1 Kings 18:39 kjv
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
1 Kings 18:39 nkjv
Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"
1 Kings 18:39 niv
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD?he is God! The LORD?he is God!"
1 Kings 18:39 esv
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God."
1 Kings 18:39 nlt
And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The LORD ? he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!"
1 Kings 18 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:16-19 | On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning... mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke... | Divine power revealed on Sinai, evoking awe. |
| Ex 40:34-35 | Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. | God's manifest presence in the tabernacle. |
| Num 16:35 | And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men... | Divine fire as judgment or proof of God's word. |
| Deut 4:35 | You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. | Affirmation of God's unique deity from early covenant. |
| 1 Sam 7:3 | ...If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods... | Call to remove foreign gods and serve the LORD alone. |
| 2 Sam 22:32 | For who is God besides the LORD? And who is a Rock except our God? | Rhetorical question emphasizing God's uniqueness. |
| 1 Ki 18:21 | How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. | The challenge Elijah posed, which the people now answer. |
| 2 Chr 7:1-3 | When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering... | Fire from heaven confirming God's acceptance and presence. |
| Ps 18:31 | For who is God, except the LORD? Or who is a rock, except our God? | Echoes 2 Sam 22:32, reinforcing Yahweh's singularity. |
| Ps 95:6 | Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker... | Encouragement to prostrate oneself in worship. |
| Ps 100:3 | Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people... | Clear declaration of God's identity and creatorship. |
| Isa 44:6 | “This is what the LORD says... I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." | God's absolute sovereignty and exclusive claim to deity. |
| Isa 45:5 | I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. | Emphatic statement of monotheism by God Himself. |
| Jer 10:10 | But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the eternal King. | Distinguishing Yahweh as the real, living God against idols. |
| Joel 2:27 | Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other. | Future restoration leading to knowing God's unique identity. |
| Zech 14:9 | The LORD will be king over the whole earth; on that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. | Future global recognition of God's singular lordship. |
| Mt 17:5 | While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son..." | A New Testament manifestation of divine glory and identity. |
| Rom 10:9 | If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart... | Confession of Lordship as central to salvation in New Covenant. |
| 1 Cor 8:4-6 | ...there is no God but one... yet for us there is but one God, the Father... and one Lord, Jesus Christ. | Christian monotheism affirming God as one, against polytheism. |
| Phil 2:10-11 | ...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord... | Universal submission and confession of Christ's Lordship. |
| Rev 4:10 | The twenty-four elders fall prostrate before him who sits on the throne and worship him... | Heavenly worship involving prostration before God. |
| Rev 7:11 | All the angels stood around the throne... They fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God... | Angelic worship showing similar posture of reverence. |
1 Kings 18 verses
1 Kings 18 39 Meaning
This verse describes the immediate and profound reaction of the Israelites after witnessing the fire of the LORD consuming Elijah’s altar, sacrifice, wood, stones, dust, and water. Overwhelmed by this undeniable divine manifestation, they instinctively prostrated themselves in worship and made a unanimous, emphatic declaration: “The LORD—He is God!” This confession signified their conviction of Yahweh’s supreme and sole deity, in stark contrast to their previous idolatry.
1 Kings 18 39 Context
1 Kings chapter 18 details Elijah’s dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel. Following a three-and-a-half-year drought, God orchestrated this showdown to call the nation of Israel back from pervasive Baal worship. King Ahab had encouraged the syncretistic practices of his Phoenician wife Jezebel, leading Israel into deep apostasy. The contest involved Baal’s prophets frantically crying out to their god to send fire, but receiving no response. Elijah then repaired the altar of the LORD, soaked the offering and altar repeatedly with water, and offered a simple prayer to Yahweh. Verse 38 describes God's immediate and overwhelming response as "the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." This miraculous event directly demonstrates Yahweh’s supreme power, establishing His identity as the only true God and fulfilling the divine test of deity before all the people of Israel.
1 Kings 18 39 Word analysis
- When all the people (כָּל־הָעָם, kol-ha'am): This emphasizes the collective, unanimous witness. Every person present on Mount Carmel saw the display of God’s power. It wasn't a partial observation but a universal experience for the nation gathered, highlighting the widespread impact and the undeniable nature of the event.
