1 Kings
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1 Kings 17
1 Kings 17
Commentary · verses 1-24
1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As Jehovah, the God of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
Commentary · verse 1
Elijah: he was from an area near Galilee, the eventual location of the "Harvard of Israel" for training Rabbis. Elijah stated to Ahab's face that there would be no dew or rain, according to his word. Elijah knew the power of words and how to use them. He stated his will over something that had no will: the weather. This lack of rain was the beginning of a famine. God told Elijah to say this in Ahab's presence. What was the next thing God told Elijah after he told Ahab?
2And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, 3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
2And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
Commentary · verses 2-4
God told Elijah to run away from Ahab and hide. God led Elijah to a place by a brook, a source of water. Remember, it was not going to rain for a while. God commanded the ravens to feed Elijah. Ravens do not have a will, therefore, God could control them. Also, ravens are scavengers. They only feed on animals that are already dead. Elijah was not going to be living on fresh meat.
5So he went and did according unto the word of Jehovah; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
5So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
Commentary · verses 5-7
Elijah stayed there until the brook dried up. Now we know that water was scarce for everyone.
8And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying, 9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.
10So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
Commentary · verses 8-10
In Luke 4:25-26, Jesus quoted the story from this chapter in support for His explanation that miracles happened to people that were unfamiliar with God's representative. God led Elijah to a widow woman. Elijah requested water.
11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.
12And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
Commentary · verses 11-12
Elijah asked the widow for bread but she said all she had was a handful of meal (flour) and a little oil. She was preparing for her death and the death of her son because of the famine. Elijah asked a woman to bear his pain.
13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
14For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.
15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16The jar of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by Elijah.
13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
Commentary · verses 13-16
Elijah stated that if she took care of him first, God would cause the flour and oil to be sufficient for eating for the remainder of the famine. She did, which was proof of her faith. There was plenty (quantity) and it did not spoil (quality). This was supernatural. If this event was purely natural, the meal and oil would have run out. An unnatural solution would have been for Elijah not to need food during the famine. This solution provided more natural (meal and oil) than was naturally predicted.
17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? thou art come unto me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son!
17And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
Commentary · verses 17-18
Now the woman asked Elijah to bear her pain.
19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20And he cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
22And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.
22And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
Commentary · verses 19-22
The soul of the child had left. Elijah brought the soul back by stating a will to God for the widow and her son.
23And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother; and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24And the woman said to Elijah, Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of Jehovah in thy mouth is truth.
23And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
24And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.
Commentary · verses 23-24
The woman attested to Elijah being a man of God. Notice, Elijah had not exalted himself as a prophet.
Doctrines on this passage
This chapter was referenced in James 5:17.