John Gill Commentary 1 Kings 18:27

"And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a god: either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked." — 1 Kings 18:27 (ASV)

And it came to pass at noon
When they had been from the time of the morning sacrifice until now invoking their deity to no purpose:

that Elijah mocked them ;
he jeered and bantered them:

and said, cry aloud ;
your god does not hear you; perhaps, if you raise your voice higher, he may;

for he is a god ;
according to your esteem of him, and, if so, he surely may hear you: unless

either he is talking ;
with others about matters of moment and importance, who are waiting on him with their applications to him; or he is in meditation; in a deep study upon some things difficult to be resolved:

or he is pursuing ;
his studies, or his pleasures, or his enemies, to overtake them; or he is employed on business ^F20 :

or he is in a journey ;
gone to visit his friends, or some parts of his dominions; so Homer ^F21 represents Jupiter gone to pay a visit to the Ethiopians, and as yesterday gone to a feast, and all the gods following him, from where he would not return until twelve days; and in like manner Lucian ^F23 speaks of the gods, mocking at them:

or, peradventure he sleeps, and must be awaked ;
with a loud crying to him: it being now noon, Abarbinel thinks this refers to a custom of sleeping after dinner; Homer ^F24 also speaks of the sleep of the gods, and which used to be at noon; and therefore the worshippers of Baal ceased then to call upon him; and it is said ^F25 , the Heathens feared to go into the temples of their gods at noon, lest they should disturb them; but such is not the true God, the God of Israel, he neither slumbers nor sleeps, (Psalms 121:4) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F20: David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 211. 1.
• F21: Iliad. ver. 1. 423.
• F23: Jupiter Tragoedus.
• F24: Ut supra, (Iliad. ver. 1. 423.) in fine, & Iliad. 2. ver. 1, 2.
• F25: Meurs. Auctuar. Philol. c. 6. apud Quistorp. in loc.