1 And 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.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So 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.
11 And 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.
12 And 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.
13 And 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.
14 For 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.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And 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.
17 And 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.
18 And 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?
19 And 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.
20 And 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?
21 And 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.
22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And 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.
24 And 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.
1 And Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 who was of the inhabitants H8453 of Gilead, H1568 said H559 unto Ahab, H256 As the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 there shall not be dew H2919 nor rain H4306 these years, H8141 but according H6310 to my word. H1697
2 And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto him, saying, H559
3 Get H3212 thee hence, and turn H6437 thee eastward, H6924 and hide H5641 thyself by the brook H5158 Cherith, H3747 that is before H6440 Jordan. H3383
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink H8354 of the brook; H5158 and I have commanded H6680 the ravens H6158 to feed H3557 thee there.
5 So he went H3212 and did H6213 according unto the word H1697 of the LORD: H3068 for he went H3212 and dwelt H3427 by the brook H5158 Cherith, H3747 that is before H6440 Jordan. H3383
6 And the ravens H6158 brought H935 him bread H3899 and flesh H1320 in the morning, H1242 and bread H3899 and flesh H1320 in the evening; H6153 and he drank H8354 of the brook. H5158
7 And it came to pass after H7093 a while, H3117 that the brook H5158 dried up, H3001 because there had been no rain H1653 in the land. H776
8 And the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto him, saying, H559
9 Arise, H6965 get H3212 thee to Zarephath, H6886 which belongeth to Zidon, H6721 and dwell H3427 there: behold, I have commanded H6680 a widow H490 woman H802 there to sustain H3557 thee.
10 So he arose H6965 and went H3212 to Zarephath. H6886 And when he came H935 to the gate H6607 of the city, H5892 behold, the widow H490 woman H802 was there gathering H7197 of sticks: H6086 and he called H7121 to her, and said, H559 Fetch H3947 me, I pray thee, a little H4592 water H4325 in a vessel, H3627 that I may drink. H8354
11 And as she was going H3212 to fetch H3947 it, he called H7121 to her, and said, H559 Bring H3947 me, I pray thee, a morsel H6595 of bread H3899 in thine hand. H3027
12 And she said, H559 As the LORD H3068 thy God H430 liveth, H2416 I have H3426 not a cake, H4580 but an handful H4393 H3709 of meal H7058 in a barrel, H3537 and a little H4592 oil H8081 in a cruse: H6835 and, behold, I am gathering H7197 two H8147 sticks, H6086 that I may go in H935 and dress H6213 it for me and my son, H1121 that we may eat H398 it, and die. H4191
13 And Elijah H452 said H559 unto her, Fear H3372 not; go H935 and do H6213 as thou hast said: H1697 but make H6213 me thereof H8033 a little H6996 cake H5692 first, H7223 and bring H3318 it unto me, and after H314 make H6213 for thee and for thy son. H1121
14 For thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 The barrel H3537 of meal H7058 shall not waste, H3615 neither shall the cruse H6835 of oil H8081 fail, H2637 until the day H3117 that the LORD H3068 sendeth H5414 rain H1653 upon H6440 the earth. H127
15 And she went H3212 and did H6213 according to the saying H1697 of Elijah: H452 and she, and he, and her house, H1004 did eat H398 many days. H3117
16 And the barrel H3537 of meal H7058 wasted H3615 not, neither did the cruse H6835 of oil H8081 fail, H2638 according to the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 by H3027 Elijah. H452
17 And it came to pass after H310 these things, H1697 that the son H1121 of the woman, H802 the mistress H1172 of the house, H1004 fell sick; H2470 and his sickness H2483 was so H3966 sore, H2389 that there was no breath H5397 left H3498 in him.
