The Meaning of 1 Kings 18:37 Explained

1 Kings 18:37

KJV: Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

YLT: answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, and this people doth know that Thou art Jehovah God; and Thou hast turned their heart backward.'

Darby: Answer me, Jehovah, answer me, that this people may know that thou Jehovah art God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

ASV: Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that thou, Jehovah, art God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hear  me, O LORD,  hear  me, that this people  may know  that thou [art] the LORD  God,  and [that] thou hast turned  their heart  back  again. 

What does 1 Kings 18:37 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 18:30-40 - The God That Answereth By Fire
Too many halt, or limp, between two opinions. The altar of consecration to Christ has been thrown down, 1 Kings 18:30. The worship of Baal, which stands for creature-energy, has secretly stolen away our allegiance from Him, who is very jealous of any strange affinities; and as the necessary result, our heart is drought-smitten and our sphere of service is like a parched land. The idolatrous priests had everything in their favor, for at noon the sun-god was on his throne; but there was no voice. It is an awful thing when a man listens for his god to speak, and there is no reply!
Elijah built again the ruined altar which for long years had stood on Carmel's height, 1 Kings 19:10-11. Let us build again the altars of personal consecration, of family piety, and of national religion. Elijah prayed; as the Apostle expressed it, James 5:17, he put all the passion of his mighty nature into prayer. As a result, because they had been shown to be deceivers, he destroyed the prophets of Baal with a ruthless hand. These are the conditions of revival and refreshing. Let any church give itself to consecration, fervent prayer, and the excision of wrong, and there need be no anxiety as to the result-there will be an abundance of rain. [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 18:37 mean?

Hear me Yahweh hear me that may know people this that You [are] Yahweh God and [that] You have turned again - their hearts backward
עֲנֵ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ עֲנֵ֔נִי וְיֵֽדְעוּ֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּֽי־ אַתָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאַתָּ֛ה הֲסִבֹּ֥תָ אֶת־ לִבָּ֖ם אֲחֹרַנִּֽית

עֲנֵ֤נִי  Hear  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֲנֵ֔נִי  hear  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
וְיֵֽדְעוּ֙  that  may  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
הָעָ֣ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אַתָּ֥ה  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְאַתָּ֛ה  and  [that]  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הֲסִבֹּ֥תָ  have  turned  again 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לִבָּ֖ם  their  hearts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
אֲחֹרַנִּֽית  backward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אֲחֹרַנִּית  
Sense: backwards, back part, the rear.