1 Kings 18:34 (ASV)

Passage

And he said, Do it the second time; and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time; and they did it the third time.

Nearby Context

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.

1 Kings 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time; and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time; and they did it the third time.

1 Kings 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

1 Kings 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "second", "time", and "third". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "second", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "And he put the wood in order..." into verse 35's "And the water ran round about the...", so "said" and "second" 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 "said" and "second" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.