1 Kings 18:26 is brief, but what it describes took many hours. First came the time required to slaughter the bull, prepare the pieces, and arrange them on the altar. Only after this did the prophets of Baal begin their long, desperate appeal to their god. From morning until noon—roughly six hours—they cried out repeatedly, O Baal, answer us!
The narrator emphasizes the futility of their efforts: there was no voice, and no one answered.
Their actions were not calm or orderly. The verse adds that they limped around the altar,
but this translation can be misleading. The Hebrew root carries the sense of leaping, hopping, or springing about, not slow or hesitant movement. Many English versions, therefore, translate it as leaped
or danced.
The prophets’ ritual was energetic, frantic, and physically exhausting—a dramatic display meant to provoke a response from their deity. Yet despite all their shouting and leaping, the text repeats the same verdict: no answer came from their so‑called god.
26 Ils prirent le taureau qu'on leur donna, et le préparèrent; et ils invoquèrent le nom de Baal, depuis le matin jusqu'à midi, en disant: Baal, réponds-nous! Mais il n'y eut ni voix ni réponse. Et ils sautaient devant l'autel qu'ils avaient fait.