1 Kings 18:27

1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he [is] a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, [or] peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

Ver. 27. That Elijah mocked them.] All mocking therefore is not unlawful: not that which tendeth to the discountenancing of sin; but that which is to the unjust disgrace and just grief of another.

Or he is pursuing.] Heb., He hath a pursuit, viz., hostium vel ferarum: either he is chasing his enemies, or hunting some wild creatures for his recreation.

Or he is in a journey, &c.] Homer brings in the gods journeying, fighting, feasting, sleeping, &c. Lucian feigneth that there are certain chasms or chinks in heaven, through which only Jupiter, at certain times, heareth men’s prayers. Of Diana they say, that being busy at great Alexander’s birth, she could not be present at Ephesus to preserve her temple, which was, the same time, set on fire and burnt to ashes.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 18:27. And it came to pass at noon — When they had long tried all means in vain. Elijah mocked them — He derided them and their god, that he might awaken them out of their stupidity, and expose them to all the bystanders as deceivers of the people, in leading them to worship such senseless and contemptible things. Cry aloud, for he is a god — As you suppose: but what a god, who cannot be made to hear without all this clamour! Either he is talking — Or meditating, as the Hebrew is, thinking of something else, and not minding his own important concerns, when not only your credit, but all his honour lies at stake, and his interest in Israel. Or he is pursuing — His enemies, or hunting and pursuing the prey. He is employed about some other business, and is not at leisure to mind you. For, being a god of a small and narrow understanding, he cannot mind two things at once; and you are unreasonable to expect it from him. Or he is in a journey, &c. — The worship of idols being a most ridiculous thing, it is perfectly just to represent it so, and expose it to scorn. And “nothing can be imagined more cutting and sarcastic than these words of the prophet, in which he ridicules, in the finest manner possible, their wretched, false, and derogatory ideas of the Deity. The two last notions of being asleep and not at home, how absurd soever they may be, when applied to the Deity, were certainly such as several idolaters conceived of their gods, as appears from various passages in Homer; in one of which, (Iliad 1. 18:423,) he tells us, that Thetis could not meet with Jupiter, because he was gone abroad, and would not return in less than twelve days; and at the conclusion of that book he gives us an account of the manner in which the gods went to sleep. How debasing ideas these compared with that awful intelligence which revelation gives us of the true God, who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth; but who, everywhere present, is, at all times, conscious even of the secrets of the heart; at all times ready to hear, and able to grant the petitions of his people!” — Dodd.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:27 is relieving himself: Elijah’s sarcastic taunts mocked the personification of the gods as having human needs. Egyptian priests awakened their god, then fed, washed, and dressed the idol in fresh clothing. They even put rouge on the idol’s face and placed the proper emblem of royalty on it.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

You esteem him as God.

He mocketh their beastly madness, which think that by any instance or suit, the dead and vile idols can help their worshippers in their necessity.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 27. At noon - Elijah mocked them] Had not Elijah been conscious of the Divine protection, he certainly would not have used such freedom of speech while encompassed by his enemies.

Cry aloud] Make a great noise; oblige him by your vociferations to attend to your suit.

For he is a god] כי אלהים הוא ki Elohim hu, he is the supreme God, you worship him as such, he must needs be such, and no doubt jealous of his own honour and the credit of his votaries! A strong irony.

He is talking] He may be giving audience to some others; let him know that he has other worshippers, and must not give too much of his attention to one. Perhaps the word שיח siach should be interpreted as in the margin, he meditateth; he is in a profound revery; he is making some god-like projects; he is considering how he may best keep up his credit in the nation. Shout! let him know that all is now at stake.

He is pursuing] He may be taking his pleasure in hunting, and may continue to pursue the game in heaven, till he have lost all his credit and reverence on earth.

The original words, שיג לו sig lo, are variously translated; He is in a hotel, in diversorio, VULGATE. Perhaps he is delivering oracles, μη ποτε χρηματιζει αυτος, SEPTUAGINT. Or, he is on some special business. Therefore, cry aloud!

He is in a journey] He has left his audience chamber, and is making some excursions; call aloud to bring him back, as his all is at stake.

