1 Kings 18:31 (ASV)

Passage

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:29 And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

1 Kings 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me; and all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of Jehovah that was thrown down.

1 Kings 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.

1 Kings 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of Jehovah; and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

1 Kings 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "elijah", "took", "twelve", "stones", "number", "tribes", "sons", and "jacob". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "elijah" and "took", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "And Elijah said unto all the people..." into verse 32's "And with the stones he built an...", so "elijah" and "took" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "elijah" and "took" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.