The Meaning of 1 Kings 18:28 Explained

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.

YLT: And they call with a loud voice, and cut themselves, according to their ordinance, with swords and with spears, till a flowing of blood is on them;

Darby: And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with swords and spears, till the blood gushed out upon them.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does 1 Kings 18:28 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 18:16-29 - The God That Answereth Not
"The God that answereth by fire, let Him be God." We are thrilled as we read these words. Our altars stand unkindled, our sacrifices are unconsumed, our churches do not witness the descending of the holy flame, and our sermons are damp tinder. It ought not so to be. The Baptist said that our Lord would baptize with the Holy Spirit as by fire, Matthew 3:11, and Jesus Himself taught that he came to kindle fire on the earth, Luke 12:49. The seven lamps burn evermore before the throne, Revelation 4:5. It was as fire that the Holy Spirit fell on the sitting group in the upper room-sitting because they had reached an end of praying, and were now only waiting for the fulfillment of the promise, Acts 2:2-3.
Nothing is needed more absolutely than the answer by fire. There are many who, like the prophets of Baal, endeavor to kindle it. But when prevented from putting their own false fire into the stack of wood, they are paralyzed. The frantic entreaties, the self-inflicted wounds, the monotonous chant, are insufficient. They are carnal and arouse only the worst emotions. Spiritual conditions have to be fulfilled, as Elijah showed; then God bears witness "by signs and wonders" and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 18

1  In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah
9  Obadiah brings Ahab to Elijah
17  Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets
41  Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 18:28 mean?

So they cried voice aloud and cut themselves as [was] their custom with swords and lances until gushed out the blood on them
וַֽיִּקְרְאוּ֙ בְּק֣וֹל גָּד֔וֹל וַיִּתְגֹּֽדְדוּ֙ כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔ם בַּחֲרָב֖וֹת וּבָֽרְמָחִ֑ים עַד־ שְׁפָךְ־ דָּ֖ם עֲלֵיהֶֽם

וַֽיִּקְרְאוּ֙  So  they  cried 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
בְּק֣וֹל  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
גָּד֔וֹל  aloud 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַיִּתְגֹּֽדְדוּ֙  and  cut  themselves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: גָּדַד 
Sense: to penetrate, cut, attack, invade.
כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔ם  as  [was]  their  custom 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
בַּחֲרָב֖וֹת  with  swords 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
וּבָֽרְמָחִ֑ים  and  lances 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רֹמַח  
Sense: spear, lance.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
שְׁפָךְ־  gushed  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
דָּ֖ם  the  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
עֲלֵיהֶֽם  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Kings 18:28?

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