- saw it (וַיִּרְאוּ, vayir'u): Signifies visual confirmation. The event was not merely heard about but visibly observed, making its impact undeniable. This physical sight compelled their response.
- they fell prostrate (וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם, vayyippelu 'al-pənéihem): A literal translation of "fell on their faces." This is a posture of ultimate humility, fear, reverence, and submission in the presence of overwhelming divine power or majesty. It indicates worship, acknowledging God's sovereignty, and often accompanies a turning point towards repentance. It stands in stark contrast to the dancing and self-mutilation of the Baal prophets, representing genuine awe rather than frenzied superstition.
- and cried (וַיֹּאמְרוּ, vayyomru): More than just speaking, it implies a shout or declaration, likely born of astonishment, conviction, and perhaps a degree of fear. It was a public, vocal affirmation of truth.
- “The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!” (יהוה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יהוה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים, YHWH hu ha'Elohim YHWH hu ha'Elohim):
- The LORD (יהוה, YHWH): The Tetragrammaton, the unpronounceable, personal covenant name of the God of Israel. Its use here asserts the unique identity of the true God.
- He is (הוּא, hu): An emphatic pronoun, akin to "He indeed is" or "It is He!" This pronoun makes the declaration intensely personal and undeniably clear, highlighting God’s identity without doubt.
- God (הָאֱלֹהִים, ha'Elohim): While Elohim can be a general term for deity, the presence of the definite article (ha-) here makes it "the God" or "the one true God." This directly contrasts with "the Baals" and establishes Yahweh as the sole legitimate deity.
- Repetition: The declaration is stated twice for extreme emphasis and affirmation, highlighting the certainty and profundity of their realization and confession. It signals a complete and united abandonment of syncretism. This repetition underscores the climax of Elijah's challenge and the nation's spiritual turning point. It's a profound polemic against Baal worship, publicly debunking its claims and acknowledging YHWH as the sole source of rain and life, contradicting the core claims of Baal as the storm and fertility god.
- "When all the people saw it, they fell prostrate": This phrase shows a transition from passive observation to active, compelled worship. The overwhelming nature of God's manifest power leaves no room for doubt or resistance, eliciting an immediate and physical response of reverence.
- "The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!": This powerful, repeated confession represents the culmination of Elijah’s efforts. It signifies a collective spiritual awakening and turning point, a definitive renunciation of Baal worship, and a clear, unified affirmation of Yahweh's sole claim to divinity in Israel. The emphasis on "He is God" means He is the ONLY God, ruling out any rivals or co-deities.
1 Kings 18 39 Bonus section
The immediate and complete change in the people's demeanor—from skeptical onlookers to fervent worshippers—underscores the power of direct divine revelation. This moment wasn't just a miracle; it was an act of God demonstrating His covenant faithfulness, reminding Israel of His singular deity, and offering a path back from idolatry. The scene illustrates that genuine repentance often involves a profound humbling before God and a public, verbal confession of His truth, solidifying a communal understanding that shifts national allegiance back to the LORD. This public declaration becomes a foundation for subsequent actions, as seen in the immediate turning upon Baal’s prophets that follows. The sequence of seeing, falling prostrate, and then proclaiming God's identity provides a blueprint for genuine conversion: revelation leading to reverence, then to clear confession.
1 Kings 18 39 Commentary
1 Kings 18:39 marks the climactic turning point of the Mount Carmel contest. The instantaneous and overwhelming divine fire shattered any remaining doubt in the hearts of the Israelites. Their response – falling prostrate and repeatedly declaring "The LORD—He is God!" – was an act of genuine, fear-filled conviction and immediate repentance. This was not a hesitant intellectual ascent but an embodied, vocal, and communal surrender to the truth of God’s supreme identity and power. The double pronouncement served as a decisive rejection of Baal and a public reaffirmation of the exclusive worship due to Yahweh, who alone proved His power over fire and thus implicitly over the very elements that Baal was supposed to control. This verse demonstrates that God's undeniable self-revelation often precedes and provokes true faith and worship. It shows a move from vacillation (1 Ki 18:21) to resolute confession.