Romans 11:3

In the Hebrew text the second clause of the verse is put first; it is needless to seek an intention for this inversion.

Mention is made of “ altars of God,” though according to the law there was, properly speaking, only one legitimate altar, that of the sanctuary. But the law itself authorized, besides, the erection of altars in the places where God had visibly revealed Himself (Exo 20:24), as at Bethel, for example. Moreover, participation in the legitimate altar being interdicted within the kingdom of the ten tribes, it is probable that in such circumstances the faithful ventured to sacrifice elsewhere than at Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:29).

Meyer interprets the word alone in this sense: “alone of all the prophets.” This meaning seems to us incompatible with God's answer. The seven thousand are not prophets, but simple worshippers. Elijah, in that state of deep discouragement into which foregoing events had plunged him, no longer saw in Israel any others than idolaters, or believers too cowardly to deserve the name.