1 Kings 18:31

31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”

1 Kings 18:31 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
English Standard Version (ESV)
31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be your name,"
New Living Translation (NLT)
31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel,
The Message Bible (MSG)
31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob, the same Jacob to whom God had said, "From now on your name is Israel."
American Standard Version (ASV)
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of Jehovah came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
31 Elijah took 12 stones, one for each of the tribes named after Jacob's sons. (The LORD had spoken his word to Jacob: "Your name will be Israel.")
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
31 Elijah took 12 stones-according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Israel will be your name"-
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
31 Elijah got 12 stones. There was one for each tribe in the family line of Jacob. The LORD's message had come to Jacob. It had said, "Your name will be Israel."

1 Kings 18:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 18:31

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob
Which he might very easily come at from the mountain:

unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name,
which signifies one that has power with God, as Jacob had, when the word came to him to make a change in his name at Penuel, ( Genesis 32:28 ) , and as Elijah hoped and believed he should have at this time, being a prophet, and a worshipper of Israel's God.

1 Kings 18:31 In-Context

29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down.
31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”
32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

Cross References 1

  • 1. S Genesis 17:5; Genesis 32:28; Genesis 35:10; 2 Kings 17:34
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