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Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long go you limping between the two sides? if Yahweh be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. The people answered him not a word.

Verse Takeaways

1

The Unanswerable Question

Commentators explain that the people's silence was not from ignorance, but from the conviction of Elijah's unanswerable logic. They wanted to blend the worship of God with the popular worship of Baal, a practice of spiritual compromise. Elijah's direct question, 'How long will you go limping between two different opinions?', exposed the impossibility of serving two masters, leaving them speechless.

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Book Overview

1 Kings

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Commentaries

5

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes

On 1 Kings 18:21

18th Century

Theologian

The people were mute. They could not deny the logical force of Elijah’s argument, but they were not prepared to act on it at once. They wished to u…

Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott

On 1 Kings 18:21

19th Century

Bishop

How long halt ye between two opinions?— In this exclamation is expressed the very motto of Elijah’s life. It is an expres…

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon

On 1 Kings 18:20–21

19th Century

Preacher

So undecided were they – perhaps so cowed by the presence of that brave man who feared none, but only feared God.

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John Gill

John Gill

On 1 Kings 18:21

17th Century

Pastor

And Elijah came unto all the people
Assembled at Mount Carmel:

and said, how long halt you betwee…

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

On 1 Kings 18:21–40

17th Century

Minister

Many of the people wavered in their judgment and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baal was the sel…