18 And she said H559 unto Elijah, H452 What have I to do with thee, O thou man H376 of God? H430 art thou come H935 unto me to call H2142 my sin H5771 to remembrance, H2142 and to slay H4191 my son? H1121
19 And he said H559 unto her, Give H5414 me thy son. H1121 And he took H3947 him out of her bosom, H2436 and carried him up H5927 into a loft, H5944 where he abode, H3427 and laid H7901 him upon his own bed. H4296
20 And he cried H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 O LORD H3068 my God, H430 hast thou also brought evil H7489 upon the widow H490 with whom I sojourn, H1481 by slaying H4191 her son? H1121
21 And he stretched H4058 himself upon the child H3206 three H7969 times, H6471 and cried H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 O LORD H3068 my God, H430 I pray thee, let this child's H3206 soul H5315 come H7725 into him H7130 again. H7725
22 And the LORD H3068 heard H8085 the voice H6963 of Elijah; H452 and the soul H5315 of the child H3206 came H7725 into him H7130 again, H7725 and he revived. H2421
23 And Elijah H452 took H3947 the child, H3206 and brought him down H3381 out of the chamber H5944 into the house, H1004 and delivered H5414 him unto his mother: H517 and Elijah H452 said, H559 See, H7200 thy son H1121 liveth. H2416
24 And the woman H802 said H559 to Elijah, H452 Now by this H2088 I know H3045 that thou art a man H376 of God, H430 and that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 in thy mouth H6310 is truth. H571
1 And 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.
2 And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of Jehovah; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.
10 So 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.
11 And 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.
12 And 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.
13 And 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.
14 For 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.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat `many' days.
16 The jar of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by Elijah.
17 And 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.
18 And 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!
19 And 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.
20 And 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?
21 And 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.
22 And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And 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.
24 And 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.
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, saith unto Ahab, `Jehovah, God of Israel, liveth, before whom I have stood, there is not these years dew and rain, except according to my word.'
2 And the word of Jehovah is unto him, saying,
3 `Go from this `place'; and thou hast turned for thee eastward, and been hidden by the brook Cherith, that `is' on the front of the Jordan,
4 and it hath been, from the brook thou dost drink, and the ravens I have commanded to sustain thee there.'
5 And he goeth and doth according to the word of Jehovah, yea, he goeth and dwelleth by the brook Cherith, that `is' on the front of the Jordan,
6 and the ravens are bringing to him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening, and of the brook he drinketh.
7 And it cometh to pass, at the end of days, that the brook drieth up, for there hath been no rain in the land,
8 and the word of Jehovah is unto him, saying,
9 `Rise, go to Zarephath, that `is' to Zidon, and thou hast dwelt there; lo, I have commanded there a widow woman to sustain thee.'
10 And he riseth, and goeth to Zarephath, and cometh in unto the opening of the city, and lo there, a widow woman gathering sticks, and he calleth unto her, and saith, `Bring, I pray thee, to me, a little water in a vessel, and I drink.'
11 And she goeth to bring `it', and he calleth unto her and saith, `Bring, I pray thee, to me a morsel of bread in thy hand.'
12 And she saith, `Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but the fulness of the hand of meal in a pitcher, and a little oil in a dish; and lo, I am gathering two sticks, and have gone in and prepared it for myself, and for my son, and we have eaten it -- and died.'
13 And Elijah saith unto her, `Fear not, go, do according to thy word, only make for me thence a little cake, in the first place, and thou hast brought out to me; and for thee and for thy son make -- last;
14 for thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, The pitcher of meal is not consumed, and the dish of oil is not lacking, till the day of Jehovah's giving a shower on the face of the ground.'
15 And she goeth, and doth according to the word of Elijah, and she eateth, she and he, and her household -- days;
16 the pitcher of meal was not consumed, and the dish of oil did not lack, according to the word of Jehovah that He spake by the hand of Elijah.
17 And it cometh to pass, after these things, the son of the woman, mistress of the house, hath been sick, and his sickness is very severe till that no breath hath been left in him.
18 And she saith unto Elijah, `What -- to me and to thee, O man of God? thou hast come unto me to cause mine iniquity to be remembered, and to put my son to death!'
