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.
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.”
- BSB And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to 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 19:18Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
- Num 25:3And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
- 2 Kgs 10:19–20Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests; let none be wanting: for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal; whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtilty, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal.
- Zeph 1:4I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
- Hos 13:1When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.
- Hos 2:8For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
- Judg 2:13And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
- Jer 19:5They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
- 1 Kgs 16:31And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
- Deut 4:3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.
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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
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