Where is Carmel in the Bible?
Carmel, also known as Racal, was a town located in the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:55). Carmel appears in 18 verses across 9 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Carmel for 2 different entries. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Carmel (Racal)
Carmel, also known as Racal, was a town located in the hill country of Judah (Joshua 15:55). It is mentioned several times in the Bible, particularly in relation to David's life. Carmel was the home of Nabal, a wealthy but foolish man who refused to assist David and his men (1Sa.25.2-11). Nabal's wife, Abigail, intervened and provided for David's needs, demonstrating her wisdom and resourcefulness (1Sa.25.14-35). After Nabal's death, David married Abigail, and she became one of his wives (1Sa.25.40-42). Later, when David was fleeing from Saul, he sent his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, to stay in Carmel (1Sa.27.3). The town is also mentioned in the list of places that received spoils from David's victory over the Amalekites (1Sa.30.29). In the Song of Solomon, the beauty of the bride's head is compared to Mount Carmel (Sng.7.5), likely referring to the lush vegetation and majesty of the mountain. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and Nahum use Carmel as a symbol of fertility, beauty, and God's judgment (Isaiah 33:9, 35:2; Jeremiah 46:18, 50:19; Amo.1.2, 9:3; Nam.1.4).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Carmel in 1 Kings
CAR'MEL (fruitful, or wooded). 1. One of the most noted mountains in Mount Carmel, from the Bey of Acre. {After Views of G. M. Powell.) Palestine, a range or ridge about 12 miles long, one end jutting into the Mediterranean Sea in a bold bluff over 500 feet high, extending thence southeast until it abruptly breaks off in an inland bluff over 500 feet above the sea level. Its highest elevation, about 4 miles from the east end, is nearly 1740 feet. It is specially noted as being the scene of remarkable events in the history of Elijah and Elisha. 2 Kgs 2:25; Gal 4:25. The scene of the famous contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, 1 Kgs 18:20-42, was near the east end of the ridge, at el-Mahrakah (i. e. "burnt-offering"); a well is near, and a slippery path leads down to the Kishon, several hundred feet below. This stream is now called Nahr el-Mukatta, "river of slaughter," in memory of this event. It is a sacred mountain alike to Jews, Christians, and Moslems, and formerly swarmed with monks and hermits. One tract, known as the Monk's Cavern, has hundreds of caves, and a little below is the traditional cave of Elijah. On the mountain is the large monastery of the Carmelites, which affords hospitable accommodation and a magnificent view. It is now occupied by eighteen monks. The German colony of Haifa has recently planted vineyards on Mount Carmel. Present Appearance. — Carmel is covered with a profusion of vegetation, illustrating "the excellency of Carmel." Isa 35:2. It is still known as Kurmul and Mar Elyas (Mount St. Elias). The rugged sides of the ridge are of hard, dark stone, always steep, often precipitous, covered with shrubs of dark, rich green. These shrubs are chiefly a kind of pistachio with no berries, the sponge laurel, the hawthorn, and the arbutus. The bare spots are covered with flowers, as rock-roses, striped asphodel, the daisy, and the red and purple anemone. The horse of the traveller often presses out a sweet fragrance from the thyme and mint. Herds of goats are frequently seen climbing its steep sides, and occasionally a gazelle bounds through the shrubs, while the fox, jackal, wolf, and a stray wild boar and a panther (chetah) add to the animal life of the mountains. The partridge and woodcock also abound. Huge valleys upward of 1000 feet deep wind tortuously from the main ridge to the sea, requiring hours to cross to the opposite summits. The rock is a compact, sandy limestone. A town in the mountains of Judah, where Saul set a monument, 1 Sam 15:12;Acts 25:2, 1 Chr 6:5, 1 Kgs 15:7, 1 Sam 15:40; 1 Sam 27:3, and Uzziah had vineyards, 2 Chr 26:10; now Kurmul, 10 miles south-east of Hebron, where are ruins of a strong castle.
4 verses: 1 Kings 18:20, 1 Kings 18:42, 2 Kings 2:25, 2 Kings 4:25
Definition text: Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible · 1898. Public domain.
Where does Carmel appear in the Bible?
Carmel is referenced in 18 verses across 9 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Samuel 15:12
- 1 Samuel 25:2
- 1 Samuel 25:5
- 1 Samuel 25:7
- 1 Samuel 25:40
- Amos 1:2
- Amos 9:3
- Isaiah 35:2
- Jeremiah 46:18
- Jeremiah 50:19
- Joshua 12:22
- Joshua 15:55
- Nahum 1:4
- Song of Songs 7:5
Showing the first 14 of 18.
Open all 18 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Carmel.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Carmel?
Carmel refers to 2 different entries in the Bible: Carmel (Racal); Carmel in 1 Kings.
How many times does the Bible mention Carmel?
Carmel appears in 18 verses across 9 books, most often in 1 Samuel, which accounts for 5 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Carmel?
1 Samuel, Amos, Jeremiah, Joshua, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Isaiah, Nahum, and 1 more.
Where can I read every verse about Carmel?
This page lists 14 of them. Protos carries all 18, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.


