The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 415

trenoh, as Bii.hr observes, by the ground [Heb. Repeat, and they repeated.] And he which it covers, but by its depth. He said, Do it tbe third time. And they did it would follow Gesenius in understanding the third time. [See note on eh. xvii. 21.) that the trench was so deep as to hold two Ver. 35.-And the water ran round seahs of seed; i.e., as deep as the grain [Heb. the waters went round] about tbe measure containing two see.he. The i11:$1? altar, and he 11lled tbe trench also [i.e., was the third of an ephah. Of. Jos., Ant. ix. the trench, which wa.s only partially filled 4. 5, and the t1ara rpia of Matt. xiii. 33.) with the water of the twelve tl'")~. he now Ver. 33.-And he put the wood in order, filled to the brim] with water. [The object and cut the bullock in pieces, and Iald h1m of these repeated drenchings of the victim on the wood [Rawlinson says" He obeyed, and altar was to exclude all suspicion of that is, all the injunctions of the law with fraud. It would almost seem as if tricks respect to the offering of a burnt sacrifice not unlike that practised year by year at the (see Levit. i. 3-9), and adds," He thllB Greek Easter a.t Jerusalem were familiar publicly taught that all the ordinances of to that a.ge. Some of the fathers expressly the law were binding on the kingdom of state that the idolatrous priests of an Israel." But it is very probable that the earlier time were accustomed to set fire to priests of Baal had done the same things. the sacrifice from hollow places concealed All sacrifice involved such manual acts. Cf. beneath the altar, and it was an old tradi- Gen. xxii. 9, where the same word 'lJJV is tion (found in Ephrem Syrus, and Chrysos- used. No doubt the prophet did everything tom) that the Ba.al prophets had concealed in e.n orderly and regular way ; but the a man for that purpose beneath their alta.r, people could hardly learn a lesson of but that he ha.d died from suffocation oLellience from such elementary acts e.e (Ste.nley). Biihr, howe,er, sees in these 3 x 4 these, o.nd the less so as the law provided vessels of water a symbolical act. The sig- that the sacrifice should be offered only nificance of this combination, he says, is "by the priests, the sons of Aa.ron" (Levit. unmistakable (cf. "Symbolik" i. pp. 150, i. 8), and Elijab's ministrations, couse- 169, 193, 205), though we cannot be cel'tain quently, might seem to wo.rrant or condone as •o the precise meaning of the prophctil.l the ministrations of Jeroboam's intrusive a.et. His only suggestion is that it points priesthood. That they did not lend any to abundance of nun as the reward of real sanction to those irregularities is clear, keeping the covennnt (Deut. xxviii. 12, 23). however, to us. For, in the first place, But all this is extremely precarious, and priests were not to be bad, ell having long the more so o.s the pitchers may have been since left the kingdom. In the second place, filled any nUIDber of times before the trench the higher commission of the prophet em- was fall] braced within itself the authority for all Ver. 36.-And it came to pass at the necessary priestly acts. Of. 1 Sam. xvi. 2. time of the olfering of tbe evening sacrifice Elijah acted, as Grotius well observes, Jure [see note on ver. 29], that Elljah the prophet prophetico, minoribus lepibus exsolutus, ut [tllis designation of Elijo.11 is unusual. CI. majores servaret] , and said, Fill four barrels Ma.1. iv. 5. Elsewhere he is" the Tish bite," [Heb. C1"!~. Of. eh. xvii 12. It designates or the " man of God "] came nea.r, and s:i.id, the ordinary water-pitcher, generally co.rried Lord [Heh. Jehovah. Not only does the then, as now, by women: Gen. xxiv. 14-20; sacred name stand o.t the heu,l of his Judg. vii. 16; Eccles. xii. 6] with water, prayer, it is also mentioned thrice (LXX. and pour it on the burnt sacriJlce, and on four times)] God of Abraham, Isaac, and the wood. [The water, as all'Cady remo.rked, Israel [Two things are to be noticed here: was douLtless brougllt from the adjoining first, that this formula. had only once before spring (tllougll it is cleo.r from ver. 40 been used, and that by God.Eliwscli, before that the Kishon was not dry, and Thomson tho giving of law, at the burning bush. It thinks that its sources, and particularly the was when God reve11led Himself in flaming fountain of Saadieh, furnished the supply). fire that He had proclaimed Himself tho "In such springs the water remains always God of Abraham, &c. Secondly, that the cool, under the shade of a vaulted roof, and valiation "Israel" is mado designedly (cf. with no bot atmosphere to evaporate it. ver. 31), not only to proclaim tho Lonl as While o.11 other fountains were dried up, I the "God of Isrnel" (cf. eh. xvii. 1), but can well understand that there might have also to suggest that the no.me and privileges been found here that supcro.bundo.nce of of lsrucl belonged to all tho sons of Jacob. water which Elijah poured so profusely The LXX. adds, "Hear me, 0 Lord, hcnr over the altar" (Van de Velda, i. p. 325).] me this day by fire "-most of which is Ver. 34.-And he said, Do it the second cleurly bouowed from the next verse J, let time. And they did it tho second time: it be known this da.y that thou a.rt Cod in 428 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [oB. XVIII. 1--48.