1 Kings 18:38 (YLT)

Passage

And there falleth a fire of Jehovah, and consumeth the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and the water that <FI>is<Fi> in the trench it hath licked up.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 18:36 And it cometh to pass, at the going up of the <FI>evening-<Fi> present, that Elijah the prophet cometh nigh and saith, `Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to-day let it be known that Thou <FI>art<Fi> God in Israel, and I Thy servant, that by Thy word I have done the whole of these things;

1 Kings 18:37 answer me, O Jehovah, answer me, and this people doth know that Thou <FI>art<Fi> Jehovah God; and Thou hast turned their heart backward.'

1 Kings 18:38 And there falleth a fire of Jehovah, and consumeth the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and the water that <FI>is<Fi> in the trench it hath licked up.

1 Kings 18:39 And all the people see, and fall on their faces, and say, `Jehovah, He <FI>is<Fi> the God, Jehovah, He <FI>is<Fi> the God.'

1 Kings 18:40 And Elijah saith to them, `Catch ye the prophets of Baal; let not a man escape of them;' and they catch them, and Elijah bringeth them down unto the stream Kishon, and doth slaughter them there.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "falleth", "fire", "jehovah", "consumeth", "burnt-offering", "wood", "stones", and "dust". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "falleth" and "fire", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "answer me O Jehovah answer me and..." into verse 39's "And all the people see and fall...", so "falleth" and "fire" 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 "falleth" and "fire" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.