3 Kings 18:31
And he took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying: Israel shall be thy name.
Open 3 Kings 18:31 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et tulit duodecim lapides juxta numerum tribuum filiorum Jacob, ad quem factus est sermo Domini, dicens : Israël erit nomen tuum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἠλειοὺ δώδεκα λίθους κατ᾽ ἀριθμὸν φυλῶν Ἰσραήλ, ὡς ἐλάλησεν Κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ אֲבָנִ֔ים כְּמִסְפַּ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֣י בְנֵֽי יַעֲקֹ֑ב אֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה דְבַר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Twelve stones, (as [in] Exodus xxiv., &c.) intimating that he acted in the name of all; (Menochius) and in order that all Israel might return with one heart to the service of God. (Haydock)
The prophet did not follow his own spirit in erecting this altar. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Irenaeus Against Heresies: Book I, Chapter XVIII. Passages from Moses,
4. As to the Duodecad, in connection with which the mystery of the passion of the defect occurred, from which passion they maintain that all things visible were framed, they assert that is to be found strikingly and manifestly everywhere [in Scripture]. For they declare that the twelve sons of Jacob, from whom also sprung twelve tribes, the breastplate of the high priest, which bore twelve precious stones and twelve little bells, the twelve stones which were placed by Moses at the foot of the mountain, the same number which was placed by Joshua in the river, and again, on the other side, the bearers of the ark of the covenant, those stones which were set up by Elijah when the heifer was offered as a burnt-offering; the number, too, of the apostles; and, in fine, every event which embraces in it the number twelve , set forth their Duodecad. …