And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
You call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD. Whichever God answers by sending fire, let him be the true God. And all the people responded and said, 'That's a good plan.'
Elijah is proposing a dramatic test to prove which god is real - his God or the false gods - by seeing who will send fire from heaven.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, King Ahab of Israel had married Jezebel, who actively promoted the worship of Baal, leading many Israelites astray from their covenant with God during a time of widespread idolatry. Elijah, as a prophet of the Lord, challenged the prophets of Baal to a public contest on Mount Carmel to prove the true God's supremacy. This verse specifically records Elijah's bold proposal for the test, where each side would call on their deity to send fire and consume a sacrifice.
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