Peradventure he sleepeth] Rab. S. Jarchi gives this the most degrading meaning; I will give it in Latin, because it is too coarse to be put in English; Fortassis ad locum secretum abiit, ut ventrem ibi exomeret; "Perhaps he is gone to the ______." This certainly reduces Baal to the lowest degree of contempt, and with it the ridicule and sarcasm are complete.

Among Asiatic idolaters their gods have different functions to fulfil, and require sleep and rest. Vishnoo sleeps four months in the year. Budhoo is represented in his temple as sleep, though his eyes are open. Vayoo manages the winds; Varoona, the waters; Indra, the clouds, c. and according to many fables in the Pooranas, the gods are often out on journeys, expeditions, &c.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(27) Elijah mocked them.—The mockery of Elijah—apparently even blunter and more scornful in the sense of the original—has been with over-ingenuity explained as applying to various supposed actions of Baal. It is merely the bitter irony of sheer contempt, calling Baal a god only to heap upon him ideas most ungodlike; “He is busy, or he is in retirement; he is far away, or in the noon-day heat he is asleep.” Characteristic of the fierce indignation of Elijah’s nature, in this crisis of conflict, it is yet not unlike the righteous scorn of the psalmists or the prophets (see Psa_115:4-8; Psa_135:15-18; Isa_44:9-20; Isa_46:1-7; Jer_10:2-10, &c.) for the worship of “the vanities” of the heathen. There was no place for toleration of prejudice, or tender appreciation of a blind worship feeling after God, like that of St. Paul at Athens (Act_17:22-23). The conflict here was between spiritual worship and a foul, cruel idolatry; and the case was not of heathen ignorance, but of Israel’s apostasy.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27. Elijah mocked them] i.e. To make their folly more apparent to the people, he urged them on to greater exertions.

for he is a god] As you deem him. Elijah attributed no power to Baal. He merely addresses the priests from their own level, and to make the object of their worship more contemptible attributes to him certain acts and necessities which proclaim him no more powerful than his worshippers.

either he is talking] R.V. musing. The word and its cognates are more frequently used of meditation than of speech, and to picture Baal as so preoccupied by thought as not to hear the loud cries of these frantic prophets suits, better than the rendering of A.V., with the mockery which Elijah designed.

or he is pursuing] R.V. gone aside. The word appears to be used here to express the idea that Baal had withdrawn himself for rest or some other physical necessity. Gesenius renders ‘recessit in conclavia interiora.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it came to pass when midday was past,.... And nothing done, no fire descended:

and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; continued praying to Baal, and singing his praises, but all to no purpose; or they behaved like madmen, as the Targum; thus they went on until it was time to offer the evening sacrifice; so that they had no interruption in their service, and had all the time they could desire to have to importune their god to do the favour for them they requested:

that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded; no voice was heard that returned them any answer; nor was any answer made by fire, nor any regard shown to their mad gestures, and barbarous actions; and very likely the people also, by this time, paid no regard unto them, perceiving they were not able, by all their cries and methods they took, to obtain an answer.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The object of Elijah’s irony was two-fold;

(1) to stimulate the priests to greater exertions, and so to make their failure more complete, and

(2) to suggest to the people that such failure would prove absolutely that Baal was no God.

The force of the expressions seems to be, “Cry on, only cry louder, and then you will make him hear, for surely he is a god; surely you are not mistaken in so regarding him.” He is “talking,” or “meditating;” the word used has both senses, for the Hebrews regarded “meditation” as “talking with oneself;” “or he is pursuing;” rather, perhaps, “he hath a withdrawing,” i. e., “he hath withdrawn himself into privacy for awhile,” as a king does upon occasions. The drift of the whole passage is scornful ridicule of the anthropomorphic notions of God entertained by the Baal-priests and their followers (compare Psa 50:21). The pagan gods, as we know from the Greek and Latin classics, ate and drank, went on journeys, slept, conversed, quarrelled, fought. The explanations of many of these absurdities were unknown to the ordinary worshipper, and probably even the most enlightened, if his religion was not a mere vague Pantheism, had notions of the gods which were largely tainted with a false anthropomorphism.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Talking to some of his prophets, (Calmet) or in deep contemplation. (Montanus) --- An inn. Septuagint, "giving oracles;" or, "he is pursuing." (Pagnin)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

At noon; when they had long tried all means in vain.

