1 Kings 18 25

1 Kings 18:25 kjv

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

1 Kings 18:25 nkjv

Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."

1 Kings 18:25 niv

Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire."

1 Kings 18:25 esv

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it."

1 Kings 18:25 nlt

Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood."

1 Kings 18 verses

1 Kings 18 25 Meaning

In 1 Kings 18:25, Elijah addresses the 450 prophets of Baal, commanding them to be the first to prepare a sacrifice and call upon the name of their god. This statement initiates the decisive spiritual contest on Mount Carmel, a direct challenge to the supremacy of Baal and the polytheistic practices prevalent in Israel. Elijah grants them the initial opportunity to demonstrate their god's power, highlighting his absolute confidence in Yahweh, the one true God, and simultaneously setting the stage for a dramatic comparison of divine authority and efficacy.

1 Kings 18 25 Context

The immediate context of 1 Kings 18:25 is the climax of Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel, after a devastating three-and-a-half-year drought (1 Kgs 17:1). This drought was God's judgment against Israel's idolatry, spearheaded by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel who aggressively promoted Baal worship. The people of Israel were caught between loyalty to Yahweh and devotion to Baal, prompting Elijah's iconic question: "How long will you go limping between two different opinions?" (1 Kgs 18:21). The challenge posed by Elijah, to prove who the true God is by sending fire for a sacrifice, serves as a direct confrontation to Baal, the Canaanite storm god believed to control rain, lightning, and fertility. By allowing the Baal prophets to go first and set the terms of their engagement (choosing a bull, preparing it), Elijah underscored the fairness of the trial and intensified the polemic against the impotence of false deities.

1 Kings 18 25 Word analysis

• Elijah (אֵלִיָּהוּ, ’Ēlīyāhū): Meaning "My God is Yahweh." His very name embodies the theological truth central to the contest. It subtly declares Yahweh's uniqueness and sovereignty, acting as a direct counter-statement to Israel's apostasy. His bold challenge reveals unwavering faith in the living God.
• prophets of Baal (נְבִיאֵי הַבַּעַל, nevi’ēi habBaʿal): These were professional cultic functionaries dedicated to Baal, the Canaanite god of storm, rain, and fertility. Their large number (450 plus 400 for Asherah) reflects the widespread and officially sanctioned nature of Baal worship under Jezebel and Ahab, making this confrontation a grand-scale public test against state-sponsored idolatry.
• "Choose for yourselves one bull" (בְּחֲרוּ לָכֶם פַּר־אֶחָד, bəḥaru lakhem par-eḥad): Elijah grants them the first selection, signifying his complete impartiality and the fair nature of the test. It provides them with every advantage and eliminates any accusation of bias or trickery on his part. A "bull" was a significant and costly sacrificial animal, emphasizing the magnitude of the offering.
• "and prepare it" (וַעֲשׂוּ, va'asu): To "prepare it" meant to butcher, cut, and arrange the sacrificial animal on the altar. This shows they completed all the necessary human actions, ensuring the only missing element was divine intervention.
• "and call upon the name of your god" (וְקִרְאוּ בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, veqir’u v'shem 'ĕlōhêkhem): To "call upon the name" (קָרָא בְּשֵׁם, qara b'shem) signifies invocation, adoration, and reliance on a deity. It's an act of worship and an appeal for intervention. This phrasing makes the contest unequivocally clear: who answers when invoked? This is the fundamental test of divinity.
• "but put no fire under it" (וְאֵשׁ לֹא תָשִׂימוּ, v'esh lo tasimu): This critical negative instruction prevents any human means of starting the fire, making the divine act undeniable. It removes all doubt that the answer must come supernaturally from the god.
• "for I will prepare the other bull" (וַאֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת־הַפַּר הָאֶחָד, va'ani e'eseh et-hapar ha'eḥad): Elijah explicitly states his reciprocal action, establishing the parallel nature of the contest and a clear, verifiable comparison.
• "and call upon the name of the LORD" (וְאֵשׁ לֹא תָשִׂימוּ, v'esh lo tasimu - typo, should be וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם יְהוָה, veqara'ti v'shem YHVH): Elijah clearly indicates his intent to follow the exact same protocol, but directing his invocation to Yahweh, the God of Israel, confirming the spiritual stakes of the dual appeals.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Elijah said to the prophets of Baal...": Establishes Elijah as the sole prophet confronting the multitude of false prophets, emphasizing the asymmetry of spiritual power. It also marks Elijah as God's spokesperson in a moment of national apostasy.
• "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it...": This demonstrates Elijah's generosity and fairness, allowing the opposition to set up their ritual exactly as they pleased, providing no grounds for later excuses or complaints regarding procedure. This also sets the common ground for a truly equitable test.
• "...and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire under it.": This phrase captures the core challenge: to test the power of their god through divine intervention. The "no fire" stipulation highlights the supernatural element needed, distinguishing the true God from human ritual or deceit.
• "I will prepare the other bull and call upon the name of the LORD, but put no fire under it.": Elijah explicitly lays out his mirror action, setting the direct competition between Baal and Yahweh. It highlights his faith that Yahweh, unlike Baal, would respond, and again, emphasizes the solely divine nature of the expected answer.

1 Kings 18 25 Bonus section

The generosity shown by Elijah to the prophets of Baal, allowing them to go first and set up their offering, was not just about fairness. It also allowed maximum opportunity for Baal to demonstrate himself, if he truly existed or had power. The very nature of Baal worship involved a focus on storm, thunder, and lightning, so a display of fire would have been particularly fitting for their deity. By failing to produce fire, Baal proved himself utterly impotent even in his presumed domain, intensifying the subsequent vindication of Yahweh. This dramatic setting serves as a powerful biblical illustration that God does not fear direct comparison with any rival claim to deity; rather, He actively seeks to reveal His unparalleled supremacy.

1 Kings 18 25 Commentary

1 Kings 18:25 encapsulates the profound spiritual audacity and divine assurance of Elijah. By offering the prophets of Baal the first turn, Elijah demonstrates an unwavering confidence in Yahweh's sole authority and power, thereby setting up a conclusive demonstration. This was not a contest of human strength or ritual performance, but a direct test of the very existence and potency of the deities involved. The allowance for the prophets to choose their bull and prepare their sacrifice underscores the absolute fairness of the challenge, leaving no room for them to claim Elijah somehow obstructed their god's response. The repeated stipulation "but put no fire under it" ensured that any manifestation of fire would undeniably be a supernatural act, definitively proving the true God's identity as the one who "answers by fire" (1 Kgs 18:24). It serves as a stark contrast between the vibrant, living God and the lifeless idols.