And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Parallel translations
- WEB But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
- KJV But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
- NKJV But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
- NASB But what is the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
- NLT And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God answers Elijah that he has kept for himself seven thousand who never bowed to Baal.
Overview
Quoting 1 Kings 19:18, Paul highlights that the faithful remnant exists because God 'reserved' them for himself, an act of sovereign grace rather than human resolve alone. This corrects Elijah's despair and grounds hope in God's keeping power. It anticipates Paul's argument that a believing Jewish remnant in his own day likewise proves God has not abandoned Israel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Kgs 19:18Nevertheless, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
- Num 25:3So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.
- 2 Kgs 10:19–20Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
- Zeph 1:4“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—
- Hos 13:1When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died.
- Hos 2:8For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.
- Judg 2:13for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
- Jer 19:5They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.
- 1 Kgs 16:31And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.
- Deut 4:3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 11:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.