1 Kings 18:23 (WEB)

Passage

Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.

1 Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.

1 Kings 18:23 Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.

1 Kings 18:24 You call on the name of your god, and I will call on Yahweh’s name. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.” All the people answered, “What you say is good.”

1 Kings 18:25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "give", "bulls", "choose", "themselves", "pieces", and "wood". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "give", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Then Elijah said to the people I..." into verse 24's "You call on the name of your...", so "therefore" and "give" 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 "therefore" and "give" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.