to walk a straight path, like a person with a limp trying to balance between two directions. The word can also relate to the ceremonial "leaping" or "dancing" (used for the Baal prophets later in 1 Ki 18:26) which, in this context, might carry a derogatory connotation, implying their ineffective spiritual contortions. It conveys the unstable and inconsistent nature of their devotion.

• between two different opinions (bên ha-səʿippîm, בֵּין הַסְּעִפִּים): Literally means "between the two branches," "between the two forks," or "divided thoughts." It graphically describes the state of divided loyalties, like being at a crossroads with two distinct paths. It emphasizes a lack of single-mindedness, depicting the people caught between allegiance to Yahweh and Baal, unable or unwilling to make an exclusive choice. This suggests not just an intellectual debate, but a profound spiritual schizophrenia.

• If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him:

  • This is a forceful, exclusionary statement. It rejects the syncretistic approach of merging Yahweh worship with Baal worship.
  • The Lord (YHWH): Refers to the God of Israel, the covenant God.
  • God (ʾĕlōhîm): The generic term for deity, but here used in the context of being the supreme, true God.
  • Baal: The Canaanite storm and fertility god, whose worship was prevalent due to Jezebel's influence.
  • follow him (lekû ʾaḥărâyw, לְכוּ אַחֲרָיו): Implies not merely intellectual acknowledgment, but a life of active obedience and worship. It means to align one's life, allegiance, and practices entirely with that deity. The repetition stresses the exclusivity required. This highlights that religion is about ultimate loyalty and living under a specific Lordship.
  • This choice is binary, leaving no room for compromise. It is a polemic against the idea that Israel could incorporate Baal worship without forsaking Yahweh.

• And the people did not answer him a word: This profound silence indicates spiritual stagnation, conviction, fear, or a sense of guilt. It highlights their spiritual impotence and inability to justify their compromised position. It underlines the weight of Elijah's challenge and their desperate need for divine intervention to resolve their spiritual crisis. It shows their conviction and recognition of the gravity of the decision facing them.

1 Kings 18 21 Bonus section

• The challenge in 1 Kings 18:21 sets up a grand theological duel where the very nature and power of God (YHWH) and Baal are put to the test. It's a fundamental test of divinity.
• This scene on Mount Carmel can be seen as a microcosm of humanity's constant struggle with idolatry – substituting the Creator for creation, often driven by a desire for control or worldly blessings that false gods promise (e.g., fertility, rain from Baal).
• Elijah's stance here reflects the essence of the first and second commandments: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Ex 20:3) and "You shall not make for yourself a carved image" (Ex 20:4), emphasizing the covenantal requirement for exclusive worship.
• The use of pasach (limping) can also carry an implied mockery, suggesting their religious walk was clumsy and ineffective, unable to make true progress in either direction, much like a ritualistic, yet pointless, dance of dedication.
• The dramatic pause indicated by the people's silence highlights the severe spiritual impasse and sets the stage for God Himself to intervene and clarify the choice through a supernatural act, thereby removing any ambiguity about His sovereignty.

1 Kings 18 21 Commentary

1 Kings 18:21 stands as one of the Bible's most poignant challenges against spiritual apathy and compromise. Elijah, as God's prophet, exposes the glaring hypocrisy of the Israelite people who attempted to straddle two worlds – acknowledging Yahweh while actively participating in Baal worship. The choice was not merely between two religions, but between absolute truth and pervasive deception, between life and spiritual death. Elijah's rhetorical "How long will you go limping?" highlights the futility and instability of their divided allegiance. It is a divine ultimatum: commitment to the Lord demands exclusive loyalty, full allegiance, and unwavering obedience, not a partial or superficial adherence that incorporates pagan practices. The people's silence following Elijah's challenge signifies their deep spiritual sickness and incapacity to choose or articulate a defense, setting the stage for God's undeniable display of power to force a decision. This verse profoundly underscores that genuine faith necessitates an unreserved surrender to the one true God, intolerant of rivals or dual loyalties. For believers today, it serves as a perpetual reminder against lukewarmness or attempts to blend Christ with worldly values.