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Hawker's Poor man's commentary

1 Kings 18:39

(39) And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

No doubt such a demonstration carried conviction to every heart; though it is to be feared that it did not carry conversion to many an heart that was present. Had Ahab felt as he ought, he must have dreaded lest the fire which consumed the sacrifice should have consumed him also. But alas! it is one thing to say, The Lord he is the God, and even to repeat it; and another to say, This God is our God, forever and ever, he shall be our guide even unto death. Reader! can you say this. Psalms 48:14.

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See also 1 Kings 18:39 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 39. _FELL ON THEIR FACES_] Struck with awe and reverence at the sight of this incontestable miracle. _AND THEY SAID_] We should translate the words thus: _JEHOVAH, He_ _is the God! JEHOVAH, He...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THE LORD, HE IS THE GOD - The people thus pronounced the matter to be clearly and certainly decided. Baal was overthrown; he was proved to be no god at all. The Lord Yahweh, He, and He alone, is God....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    2. ELIJAH ON CARMEL: THE ANSWERED PRAYER CHAPTER 18 _ 1. The command to see Ahab (1 Kings 18:1)_ 2. Elijah's response (1 Kings 18:2) 3. Ahab and Obadiah (1 Kings 18:3) 4. Elijah and Obadiah ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ELIJAH'S MEETING WITH AHAB AND HIS CONTEST WITH THE PRIESTS OF BAAL. The history of Ahab's reign must have been something like the following: On his marriage with Jezebel he must have allowed the wors...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _And when all the people saw_it, _they fell_ The LXX. simply says -And all the people fell." Josephus describes the reaction thus, -They fell upon the ground and worshipped the one God, calling Him mo...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CONTEST 18:21-40 The story of the contest on Carmel is one that has excited the imagination of believers through the centuries. The narrative is somewhat lengthy and may for...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND ELIJAH TOOK TWELVE STONES, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE TRIBES OF THE SONS OF JACOB, UNTO WHOM THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME, SAYING, ISRAEL SHALL BE THY NAME:_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JEHOVAH OR BAAL? 1. In the third year] in Luke 4:2; James 5:17 the duration of the famine is given as 3 years and 6 months....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE GOD THAT.. FIRE] For the consumption of sacrifices by fire from heaven, cp. Leviticus 9:24; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2 Chronicles 7:1. In the minds of the multitude the question to be decided doubtless...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S LESSONS FROM HISTORY 1 KINGS _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 18 GOD SENDS ELIJAH TO KING AHAB V1 After there had been no rain for three years, the *Lord spoke to Elijah. ‘Go and meet King Ahab. Then...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEY FELL ON THEIR FACES. — Exactly as in Leviticus 9:24, at the inauguration of the sacrifices of the new Tabernacle by the fire from heaven, with the characteristic addition of the cry, “Jehovah; He...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יַּרְא֙ כָּל ־הָ עָ֔ם וַֽ יִּפְּל֖וּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    ELIJAH ON MOUNT CARMEL 1 Kings 18:20 "O for a sculptor's hand, That thou might'st take thy stand, Thy wild hair floating in the eastern breeze!" - KEBLE IT never occurred to Ahab to refuse the chal...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE GOD THAT ANSWERETH BY FIRE 1 Kings 18:30 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 f...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this chapter we have perhaps one of the most familiar stories of the Old Testament. There are, however, certain points of interest especially to be noted. The first is Ahab's connection with Obadia...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The days were very dark in Israel. Not only rebellion. And rebellion, always serious, was peculiarly so in Israel, for there it was insubordination in a direct manner against not only God's providence...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 17 AND 18. Elijah and Elisha, on the contrary (witnesses for God in the midst of a people that according to grace God still recognised as His own, but who had...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND WHEN ALL THE PEOPLE SAW IT, THEY FELL ON THEIR FACES,.... In reverence of God, astonished at the miracle wrought, ashamed of themselves and their sins, particularly their idolatry, that they shoul...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God. Ver. 39. _The Lord, he is the God._] This was to give God a testimonia...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces_ In acknowledgment and adoration of the true God; and all, as one man, cried out, _Jehovah, he is the God_ He alone; and Baal is a senseless idol....

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 In the extremitie of famine Eliiah sent to Ahab, meeteth good Obadiah. 9 Obadiah bringeth Ahab to Eliiah. 17 Eliiah reprouing Ahab, by fire from heauen conuinceth Baals prophets. 41 Eliiah by pra...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, in reverent awe and in terror; AND THEY SAID, THE LORD, HE IS THE GOD; THE LORD, HE IS THE GOD! An overpowering impression had been made upon...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ELIJAH SLAYS THE PROPHETS OF BAAL...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ELIJAH'S RETURN TO FACE AHAB (vs.1-20) The famine lasted three and a half years (James 5:17), the same length of time the Great Tribulation will last. But the rain would not be sent until Elijah gave...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    21-40 Many of the people wavered in their judgment, and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baal was the self-existent, supreme God, the Creator, Governo...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEY FELL ON THEIR FACES, in way of acknowledgment and adoration of the true God. HE IS THE GOD; he alone; and Baal is a dull and senseless idol. And they double the words, to note their abundant sati...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Kings 18:39 people H5971 saw H7200 (H8799) fell H5307 (H8799) faces H6440 said H559 (H8799) LORD...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE CONTEST ON MOUNT CARMEL: YHWH VERSUS BAAL (1 KINGS 18:21). In this vivid description of the contest on Mount Carmel Ahab is deliberately not mentioned. This was because it was not a contest betwee...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Elijah goes to meet Ahab and gives challenge. Contests with the priests of Baal. CHARACTERS: God, Elijah, Jezebel, Obadiah, Baal, priests. CONCLUSION: The man of faith need not be afraid to...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Kings 18:1. _After many days._ About the end of the third year, leaving six months more for the crops to be sown and ripened, which harmonizes the new testament with the old. Luke 4:25; James 5:17....

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _All the people _. .. _ said, The Lord, He is the God._ CHRISTIANITY ACKNOWLEDGED SUPREME In the Introduction to his _Analogy of Religion, _Bishop Butler says: “It has come to pass--I know not how--t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel._ THE PRIESTS OF BAAL Mendelssohn has wrought the harmonies and discords of this scene into a grand oratorio, and the painter or poe...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 KINGS—NOTE ON 1 KINGS 18:1 In ch. 1 Kings 17:1 Elijah has lived privately, first in the Transjordanian wilderness and then in Zarephath. Now he reappears in public. The drought will end, but not bef

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

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  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.— 1 Kings 18:19. PROPHETS OF BAAL, &c.—Soothsayers and oracle príests. GROVES—Asherah. Baal and Astarte were the male and female divinities. Jezebel was the patroness o...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ELIJAH'S RETURN AND THE ORDEAL OF MOUNT CARMEL.—The preceding chapter having been exclusively occupied with the fortunes of Elijah during his enforced absence of three and a half years from...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

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  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 21:16; 1 Kings 18:21; 1 Kings 18:24; 2 Chronicles 7:3;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    ELIJAH AT MOUNT CARMEL 1 Kings 18:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS There are three things which we wish to consider: 1. JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE. The opening verse of chapter 18 says, "And it came to pass after ma...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    They fell — In acknowledgment of the true God. He is God — He alone; and Baal is a senseless idol. And they double the words, to note their abundant satisfaction and assurance of the truth of their as...

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