1 Kings 18:19 (LSB)

Passage

So now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:17 Now it happened when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

1 Kings 18:18 And he said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh and you have followed the Baals.

1 Kings 18:19 So now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

1 Kings 18:20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you be limping between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "send", "gather", "israel", "mount", "carmel", "together", "prophets", and "baal". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "send" and "gather", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And he said I have not troubled..." into verse 20's "So Ahab sent a message among all...", so "send" and "gather" 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 "send" and "gather" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.