1 Kings 18:31 (GNV)

Passage

And Eliiah tooke twelue stones, according to the nomber of the tribes of the sonnes of Iaakob, (vnto whome the worde of the Lord came, saying, Israel shalbe thy name)

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:29 And when midday was passed, and they had prophecied vntil the offring of the euening sacrifice, there was neither voyce, nor one to answere, nor any that regarded.

1 Kings 18:30 And Eliiah said vnto all the people, Come to me. And all the people came to him. And he repayred the altar of the Lord that was broken downe.

1 Kings 18:31 And Eliiah tooke twelue stones, according to the nomber of the tribes of the sonnes of Iaakob, (vnto whome the worde of the Lord came, saying, Israel shalbe thy name)

1 Kings 18:32 And with the stones he buylt an altar in the Name of the Lord: and he made a ditch round about the altar, as great as woulde conteine two measures of seede.

1 Kings 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and hewed the bullocke in pieces, and layd him on the wood,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "eliiah", "tooke", "twelue", "stones", "nomber", "tribes", "sonnes", and "iaakob". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "eliiah" and "tooke", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "And Eliiah said vnto all the people..." into verse 32's "And with the stones he buylt an...", so "eliiah" and "tooke" 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 "eliiah" and "tooke" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.