19 And he saith unto her, `Give to me thy son;' and he taketh him out of her bosom, and taketh him up unto the upper chamber where he is abiding, and layeth him on his own bed,
20 and crieth unto Jehovah, and saith, `Jehovah my God, also on the widow with whom I am sojourning hast Thou done evil -- to put her son to death?'
21 And he stretcheth himself out on the lad three times, and calleth unto Jehovah, and saith, `O Jehovah my God, let turn back, I pray Thee, the soul of this lad into his midst;'
22 and Jehovah hearkeneth to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the lad turneth back into his midst, and he liveth.
23 And Elijah taketh the lad, and bringeth him down from the upper chamber of the house, and giveth him to his mother, and Elijah saith, `See, thy son liveth!'
24 And the woman saith unto Elijah, `Now, this I have known, that a man of God thou `art', and the word of Jehovah in thy mouth `is' truth.'
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, As Jehovah the God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except by my word.
2 And the word of Jehovah came to him saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the torrent Cherith, which is before the Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the torrent; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 And he went and did according to the word of Jehovah; he went and abode by the torrent Cherith, which is before the Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the torrent.
7 And it came to pass after a while that the torrent dried up, for there had been no rain in the land.
8 And the word of Jehovah came to him saying,
9 Arise, go to Zarephath, which is by Zidon, and abide there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to maintain thee.
10 And he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the entrance of the city, behold, a widow woman 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.
11 And she went to fetch [it], and he called to her and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.
12 And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a 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.
13 And Elijah said to her, Fear not; go, do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first; and bring it to me; and afterwards make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: The meal in the barrel shall not waste, neither shall the oil in the cruse fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the face of the earth!
15 And she went and did according to the word of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, ate a whole year.
16 The meal in the barrel did not waste, neither did the oil in the cruse fail, according to the word of Jehovah which he had spoken through Elijah.
17 And 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 severe that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said to Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come to me to call mine iniquity to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19 And he said to her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried to Jehovah and said, Jehovah, my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to Jehovah and said, Jehovah, my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again!
22 And Jehovah heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he lived.
23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, See, thy son lives.
24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of Jehovah in thy mouth is truth.
1 Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
2 The word of Yahweh came to him, saying,
3 Get you hence, and turn you eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
4 It shall be, that you shall drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.
5 So he went and did according to the word of Yahweh; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6 The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 It happened after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 The word of Yahweh came to him, saying,
9 Arise, get you to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.
10 So 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, Please get me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.
12 She said, As Yahweh your God lives, I don't have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 Elijah said to her, Don't be afraid; go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it forth to me, and afterward make for you and for your son.
14 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.
15 She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate [many] days.
16 The jar of meal didn't empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of Yahweh, which he spoke by Elijah.
17 It happened 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.
18 She said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!
19 He said to her, Give me your son. He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the chamber, where he abode, and laid him on his own bed.
20 He cried to Yahweh, and said, Yahweh my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?
21 He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh, and said, Yahweh my God, please let this child's soul come into him again.
22 Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, Behold, your son lives.
24 The woman said to Elijah, Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth.
1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, By the living Lord, the God of Israel, whose servant I am, there will be no dew or rain in these years, but only at my word.
2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
3 Go from here in the direction of the east, and keep yourself in a secret place by the stream Cherith, east of Jordan.
4 The water of the stream will be your drink, and by my orders the ravens will give you food there.
5 So he went and did as the Lord said, living by the stream Cherith, east of Jordan.
6 And the ravens took him bread in the morning and meat in the evening; and the water of the stream was his drink.
7 Now after a time the stream became dry, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
9 Up! go now to Zarephath, in Zidon, and make your living-place there; I have given orders to a widow woman there to see that you have food.
10 So he got up and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the door of the town, he saw a widow woman getting sticks together; and crying out to her he said, Will you give me a little water in a vessel for my drink?
