Bible Strands
1 Kings 18:25
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Elijah addresses the prophets of Baal during a public trial on Mount Carmel, instructing them to prepare a bull before invoking their deity. He issues this command immediately after the assembled crowd has accepted the terms of the contest.
The words — The Hebrew verb בַּחֲר֨וּ (ba.cha.Ru) commands the prophets to "choose," while הָֽ/אֶחָד֙ (ha./'e.Chad) restricts the selection to "one" young bull. These terms establish the precise, limited scope of the preparation Elijah mandates.
The thread — The instruction to prepare a sacrifice before calling on a god runs directly through the surrounding verses, as the prophets obey by taking the chosen bull and preparing it (1 Kings 18:26), and as Elijah later commands the people to prepare their own altar (1 Kings 18:30).
Why it lands — The text demands a reader to recognize that the challenge requires deliberate, ordered preparation rather than spontaneous ritual. It asks the reader to note how the sequence of actions establishes the conditions under which divine response will be measured.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.