1 Kings 18 35

1 Kings 18:35 kjv

And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

1 Kings 18:35 nkjv

So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

1 Kings 18:35 niv

The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

1 Kings 18:35 esv

And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

1 Kings 18:35 nlt

and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

1 Kings 18 verses

1 Kings 18 35 Meaning

This verse describes the culminating step in Elijah's preparation for the miraculous fire display on Mount Carmel. It meticulously details the extent to which the altar, the wood, and the surrounding trench were saturated with water, emphasizing the complete drenching that left no room for natural ignition. This served to undeniably prove that any fire consuming the sacrifice would be of divine origin, showcasing God's overwhelming power and discrediting the false god Baal.

1 Kings 18 35 Context

First Kings chapter 18 details the dramatic confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel during a severe three-and-a-half-year drought that had afflicted Israel (1 Kgs 18:1). Elijah, by God's command, challenges the prophets to a contest: whichever god answers by fire, that god is the true God. The prophets of Baal fail after hours of desperate appeals (1 Kgs 18:26-29). Elijah then repairs the broken altar of the Lord, lays out the sacrifice, and performs an extraordinary act of faith: he commands for twelve large jars of water to be poured over the altar, the wood, and the sacrifice, three times over, until the entire setup is completely drenched and the surrounding trench is filled (1 Kgs 18:33-34). Verse 35 specifically highlights the consequence of this massive dousing, making the subsequent miraculous ignition absolutely unmistakable as divine intervention. This act deliberately counters Baal's supposed domain as a fertility and rain god, turning the very symbol of his defeat (water during a drought) into a testament to Yahweh's unparalleled power over all elements.

1 Kings 18 35 Word analysis

• And: (וְ gam) A simple conjunctive, continuing the narrative flow and linking this description to the previous actions of pouring water.
• the water: (הַמַּיִם hammayim) Specific and definite. Refers to the significant volume of water that was just poured (from the four jars poured three times, totaling twelve jars, 1 Kgs 18:34). In a severe drought, such abundance of water for this purpose itself points to an extraordinary, costly act of faith and determination to make the miracle unquestionable.
• ran: (נָזַל nazal) Meaning to flow, gush, trickle, or stream. It indicates the movement and spread of the water. The verb implies a free and unhindered flow, confirming the thorough saturation.
• all around: (סָבִיב saviv) Meaning surrounding, encircling, all over. This emphasizes the comprehensive coverage. Not just on the altar, but encompassing its entire perimeter, suggesting no part was left dry.
• the altar: (הַמִּזְבֵּחַ hammizbeach) Refers to the restored altar of the Lord that Elijah had rebuilt with twelve stones. This is the central focus of the divine test, the site where the miracle of fire is to occur.
• and also: (וְגַם v'gam) This conjunction further emphasizes the additive effect. Not only did the water run around the altar, but in addition, it also fulfilled another condition. It enhances the sense of completeness and superabundance.
• filled: (מִלְּאָה mill'ah) Meaning to fill, to be full, to make full. It denotes the complete saturation, reaching the capacity.
• the trench: (הַתְּעָלָה hat'alah) Refers to the ditch that Elijah had specifically dug around the altar (1 Kgs 18:32). This trench served as a crucial evidentiary boundary, making it clear that no external, ground-based fire could creep towards the altar and also served to contain the massive amount of water, making the thorough drenching visually evident to all spectators.
• with water: (בַּמַּיִם bammayim) Reiterates the medium of saturation. This seemingly redundant phrase ensures clarity and drives home the point of extreme saturation with water, precisely when fire is sought.

1 Kings 18 35 Bonus section

The actions described in 1 Kings 18:35 are deeply polemical. Baal was worshipped as the storm god, the giver of rain and fertility. By performing a miracle involving water (pouring it) and then fire (sending it) on Mount Carmel, a place often associated with Baal worship, Elijah was directly challenging and humiliating Baal in his presumed domains. The massive use of water during a drought highlighted Baal's inability to provide, and Yahweh's subsequent act of consuming a water-soaked sacrifice with fire underscored His unchallenged sovereignty over both elements. The depth of the "trench" (a cubit, approximately 18 inches, as per 1 Kgs 18:32) implies a significant capacity for holding water, visually proving the extraordinary effort taken to negate natural fire, thus amplifying the divine nature of the eventual fire. The emphasis on filling the trench demonstrated God's desire for an irrefutable sign for His people.

1 Kings 18 35 Commentary

1 Kings 18:35 encapsulates the pivotal outcome of Elijah's preparation for God's demonstration on Mount Carmel. By this point, Elijah has repaired the broken altar and called for an absurdly large amount of water—twelve jars, likely each a significant volume—to be poured over the offering, the wood, and the altar itself. The detail that "the water ran all around the altar" and "filled the trench" underscores the intentional extreme saturation. This was not a perfunctory anointing, but a deliberate effort to make a natural ignition impossible. The thorough drenching served multiple critical purposes: it intensified the anticipated miracle, as it would require far greater power to ignite something so wet; it eliminated any possibility of human deception or trickery, such as concealed embers or natural fire; and crucially, it highlighted Yahweh's absolute supremacy over nature, specifically challenging Baal, who was supposed to be the god of rain and fire. During a crippling drought, the extravagant use of precious water to douse the altar, only for God to ignite it supernaturally, made an undeniable statement to all Israel about the living God's power over false deities. This physical manifestation of impossibility served to glorify God alone.