1 Kings 18:27

WEB

It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, "Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened."

KJV

And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

Commentary

And it came to pass at noon,.... When they had been from the time of the morning sacrifice until now invoking their deity to no purpose: that Elijah mocked them; he jeered and bantered them: and said, cry aloud; your god does not hear you; perhaps, if you raise your voice higher, he may; for he is a god; according to your esteem of him, and, if so, he s urely may hear you: unless either he is talking; with others about matters of moment and importance, who are waiting on him with their applications to him; or he is in meditation; in a deep study upon some things difficult to be resolved: or he is pursuing; his studies, or his pleasures, or his enemies, to overtake them; or he is employed on business (t): or he is in a journey; gone to visit his friends, or some parts of his dominions; so Homer (u) represents Jupiter gone to pay a visit to the Ethiopians, and as yesterday gone to a feast, and all the gods following him, from whence he would not return until twelve days; and in like manner Lucian (w) speaks of the gods, mocking at them: or, peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked; with a loud crying to him: it being now noon, Abarbinel thinks this refers to a custom of sleeping after dinner; Homer (x) also speaks of the sleep of the gods, and which used to be at noon; and therefore the worshippers of Baal ceased then to call upon him; and it is said (y), the Heathens feared to go into the temples of their gods at noon, lest they should disturb them; but such is not the true God, the God of Israel, he neither slumbers nor sleeps, Psa 121:4 . (t) David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 211. 1. (u) Iliad. ver. 1. 423. (w) Jupiter Tragoedus. (x) Ut supra, (Iliad. ver. 1. 423.) in fine, & Iliad. 2. ver. 1, 2. (y) Meurs. Auctuar. Philol. c. 6. apud Quistorp. in loc.