Elijah mocked them: It is not clear whether the verb translated mocked comes from the Hebrew verb hatal or the verb talal. Both verbs may be translated mocked, but the verb talal often has the connotation of “to deceive” or “to be dishonest.” Most translations here say that Elijah “mocked” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “taunted” (New American Bible) the prophets of Baal, but the Hebrew may also be translated “deceived,” meaning that Elijah deceived them by saying that Baal was a god.

Cry aloud is literally “Call in a loud voice.” Since the story indicates that these prophets had already “called on the name of Baal” in the previous verse (using the same verb in Hebrew as here), it is legitimate to translate “Shout louder” (New International Version) or “Pray louder” (Good News Translation).

For he is a god: Elijah is not affirming or agreeing with the prophets of Baal when he says this. Rather, he is mocking them and speaking with sarcasm.

Either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey: Elijah makes fun of Baal by saying these things. The exact sense of these words taken as a whole is uncertain, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh states in a footnote that the meaning of the Hebrew here is uncertain.

He is musing translates a Hebrew noun that comes from a root meaning “to be/become concerned” or “to occupy one’s attention.” Holladay says that the Hebrew word here means “has to attend to business” and is a euphemism meaning “to relieve himself.” Others think the Hebrew means “to be engaged in business,” meaning that Baal is busy with his commercial interests. Most interpreters, however, agree in saying something like “he is meditating” (New Revised Standard Version; similarly New American Bible), “he is deep in thought” (Revised English Bible, New Living Translation), “he is preoccupied” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “he is in conversation” (Anchor Bible, meaning that he is talking with his advisers).

He has gone aside translates a Hebrew noun that occurs only here in the Old Testament plus the words “to him.” BDB suggests that the noun is a variant spelling of another Hebrew noun meaning “dross,” that is, “what is removed from metal.” According to BDB, the sense is that Baal has temporarily moved away or withdrawn. Compare New Revised Standard Version: “he has wandered away.” Revised English Bible says “[he is] engaged” (that is, he is occupied), while New Jerusalem Bible has “he is busy.” Possibly the words he is musing and he has gone aside, which are somewhat similar in sound in Hebrew, should be understood as synonyms meaning “busy.” Walsh attempts to capture this aspect of the Hebrew by rendering them as “he’s busy, in a tizzy,” but translators in other language should not worry about reproducing such a wordplay in the receptor language. It is not clear in Hebrew in what manner Baal is busy.

Holladay states that the noun here means “bowel movement.” Even if one follows the explanation given in BDB, the words “he has withdrawn” may be a euphemism meaning “he is relieving himself” (so New Living Translation, Good News Translation).

He is on a journey: Elijah suggests ironically that perhaps Baal has traveled and is too far away to hear them.

Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened: In his final taunt the prophet Elijah suggests that the god of his opponents may have fallen asleep and needed to be awakened. This is introduced by the word perhaps, which has been discussed earlier (see verse 5).

An alternative model for the whole verse is:

• At noon Elijah began to make fun of them. He said, “Shout louder! If Baal is really a god, maybe he is deep in thought. Or maybe he has gone to the bushes, or gone away on a trip. Maybe he is sleeping so that you need to wake him up.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .