1 Kings 18:35
New International Version
The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

New Living Translation
and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

English Standard Version
And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

Berean Standard Bible
So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

King James Bible
And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

New King James Version
So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

New American Standard Bible
The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

NASB 1995
The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

NASB 1977
And the water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Amplified Bible
The water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water.

Christian Standard Bible
So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

American Standard Version
And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

Contemporary English Version
until finally, the water ran down the altar and filled the ditch.

English Revised Version
And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The water flowed around the altar, and even the trench was filled with water.

Good News Translation
The water ran down around the altar and filled the trench.

International Standard Version
The water ran down around the altar and completely filled the trench.

Majority Standard Bible
So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

NET Bible
The water flowed down all sides of the altar and filled the trench.

New Heart English Bible
And the water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the water ran around the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

World English Bible
The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the water goes around the altar, and he has also filled the trench with water.

Young's Literal Translation
and the water goeth round about the altar, and also, the trench he hath filled with water.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the waters will go round about the altar; and he also filled the channel with water.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the water was running down around the altar, and the pit of the trench was filled with water.

New American Bible
The water flowed around the altar; even the trench was filled with the water.

New Revised Standard Version
so that the water ran all around the altar, and filled the trench also with water.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the water ran round about the altar; and they filled the trench also with water.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the water ran around the altar, also the water filled the trench.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the water ran round about the altar, and they filled the trench with water.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah on Mount Carmel
34and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. 35So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

Cross References
Exodus 29:40-41
With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives, and a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine. / And offer the second lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

Leviticus 9:24
Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

Judges 6:20-21
And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. / Then the angel of the LORD extended the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. And fire flared from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.

2 Chronicles 7:1
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

Genesis 22:9-13
When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood. / Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. / Just then the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. ...

Numbers 16:35
And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

2 Kings 1:10-12
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. / So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” / Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.

Psalm 97:3
Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.

Isaiah 6:6-7
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. / And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

Malachi 3:2-3
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. / And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Luke 3:16
John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Acts 2:3
They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Revelation 11:5
If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.


Treasury of Scripture

And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

ran [heb] went

1 Kings 18:32,38
And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed…

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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














So the water
The use of water in this context is significant, especially considering the severe drought that had plagued Israel for three years. Water, a precious commodity, symbolizes the people's desperate need for divine intervention. In Hebrew, the word for water is "mayim," which often represents life and cleansing. The act of pouring water over the altar can be seen as a purification ritual, preparing for God's miraculous intervention.

ran around the altar
The altar, central to Israelite worship, represents a place of sacrifice and communion with God. The Hebrew word for altar is "mizbeach," which comes from a root meaning "to slaughter" or "sacrifice." The water running around the altar signifies the thoroughness of the preparation and the completeness of the offering to God. It also emphasizes the impossibility of any human trickery, as the altar is drenched, making the subsequent divine fire all the more miraculous.

and even filled the trench
The trench, or "tealah" in Hebrew, was dug around the altar by Elijah. Its filling with water underscores the abundance and overflow of God's provision, even in times of scarcity. This act of filling the trench can be seen as a demonstration of faith, as Elijah prepares for God to act in a way that defies natural expectations. The trench being filled also serves as a boundary, setting apart the holy space for God's impending miracle.

Verse 35. And the water ran round [Heb. the waters went round] about the altar, and he filled the trench also [i.e., the trench, which was only partially filled with the water of the twelve כַּדִּים, he now filled to the brim] with water. [The object of these repeated drenchings of the victim and altar was to exclude all suspicion of fraud. It would almost seem as if tricks not unlike that practised year by year at the Greek Easter at Jerusalem were familiar to that age. Some of the fathers expressly state that the idolatrous priests of an earlier time were accustomed to set fire to the sacrifice from hollow places concealed beneath the altar, and it was an old tradition (found in Ephrem Syrus, and Chrysostom) that the Baal prophets had concealed a man for that purpose beneath their altar, but that he had died from suffocation (Stanley). Bahr, however, sees in these 3 x 4 vessels of water a symbolical act. The significance of this combination, he says, is unmistakable (cf. "Symbolik" 1. pp. 150, 169, 193, 205), though we cannot be certain as to the precise meaning of the prophetic act. His only suggestion is that it points to abundance of rain as the reward of keeping the covenant (Deuteronomy 28:12, 23). But all this is extremely precarious, and the more so as the pitchers may have been filled any number of times before the trench was full.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the water
הַמַּ֔יִם (ham·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

ran down
וַיֵּלְכ֣וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

around
סָבִ֖יב (sā·ḇîḇ)
Adverb
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

the altar
לַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ (lam·miz·bê·aḥ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

and even
וְגַ֥ם (wə·ḡam)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

filled
מִלֵּא־ (mil·lê-)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

the trench.
הַתְּעָלָ֖ה (hat·tə·‘ā·lāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8585: A channel, a bandage, plaster


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OT History: 1 Kings 18:35 The water ran around the altar (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 18:34
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