1 Kings 18 28

1 Kings 18:28 kjv

And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

1 Kings 18:28 nkjv

So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

1 Kings 18:28 niv

So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed.

1 Kings 18:28 esv

And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.

1 Kings 18:28 nlt

So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

1 Kings 18 verses

1 Kings 18 28 Meaning

1 Kings 18:28 describes the desperate and gruesome ritualistic actions of the 450 prophets of Baal during their failed attempt to invoke fire from their god on Mount Carmel. In a display of extreme zeal and self-torture, they intensified their fervent calls by cutting their own bodies with sharp objects, believing this would elicit a response from Baal, to the point of profuse bleeding.

1 Kings 18 28 Context

1 Kings 18:28 is a pivotal moment in the dramatic confrontation on Mount Carmel between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Asherah, initiated by Elijah to resolve the religious crisis in Israel under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. For several hours, the 450 prophets of Baal had cried out to their god to send fire upon their altar, from morning until noon, with no response. Elijah, observing their increasingly frantic efforts, began to mock them (v. 27), suggesting their god might be sleeping, busy, or on a journey. In response to Elijah's taunts, and in their escalating desperation, the prophets of Baal resort to extreme measures, which include the actions described in verse 28, hoping that severe self-inflicted pain and bloodletting would finally compel Baal to answer. This futile act sets the stage for Yahweh's immediate and undeniable display of power, dramatically contrasted by Elijah later in the chapter. The historical context reveals that the worship of Baal, a Canaanite storm and fertility god, involved rituals meant to "awaken" or "activate" the deity, often including loud shouting, ecstatic dances, and sometimes, as seen here, ritualistic self-harm to express devotion or to induce a divine response.

Word Analysis

• And they cried aloud: The Hebrew word for "cried aloud" is rānnū (רָנוּ), from the root rānan (רָנַן), meaning "to cry out," "shout for joy," or "give a ringing cry." While it can express joy, in this context it signifies fervent, loud, desperate invocation, intensifying their already prolonged calls (cf. v. 26). This reflects a common pagan belief that louder and more intense rituals could overcome divine indifference or slumber.
• and cut themselves: The Hebrew is wayyitgōdědû (וַיִּתְגֹּדְדוּ), a reflexive form of the verb gādad (גָדַד), meaning "to cut," "to gash," or "to gather in troops." The reflexive sense here ("they cut themselves") emphasizes the self-inflicted nature of the injury. This practice was strictly forbidden for the Israelites by divine law (Lev 19:28, Deut 14:1) as it was associated with pagan mourning rites and idol worship.
• after their manner: The phrase is kĕmišpāṭām (כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם), meaning "according to their custom" or "according to their judgment/ordinance." This highlights that self-mutilation was a recognized, customary ritual within Baal worship, not an ad-hoc act of desperation, though here it intensified due to Baal's silence. It underscores the contrast with Israel's divinely given customs.
• with knives: The Hebrew word is baḥărāḇôt (בַּחֲרָבוֹת), plural of ḥereb (חֶרֶב), commonly translated as "sword" or "knife." These were instruments specifically used for cutting and lacerating, not for any other part of the ritual.
• and lances: The Hebrew word is ūḇārmāḥîm (וּבָרְמָחִים), plural of rōmaḥ (רֹמַח), meaning "javelin" or "lance." These would allow for deeper, more penetrating wounds. The use of both "knives and lances" suggests varying degrees of cutting or perhaps different types of wounds.
• till the blood gushed out on them: The Hebrew is ʿaḏ hiššĕpêḵ dām ʿălêhem (עַד הִשְׁתַּפֵּךְ דָּם עֲלֵיהֶם). The verb hiššĕpêḵ (הִשְׁתַּפֵּךְ) is an infinitive from shāp̄ak (שָׁפַךְ), meaning "to pour out" or "to shed." The phrase emphasizes the profusion of blood ("gushed out" or "poured forth"). In pagan belief, the shedding of one's own blood could be seen as an ultimate act of devotion, a means of awakening the god, or a way to infuse life/energy into the deity or the ritual, or even as an attempt to "feed" the spiritual entities behind the idols. It demonstrates the extremity and intensity of their worship and their ultimate despair.

Word-Groups Analysis:

• "And they cried aloud and cut themselves": This phrase captures the two core actions: intense verbal invocation paired with violent physical self-harm. It demonstrates the complete dedication, yet utter futility, of the Baal prophets' efforts. The combination speaks to a form of sympathetic magic, trying to physically embody the distress or passion they wished to invoke from their god.
• "after their manner, with knives and lances": This segment reveals the established, ritualistic nature of their practices and the specific tools used. It signifies that this wasn't random violence but a recognized aspect of their religious expression, contrasting sharply with Yahweh's covenant requirements which promote sanctity of life and body.
• "till the blood gushed out on them": This highlights the goal and the result: the copious shedding of blood. It shows the intensity of their belief in the power of blood in their pagan context. The outcome, despite such a violent and fervent effort, further emphasizes the silence and impotence of Baal. This extreme self-mutilation also served as a polemic against true biblical worship, where God's priests wore clean garments and offered unblemished animal sacrifices, not their own defiled bodies.

1 Kings 18 28 Commentary

1 Kings 18:28 vividly illustrates the dark desperation and ultimate futility of idolatry. The prophets of Baal, confronted by their god's silence, resorted to extreme self-harm, a barbaric practice abhorrent to Yahweh and strictly forbidden by His Law. Their belief that personal agony and blood-shed could somehow coerce a deity into action stands in stark contrast to the nature of the God of Israel, who demands obedience and hears genuine calls rooted in faith, not self-inflicted suffering or ritualistic coercion. The spilling of their own blood symbolizes their utter spiritual blindness and the emptiness of their worship. Unlike the New Testament's shedding of Christ's blood as a propitiation for sins (Heb 9:22), this act was a vain and demonic attempt to secure favor from a non-existent god. It emphasizes that true faith calls upon a living God who willingly responds, not a dead idol demanding bodily harm.

Bonus Section

• Pagan Practices: Ritualistic self-mutilation for religious purposes was common in ancient Near Eastern pagan cults, including Phoenician, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian religions, especially in cults associated with fertility gods like Baal and deities requiring intense lamentation. The practice aimed to demonstrate devotion, elicit pity from the gods, or channel life force (blood) for various purposes like bringing rain or healing.
• Contrast with Israel's Law: The Mosaic Law expressly prohibited cutting the body (Lev 19:28, Deut 14:1), setting Israel apart from its pagan neighbors. This divine command protected the sanctity of the human body, created in God's image, and differentiated true worship, which did not involve such practices, from pagan rites fueled by fear and superstition.
• Spiritual Blindness: The narrative of the Baal prophets highlights a profound spiritual blindness. Their increasing fervor, including self-mutilation, failed to open their eyes to the reality of their idol's impotence, even as Elijah mocked them and later demonstrated Yahweh's overwhelming power. This serves as a cautionary tale against seeking solace or power from anything other than the one true God.
• Demonic Influence: From a biblical perspective (1 Cor 10:20), worship of idols is often linked to the worship of demons. The violent, frantic, and self-destructive behavior of the Baal prophets suggests a strong underlying spiritual delusion, perhaps even direct demonic influence, as they sought a response from entities that had no power to truly deliver.