Kommentar zu Könige I 18:21: Raschi, Rambam, Ibn Esra & mehr

וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶל־כָּל־הָעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ עַד־מָתַ֞י אַתֶּ֣ם פֹּסְחִים֮ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַסְּעִפִּים֒ אִם־יְהוָ֤ה הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְאִם־הַבַּ֖עַל לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָֽר׃

Und Elia trat dem ganzen Volk nahe und sprach: 'Wie lange haltet ihr zwischen zwei Meinungen? Wenn der Herr Gott ist, folge ihm nach. aber wenn Baal, folge ihm.' Und das Volk antwortete ihm kein Wort.

Rashi on I Kings

Two concepts. Two thoughts, because you do not know how to decide who is God.
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Malbim on I Kings

Until when Meaning to say how long will you worship Baal and when things are going bad call out to Hashem in the manner of what is written, "in the time of your evil they will say rise and save us", because you swerve between two ideas and do not know who you worship and this is impossible since there is no middle ground. If Hashem is God there is no substance to Baal [who Hashem commanded us] to cut down and consider disgusting. And if there's no substance to Baal you have no part in Hashem. And they did not answer because the people were satisfied as they were.
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Rashi on I Kings

And if it is the Baal. Is God, then go after him.
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