1 Kings 18:28

So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Elijah confronts the prophets of Baal at midday during a public contest to determine which deity will respond. He taunts them to shout louder, prompting their ritual response to his challenge.

The words — The Hebrew verb וַֽיִּתְגֹּדְדוּ (vayyitgodedu) literally means they cut themselves, describing the ritual gashing the prophets perform. They execute this action with swords and lances until blood flows over them.

The thread — This self-mutilation practice appears in Leviticus 19:28 and Deuteronomy 14:1 as forbidden mourning rites for the dead. A parallel pattern of desperate, self-inflicted wounding occurs in Mark 5:5 with the demon-possessed man.

Why it lands — The text states that frantic ritual activity produces no divine response or attention. Readers must recognize the futility of human-driven religious performance compared to sovereign divine action.

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

וַֽיִּקְרְאוּ֙va/i.yik.re.'Uand/ they called out בְּק֣וֹלbe./Kolwith/ a voice גָּד֔וֹלga.Dolgreat וַיִּתְגֹּֽדְדוּ֙va/i.yit.go.de.Duand/ they cut themselves כְּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔םke./mish.pa.Ta/maccording to/ custom/ their בַּחֲרָב֖וֹתba./cha.ra.Votwith <the>/ swords וּבָֽרְמָחִ֑יםu./va./re.ma.Chimand/ with <the>/ lances עַד־'ad-until שְׁפָךְ־she.fokh-poured out דָּ֖םdamblood עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃'a.lei./Hemover/ them

King James Version

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

Cross-references

Leviticus 19:28 You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
Deuteronomy 14:1 You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
Mark 5:5 Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones.
Micah 6:7 Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
Mark 9:22 “It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”