1 Kings 18:19

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

18 “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.

21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
KJV
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
WEB
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
ASV
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel`s table.
DARBY
And now send, gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table.
BLB
And now send, gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the four hundred and fifty prophets of the Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at the table of Jezebel.”
ÅB
Men send nå bud og la hele Israel komme sammen til meg på Karmel-fjellet og de fire hundre og femti Ba'als profeter og de fire hundre Astartes profeter som spiser ved Jesabels bord!
OTB
Nå da, send bud og samle hele Israel til meg på Karmelfjellet, sammen med 450 av Baals profeter og 400 av Asjeras profeter, som spiser ved Jesabels bord."
B1930
Men send nu bud og la hele Israel komme sammen til mig på Karmel-fjellet og de fire hundre og femti Ba'als profeter og de fire hundre Astartes profeter som eter ved Jesabels bord!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Joshua 19:26

    Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west the border touched Carmel and Shihor-libnath,

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  • 1 Kings 16:33

    Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.

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  • 2 Peter 2:1

    Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

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  • 2 Kings 2:25

    And Elisha went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

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  • 1 Samuel 15:12

    Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”

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  • Amos 1:2

    He said: “The LORD roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.”

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  • Jeremiah 46:18

    As surely as I live, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts, there will come one who is like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea.

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  • 2 Kings 13:6

    Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.

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