SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:21
¶ Y acercándose Elías a todo el pueblo, dijo: ¿Hasta cuándo cojearéis vosotros entre dos pensamientos? Si el SEÑOR es Dios, seguidle; y si Baal, id en pos de él. Y el pueblo no respondió palabra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 18:21
Verse 21. How long halt ye between two opinions?] Literally, "How long hop ye about upon two boughs?" This is a metaphor taken from birds hopping about from bough to bough, not knowing on which to settle. Perhaps the idea of limping through lameness should not be overlooked.
They were halt, they could not walk uprightly; they dreaded Jehovah, and therefore could not totally abandon him; they feared the king and queen, and therefore thought they must embrace the religion of the state. Their conscience forbade them to do the former; their fear of man persuaded them to do the latter, but in neither were they heartily engaged; and at this juncture their minds seemed in equipoise, and they were waiting for a favourable opportunity to make their decision. Such an opportunity now, through the mercy of God, presented itself.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And Elijah came unto all the people , etc.] Assembled at Mount Carmel: and said, how long halt ye between two opinions ? sometimes inclining to the one, and sometimes to the other: as a lame man in walking, his body moves sometimes to one side, and sometimes to another; or “leap ye upon two branches” f389 , like a bird that leaps or hops from one branch to another, and never settles long; or rather it denotes the confusion of their thoughts, being like branches of trees twisted and implicated; thus upbraiding them with their inconstancy and fickleness; what their two opinions were, may be learnt from the next clause: if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him ; for there is but one God, one infinite, immense, and incomprehensible being; one that is omnipotent, all sufficient, good, and perfect; there cannot be more, and therefore but one to be followed, served, and worshipped: and the people answered him not a word : through conviction and confusion, his reasoning being unanswerable; or not knowing which to choose at present; or fearing they should be drawn into a snare, should they name any; either incur the displeasure of the king, who was for Baal, or of the prophet, who was for the Lord, at whose word rain was withheld, and might be given, which they were desirous of.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 21-40 - Many of the people wavered in their judgment, and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baa was the self-existent, supreme God, the Creator, Governor, and Judge of the world, and to follow him alone. It is dangerous to halt between the service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts. If Jesus be the only Saviour, let us cleave to him alone for every thing; if the Bible be the world of God, let u reverence and receive the whole of it, and submit our understanding to the Divine teaching it contains. Elijah proposed to bring the matter to a trial. Baal had all the outward advantages, but the event encourage all God's witnesses and advocates never to fear the face of man. The God that answers by fire, let him be God: the atonement was to be mad by sacrifice, before the judgment could be removed in mercy. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to signify it by consumin the sin-offering, must needs be the God that can relieve from the calamity. God never required his worshippers to honour him in the manner of the worshippers of Baal; but the service of the devil, thoug sometimes it pleases and pampers the body, yet, in other things, reall is cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. God requires that we mortify our lusts and corruptions; but bodily penances and severitie are no pleasure to him. Who has required these things at your hands? few words uttered in assured faith, and with fervent affection for the glory of God, and love to the souls of men, or thirstings after the Lord's image and his favour, form the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man, which availeth much. Elijah sought not his own glory but that of God, for the good of the people. The people are all agreed convinced, and satisfied; Jehovah, he is the God. Some, we hope, ha their hearts turned, but most of them were convinced only, no converted. Blessed are they that have not seen what these saw, yet have believed, and have been wrought upon by it, more than they that saw it.
Original Hebrew
ויגשׁ 5066 אליהו 452 אל 413 כל 3605 העם 5971 ויאמר 559 עד 5704 מתי 4970 אתם 859 פסחים 6452 על 5921 שׁתי 8147 הסעפים 5587 אם 518 יהוה 3068 האלהים 430 לכו 1980 אחריו 310 ואם 518 הבעל 1168 לכו 1980 אחריו 310 ולא 3808 ענו 6030 העם 5971 אתו 853 דבר׃ 1697
