1 Kings 18:35

1Ki 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

Ver. 35. And he filled the trench also with the water.] To the end that all being licked up, the miracle might be the more manifest.

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.

Hereby he declared the excellent power of God, who contrary to nature could make the fire burn even in the water, to the intent they should have none occasion to doubt that he is the only God.

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

35. he filled the trench also] The twelve barrels had not filled the trench, and so more water was added to make it quite full.

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.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me;.... Which repetition is made to express his importunity, and the vehement earnest desire of his soul to be heard in such a case, which so much concerned the glory of God; the Targum is,

"receive my prayer, O Lord, concerning the fire, receive my prayer concerning the rain;''

as if the one respected the sending down the fire on the sacrifice, and the other sending rain on the earth; and which sense is followed by other Jewish writers:

that this people may know that thou art the Lord God; and not Baal, or any other idol:

and that thou hast turned their heart back again; from idolatry, to the worship of the true God; though some understand this of God's giving them up to a spirit of error, and suffering them to fall into idolatry, and hardening their hearts, as he did Pharaoh's; but the former sense is best.

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

35. He filled the trench also — But in that time of terrible drought where could Elijah obtain such an amount of water? Some think from the neighbouring sea; but that was several miles distant from the traditional spot. Others think it might have been taken from the fountain near the spot which most travellers mention; but Thomson says that was nearly dry when he was there, and could not hold out through the dry season of one ordinary summer. More likely the water was brought from the “brook Kishon,” where Elijah slew the false prophets. 1Ki_18:40. This flows close along the base of Carmel, and here is one of the largest perennial sources of that ancient river. “The strictly permanent Kishon is one of the shortest rivers in the world. You will find the source in the vast fountains called Saadiyeh, not more than three miles east of Haifa. They flow out from the very roots of Carmel, almost on a level with the sea, and the water is brackish. They form a deep broad stream at once, which creeps sluggishly through an impracticable marsh to the sea.” — Thomson. We need not suppose that the water was brought at this particular time, and that Elijah and the people waited by the altar while the carriers brought it from the Kishon, or even from the neighbouring fountain. We naturally suppose that in view of what would be needed, the necessary supply of water had been provided in the early part of the day.

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

And the water ran round Heb. the waters went round about the altar, and he filled the trench also i.e., the trench, which was only partially filled with the water of the twelve he now filled to the brim with water. The object of these repeated drenchings of the victim and altar was to exclude all suspicion of fraud. It would almost seem as if tricks not unlike that practised year by year at the Greek Easter at Jerusalem were familiar to that age. Some of the fathers expressly state that the idolatrous priests of an earlier time were accustomed to set fire to the sacrifice from hollow places concealed beneath the altar, and it was an old tradition (found in Ephrem Syrus, and Chrysostom) that the Baal prophets had concealed a man for that purpose beneath their altar, but that he had died from suffocation (Stanley). Bahr, however, sees in these 3 x 4 vessels of water a symbolical act. The significance of this combination, he says, is unmistakable (cf. "Symbolik" 1. pp. 150, 169, 193, 205), though we cannot be certain as to the precise meaning of the prophetic act. His only suggestion is that it points to abundance of rain as the reward of keeping the covenant. (Deu_28:12, Deu_28:23) But all this is extremely precarious, and the more so as the pitchers may have been filled any number of times before the trench was full.

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