1 Kings 18 33

1 Kings 18:33 kjv

And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

1 Kings 18:33 nkjv

And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood."

1 Kings 18:33 niv

He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."

1 Kings 18:33 esv

And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood."

1 Kings 18:33 nlt

He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood."

1 Kings 18 verses

1 Kings 18 33 Meaning

This verse describes Elijah's command to pour a large quantity of water over the prepared sacrifice, wood, and altar on Mount Carmel. It sets the stage for an undeniable demonstration of YHWH's power against the false god Baal, intentionally removing any possibility of natural fire or human trickery, thereby amplifying the impending miracle.

1 Kings 18 33 Context

1 Kings chapter 18 details the dramatic confrontation between Elijah, the prophet of YHWH, and the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Israel, under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, had largely abandoned YHWH for Baal worship due to the severe drought afflicting the land. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a test: the God who answered by fire would prove to be the true God. After the Baal prophets failed to elicit a response from their deity through hours of fervent dancing and self-mutilation, Elijah prepares his altar. This specific verse, 1 Kings 18:33, describes Elijah's seemingly counterintuitive command to douse the already-prepared altar, wood, and sacrifice with large quantities of water. This action would make it humanly impossible for the fire to ignite, thus intensifying the divine nature of the upcoming miracle and silencing any potential accusations of fraud. Historically, Baal was associated with rain and fertility, making a test involving fire and a great amount of water especially significant in a land suffering from drought, highlighting YHWH's absolute control over natural elements and Baal's impotence. It served as a polemic against Baal's claimed authority over rain and storm.

1 Kings 18 33 Word analysis

• And he said, "Fill:
  • This opening indicates Elijah's direct and authoritative instruction. It implies an immediate shift from the failed efforts of the Baal prophets to the deliberate, measured actions of God's prophet.
• "Fill four pitchers:
  • "Fill": Male' (מלא) - to be full, to fill. Emphasizes complete saturation, leaving no doubt about the quantity.
  • "four pitchers": "Pitchers" (Kad) (כד) - large earthen jars or waterpots, similar to those used by Rebekah (Gen 24:14-20) or the vessels at the wedding in Cana (Jn 2:6-7). This was a substantial amount, likely around 8-10 gallons per pitcher, making it 32-40 gallons in total for the first dousing. The number "four" adds to the deliberate nature and foreshadows the eventual three rounds of pouring (verse 34), culminating in twelve pitchers, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel (as implied by verse 31). This massive volume of water, during a severe drought, signifies the extravagance of the impending miracle and ensures human effort is out of the question.
• with water,
  • "water": Mayim (מים) - essential for life, often symbolizing cleansing (Ex 30:18) or divine provision (Ps 1:3). Here, paradoxically, it is used to hinder combustion, making the coming fire even more astounding. In the context of the drought, acquiring such large quantities of water would itself have been a task requiring divine provision or specific knowledge, possibly from a nearby spring known only to a few.
• and pour it
  • "pour it": Yatsaq (יצק) - to pour out, to cast, to flow. Conveys the action of releasing the water thoroughly, saturating everything. This is not a sprinkle but an inundation.
• on the burnt offering
  • "burnt offering": Olah (עולה) - "that which goes up" or "ascends," because the entire offering was consumed by fire and ascended as a "sweet savor" to God. It was a primary sacrificial offering for atonement and devotion (Lev 1:3-17). The purpose of pouring water on it was to ensure that even the offering itself was thoroughly soaked, demonstrating the impossibility of humanly starting the fire. This highlights the absolute divine intervention.
• and on the wood."
  • "wood": Etz (עץ) - wood, tree, timber. Used to build the fire under the sacrifice. Drenching the wood ensures no latent embers or ease of ignition from outside sources, proving beyond doubt the miraculous origin of the fire from heaven. The wood would normally need to be very dry to catch fire effectively, yet Elijah demands it be drenched in a context of drought.

1 Kings 18 33 Bonus section

The act of repeatedly soaking the altar (totaling twelve pitchers of water over three rounds, signifying the twelve tribes of Israel) not only ruled out trickery but also served a theological purpose: it was a test of God, in the positive sense, presenting Him with an undeniable challenge to demonstrate His unique, living power. This display was crucial for a generation of Israelites who had "limped between two opinions" (1 Ki 18:21), wavering between YHWH and Baal. The visual impossibility of a waterlogged sacrifice igniting by normal means transformed the event from a mere act of fire-starting into a profound theological declaration: only the sovereign Creator God, YHWH, could send fire to consume such a drenched offering. The water poured out could also be seen as a foreshadowing of abundant blessings to come, contrasting the drought with divine provision.

1 Kings 18 33 Commentary

1 Kings 18:33 marks a pivotal moment in the dramatic Mount Carmel contest, emphasizing Elijah's profound faith and YHWH's undisputed supremacy. Elijah's command to drench the altar with large pitchers of water, paradoxically, did not indicate doubt in God's power, but rather a zealous certainty. By thoroughly soaking the wood, the sacrifice, and the surrounding trench (as indicated in the subsequent verses), Elijah intentionally created conditions that made it humanly impossible for a fire to ignite. This deliberate action removed any possible accusation of human deceit or trickery by those observing the miracle. It forced all onlookers—the prophets of Baal, the people of Israel, and Ahab—to confront the undeniable supernatural origin of the fire that would soon consume the sacrifice. In a land parched by a three-year drought, water was precious, yet Elijah commanded its copious use, signifying that God's power transcended natural scarcity and logic. This preparatory step solidified the overwhelming evidence for YHWH as the one true God, proving His absolute sovereignty over nature and His living power in contrast to the silent, inert idols.