מלכים א, פרק י״ח, פסוק כ״ח

The desperate frenzy of the false prophets reaches its peak as they realize their standard rituals are failing. Completely blind to the biting irony of Elijah's mockery, they take his sarcastic advice with absolute seriousness and escalate their efforts into a violent spectacle. They begin by shouting at the top of their lungs [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They do this either as a direct response to Elijah's taunts or out of a belief that their deity might be far away, requiring a massive uproar to finally hear them [מלבי״ם].

When shouting proves ineffective, they turn to physical self-harm. The primary approach among commentators is that they intentionally scratch, cut, and wound their own flesh. This brutal practice is not a spontaneous reaction but an established part of their regular ritual customs [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. Through ecstatic self-mutilation, they aim to impress the watching crowds and prove their absolute dedication, hoping to earn a supernatural response [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A unique perspective suggests a more visceral reasoning: they believe that if their deity is asleep, he will intimately feel the piercing pain of his prophets and be forced to wake up [מלבי״ם].

This chaotic display involves swords and spears, escalating until the prophets are covered in their own blood. The primary approach among commentators is that these weapons are used deliberately to slash their own bodies as part of the gruesome ceremony. However, a contrasting view frames this scene not as intentional self-harm, but as a practical, desperate attempt to artificially create fire. According to this approach, the prophets begin violently clashing their shiny copper swords and spears together. Their goal is to either generate sparks through the heavy impact or use the polished metal to focus the intense heat of the sun. In the midst of this wild, weapon-swinging chaos, they accidentally slash one another until their blood pours out [אברבנאל].