28
They called outוַיִּקְרְאוּwith a loudבְּ גָּדוֹלvoice,קוֹלand cut themselves,וַיִּתְגֹּדְדוּaccording to their custom,כְּמִשְׁפָּטָםwith swordsבַּחֲרָבוֹתand spears,וּבָרְמָחִיםuntilעַדbloodדָּםpoured outשְׁפָךְon them.עֲלֵיהֶם
1 Kings 18:28
Study it in the app“They called out with a loud voice, and cut themselves, according to their custom, with swords and spears, until blood poured out on them.”
With the Hebrew beneath
1 Kings 18:28, word by word
- They called outיִּקְרְאוּyikru
cry out
To shout to YHWH for help, call on his name.
Where else “yikru” appears- with a loudגָּדוֹלgadol
loud
Very intense: a mighty cry, great fear.
Where else “gadol” appears- voiceקוֹלkol
voice
What is heard when someone speaks or sings; also the voice of God.
Where else “kol” appears- and cut themselvesיִּתְגֹּדְדוּyitgoddu
cut oneself
Gashing one's skin as a sign of mourning, a pagan custom.
Where else “yitgoddu” appears- according to their customמִשְׁפָּטָmishpata
custom
The usual practice, the way to do something.
Where else “mishpata” appears- with swordsחֲרָבוֹתcharavot
sword
A sword; or war.
Where else “charavot” appears- and spearsרְמָחִיםremachim
spear
Spear, lance.
Where else “remachim” appears- bloodדָּםdam
blood
The red fluid that runs through the body and carries the life of people and animals.
Where else “dam” appears- poured outשְׁפָךְshefach
spill
To empty out water or blood; "spill blood" is to kill.
Where else “shefach” appears
Translation note
The law forbade Israel to cut themselves as other peoples did (Deuteronomy 14:1).
The context
27And it happened at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god! Perhaps he is musing, or he has stepped aside, or he is on a journey; perhaps he is asleep and must wake up.”
28 · This verse (above)
29And it happened, when noon had passed, that they prophesied until the time of offering the grain offering; but there was no voice, and no one answering, and no attention.