1 Kings 18:28 (DRB)

Passage

So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:26 And they took the bullock, which he gave them, and dressed it: and they called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying: O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered: and they leaped over the altar that they had made.

1 Kings 18:27 And when it was now noon, Elias jested at them, saying: Cry with a louder voice: for he is a god; and perhaps he is talking, or is in an inn, or on a journey; or perhaps he is asleep, and must be awaked.

1 Kings 18:28 So they cried with a loud voice, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till they were all covered with blood.

1 Kings 18:29 And after midday was past, and while they were prophesying, the time was come of offering sacrifice, and there was no voice heard, nor did any one answer, nor regard them as they prayed.

1 Kings 18:30 Elias said to all the people: Come ye unto me. And the people coming near unto him, he repaired the altar of the Lord, that was broken down:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cried", "loud", "voice", "themselves", "after", "manner", "knives", and "lancets". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cried" and "loud", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "And when it was now noon Elias..." into verse 29's "And after midday was past and while...", so "cried" and "loud" 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 "cried" and "loud" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.