Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 18:33
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid [him] on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
33. and laid him [R.V. it ] on the wood, and [R.V. and he ] said ] The former of these changes is in accordance with modern usage.
on the burnt sacrifice ] R.V. burnt-offering. Which latter is the constant rendering of the Hebrew word. At the close of the verse the LXX. adds ‘And they did so.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he put the wood in order … – He obeyed, that is, all the injunctions of the Law with respect to the offering of a burned sacrifice (marginal reference). He thus publicly taught that the ordinances of the Law were binding upon the kingdom of Israel.
Barrels – Rather, pitchers or water-jars, such as the maidens used to carry on their heads (Gen 24:14-20. Compare Jdg 7:16, Jdg 7:19). The flooding the sacrifice and the trench with water would at once do away with any suspicion of fraud, and greatly enhance in the eyes of the people the marvelousness of the miracle. The unfailing spring at the eastern end of Carmel 1Ki 18:19, was capable of furnishing as much water as he needed.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 33. Fill four barrels] This was done to prevent any kind of suspicion that there was fire concealed under the altar. An ancient writer under the name of Chrysostom, quoted by Calmet, says that he had seen under the altars of the heathens, holes dug in the earth with funnels proceeding from them, and communicating with openings on the tops of the altars. In the former the priests concealed fire, which, communicating through the funnels with the holes, set fire to the wood and consumed the sacrifice; and thus the simple people were led to believe that the sacrifice was consumed by a miraculous fire. Elijah showed that no such knavery could be practiced in the present case. Had there been a concealed fire under the altar, as in the case mentioned above, the water that was thrown on the altar must have extinguished it most effectually. This very precaution has for ever put this miracle beyond the reach of suspicion.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Fill four barrels with water; which they could quickly fetch, either from the river Kishon; or if that was dried up, from the sea; both which were at the foot of the mountain. See Jer 46:18.
Pour it on the burnt-sacrifice, and on the wood: this he did, to make the miracle more glorious, and more unquestionable, and so more successful.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood,…. Just in such manner as sacrifices usually were:
and said, fill four barrels with water; either from the brook Kishon, or, if that was dried up, from the sea; for both were near this mountain, and so to be had, though a time of drought:
and pour it on the burnt sacrifice; that which was intended to be one:
and upon the wood: wherewith it was to be burnt, and so made unfit for it; and which would make the miracle appear the greater, when fire came down and consumed it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(33) Fill four barrelsor pitchers. The filling of these at the time of drought has naturally excited speculation. A ready surmise, by those unacquainted with the country, was that the water was taken from the sea flowing at the base of Carmel; but a glance at the position and the height of the mountain puts this not unnatural surmise out of the question, as difficult, if not impossible. Examination of the locality has discovered a perennial spring in the neighbourhood of the traditional scene of the sacrifice, which is never known to fail in the severest drought. From this, no doubt (as indeed Josephus expressly says), the water was drawn, with, of course, the object of precluding all idea of fraud or contrivance, and bringing out strikingly the consuming fierceness of the fire from heaven, so emphatically described in 1Ki. 18:38.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33. Fill four barrels These barrels were the common water jars which are still used in the East for carrying water, and probably contained from three to five gallons apiece. The original word ( ) is the same as that used 1Ki 17:12, designating the vessel in which the widow kept her meal. It is translated pitcher in Gen 24:14-15, and Jdg 7:16. The object of flooding the bullock and the wood with these vessels of water was manifestly to place the miracle about to be wrought beyond all question.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 18:33. Fill four barrels with water, &c. The prophet did this to make the miracle more conspicuous and convincing, to shew that there was no fallacy in it, no fire concealed in or about the altar; but that the lightning, which was to consume the sacrifice, came from heaven, and at his invocation; and so Josephus tells us, that Elijah invited the people to draw near, that they might search and spy every where, if they could find any fire secretly conveyed under the altar. Antiq. lib. 8: cap. 7.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Ki 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid [him] on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
Ver. 33. Fill four barrels with water. ] Which was got out of the sea, likely, which was nigh to mount Carmel, Jer 4:18 in this wonderful drought, whereby the brooks were dried up. This was done that the miracle might be the more manifest, and beyond all exception.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
water. See note on 1Ki 18:19.
the wood. Septuagint adds “and they did so”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he put: Gen 22:9, Lev 1:6-8
Fill four: Dan 3:19, Dan 3:25, Joh 11:39, Joh 11:40, Joh 19:33, Joh 19:34
pour it: Jdg 6:20
Reciprocal: Lev 1:8 – General Mar 9:2 – an high