1 Kings 18:35 (DBY)

Passage

And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

Nearby Context

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 pitchers 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 up of the oblation, that Elijah the prophet drew near, and said, Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac and 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 by thy word.

1 Kings 18:37 Answer me, Jehovah, answer me, that this people may know that thou Jehovah art God, and [that] *thou* hast turned their heart back again.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "water", "round", "altar", "filled", and "trench". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "water" and "round", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 34's "And he said Do it the second..." into verse 36's "And it came to pass at the...", so "water" and "round" 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 "water" and "round" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.