The Meaning of 1 Kings 18:40 Explained

1 Kings 18:40

KJV: And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

YLT: 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.

Darby: And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape! And they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the torrent of Kishon, and slaughtered them there.

ASV: and Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Elijah  said  unto them, Take  the prophets  of Baal;  let not one  of them escape.  And they took  them: and Elijah  brought them down  to the brook  Kishon,  and slew  them there. 

What does 1 Kings 18:40 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 18:30-40 - The God That Answereth By Fire
Too many halt, or limp, between two opinions. The altar of consecration to Christ has been thrown down, 1 Kings 18:30. The worship of Baal, which stands for creature-energy, has secretly stolen away our allegiance from Him, who is very jealous of any strange affinities; and as the necessary result, our heart is drought-smitten and our sphere of service is like a parched land. The idolatrous priests had everything in their favor, for at noon the sun-god was on his throne; but there was no voice. It is an awful thing when a man listens for his god to speak, and there is no reply!
Elijah built again the ruined altar which for long years had stood on Carmel's height, 1 Kings 19:10-11. Let us build again the altars of personal consecration, of family piety, and of national religion. Elijah prayed; as the Apostle expressed it, James 5:17, he put all the passion of his mighty nature into prayer. As a result, because they had been shown to be deceivers, he destroyed the prophets of Baal with a ruthless hand. These are the conditions of revival and refreshing. Let any church give itself to consecration, fervent prayer, and the excision of wrong, and there need be no anxiety as to the result-there will be an abundance of rain. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 18

1  In the extremity of famine Elijah, sent to Ahab, meets good Obadiah
9  Obadiah brings Ahab to Elijah
17  Elijah, reproving Ahab, by fire from heaven convinces Baal's prophets
41  Elijah, by prayer obtaining rain, follows Ahab to Jezreel

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 18:40 mean?

And said Elijah to them Seize - the prophets of Baal one not do let escape Of them and they seized them and brought them down Elijah to the Brook Kishon and executed them there
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ לָהֶ֜ם תִּפְשׂ֣וּ ׀ אֶת־ נְבִיאֵ֣י הַבַּ֗עַל אִ֛ישׁ אַל־ יִמָּלֵ֥ט מֵהֶ֖ם וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֑וּם וַיּוֹרִדֵ֤ם אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־ נַ֣חַל קִישׁ֔וֹן וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם שָֽׁם

וַיֹּאמֶר֩  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ  Elijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵלִיָּה 
Sense: the great prophet of the reign of Ahab.
לָהֶ֜ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
תִּפְשׂ֣וּ ׀  Seize 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
נְבִיאֵ֣י  the  prophets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
הַבַּ֗עַל  of  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
אִ֛ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יִמָּלֵ֥ט  do  let  escape 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַט 
Sense: to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered.
מֵהֶ֖ם  Of  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וַֽיִּתְפְּשׂ֑וּם  and  they  seized  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine plural
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
וַיּוֹרִדֵ֤ם  and  brought  them  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙  Elijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵלִיָּה 
Sense: the great prophet of the reign of Ahab.
נַ֣חַל  the  Brook 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
קִישׁ֔וֹן  Kishon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִישֹׁון  
Sense: a river in central Palestine; scene of the defeat of Sisera by the Israelites in the time of the judges and the destruction of the prophets of Baal by Elijah.
וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם  and  executed  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחַט 
Sense: to kill, slaughter, beat.