Elijah mocked them; derided them and their gods, which were indeed, and had now proved themselves to be, ridiculous and contemptible things. By this example we see that all jesting is not unlawful, but only that which intrencheth upon piety and good manners. See Poole "Eph 5:4".

Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey; he is employed about some other business, and hath not leisure to mind you; for being a god of a small and narrow understanding, he cannot mind two things at once, and you are immodest and unreasonable to expect it from him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. Mocked them — A mockery consisting of the most biting ridicule, irony, and sarcasm imaginable.

Cry aloud — Scream with a great voice. Your god cannot hear your low tones; he needs a mighty noise to call his attention to these parts, where his interests are sadly at stake!

For he is a god — Rather, For God is he! He is, of course, the Supreme Divinity! He must be that, or nothing at all.

He is talking — Talking with somebody else, and don’t know of the sore distress of his four hundred and fifty prophets here! Or שׂיחmay mean, as in the margin, He meditateth. He is all swallowed up in profound contemplation; in such a brown study that at present he knows nothing else!

He is pursuing — This is an erroneous rendering of שׂיג, which means a withdrawing, retirement. The idea here expressed euphemistically is, He has gone aside, that is, to do his need. “He covereth his feet in his summer chamber.” Jdg_3:24.

He is in a journey — He has, perhaps, gone travelling, and ought to be called home again to take care of his worshippers, who are terribly annoyed by his absence!

He sleepeth — And he sleeps so soundly that it doubtless needs a great voice to start him up!

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked or deceived them, and said, Cry aloud Heb. with a great voice: for he is a god i.e. , in your estimation. "Here is one of the few examples of irony in Scripture" (Wordsworth); either he is talking the marg. he meditateth is preferable. Cf. 1Sa_1:16; Psa_142:3. But the word has both meanings, (see 2Ki_9:11) fairly preserved in the LXX, ajdolescia aujtw ejsti, or he is pursuing Heb. for he hath a withdrawal, i.e., for the purpose of relieving himself. An euphemism. Cf. Jud_1:3:24; 2Sa_24:3. Stanley attempts to preserve the paronomasia, jyci gyci, by the translation, "he has his head full" and "he has his stomach full" or he is in a Journey the thrice repeated yKi must be noticed. It heightens the effect of the mockery, or peradventure he sleepeth Though it was noon, it is not clear that there is a reference to the usual midday siesta of the East, and must be awaked.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mocked them - Derided them and their gods, which had now proved themselves to be ridiculous and contemptible things.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Perhaps he is thinking

"Maybe he is thinking" or "It could be that he is thinking"

relieving himself

This euphemism is a more pleasant way to express a harsh statement. Elijah uses understatement to insult Baal with sarcasm. AT: "in the bathroom" (See: Euphemism)

must be awakened

This can be stated in active form. AT: "you must awaken him" or "you must wake him up" (See: Active or Passive)

they were still raving

"they continued their wild behavior." Prophets often acted in ways that seemed unusual or even crazy. In this case they were calling on Baal while dancing, shouting loudly, and cutting themselves with knives.

of offering of the evening sacrifice

"to offer the evening sacrifice"

but there was no voice or anyone to answer; there was no one who paid any attention to their pleadings

These phrases share similar meanings and emphasize that no one responded to the prayers of the false prophets. AT: "but Baal did not say or do anything or even pay attention" (See: Parallelism and Metonymy)

there was no voice or anyone to answer

See how you translated this in 1 Kings 18:26.

translationWords

Elijah

mock

false god

asleep

sword

spear

blood

sacrifice

plea

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

For he is a god. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] “for you say he is one to be feared.”

Perhaps he is conversing or pursuing. Maybe he is conferring with his advisors now, or he is overtaking and pursuing [his enemies] in war.

Or is traveling. To the bathroom.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.