11 And when she was going to get it, he said to her, And get me with it a small bit of bread.
12 Then she said, By the life of the Lord your God, I have nothing but a little meal in my store, and a drop of oil in the bottle; and now I am getting two sticks together so that I may go in and make it ready for me and my son, so that we may have a meal before our death.
13 And Elijah said to her, Have no fear; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and come and give it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
14 For this is the word of the Lord, the God of Israel: The store of meal will not come to an end, and the bottle will never be without oil, till the day when the Lord sends rain on the earth.
15 So she went and did as Elijah said; and she and he and her family had food for a long time.
16 The store of meal did not come to an end, and the bottle was never without oil, as the Lord had said by the mouth of Elijah.
17 Now after this, the son of the woman of the house became ill, so ill that there was no breath in him.
18 And she said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, O man of God? have you come to put God in mind of my sin, and to put my son to death?
19 And he said to her, Give your son to me. And lifting him out of her arms, he took him up to his room and put him down on his bed.
20 And crying to the Lord he said, O Lord my God, have you sent evil even on the widow whose guest I am, by causing her son's death?
21 And stretching herself out on the child three times, he made his prayer to the Lord, saying, O Lord my God, be pleased to let this child's life come back to him again.
22 And the Lord gave ear to the voice of Elijah, and the child's spirit came into him again, and he came back to life.
23 And Elijah took the child down from his room into the house and gave him to his mother and said to her, See, your son is living.
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, Now I am certain that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is true.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 17
Commentary on 1 Kings 17 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 17
1Ki 17:1-7. Elijah, Prophesying against Ahab, Is Sent to Cherith.
1. Elijah the Tishbite—This prophet is introduced as abruptly as Melchisedek—his birth, parents, and call to the prophetic office being alike unrecorded. He is supposed to be called the Tishbite from Tisbeh, a place east of Jordan.
who was of the inhabitants of Gilead—or residents of Gilead, implying that he was not an Israelite, but an Ishmaelite, as Michaelis conjectures, for there were many of that race on the confines of Gilead. The employment of a Gentile as an extraordinary minister might be to rebuke and shame the apostate people of Israel.
said unto Ahab—The prophet appears to have been warning this apostate king how fatal both to himself and people would be the reckless course he was pursuing. The failure of Elijah's efforts to make an impression on the obstinate heart of Ahab is shown by the penal prediction uttered at parting.
before whom I stand—that is, whom I serve (De 18:5).
there shall not be dew nor rain these years—not absolutely; but the dew and the rain would not fall in the usual and necessary quantities. Such a suspension of moisture was sufficient to answer the corrective purposes of God, while an absolute drought would have converted the whole country into an uninhabitable waste.
but according to my word—not uttered in spite, vengeance, or caprice, but as the minister of God. The impending calamity was in answer to his earnest prayer, and a chastisement intended for the spiritual revival of Israel. Drought was the threatened punishment of national idolatry (De 11:16, 17; 28:23).
2, 3. the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, &c.—At first the king may have spurned the prediction as the utterance of a vain enthusiast; but when he found the drought did last and increase in severity, he sought Elijah, who, as it was necessary that he should be far removed from either the violence or the importunities of the king, was divinely directed to repair to a place of retreat, perhaps a cave on "the brook Cherith, that is, before [east of] Jordan." Tradition points it out in a small winter torrent, a little below the ford at Beth-shan.
6. the ravens brought him bread—The idea of such unclean and voracious birds being employed to feed the prophet has appeared to many so strange that they have labored to make out the Orebim, which in our version has been rendered "ravens," to be as the word is used (in Eze 27:27) "merchants"; or Arabians (2Ch 21:16; Ne 4:7); or, the citizens of Arabah, near Beth-shan (Jos 15:6; 18:18). But the common rendering is, in our opinion, preferable to these conjectures. And, if Elijah was miraculously fed by ravens, it is idle to inquire where they found the bread and the flesh, for God would direct them. After the lapse of a year, the brook dried up, and this was a new trial to Elijah's faith.
1Ki 17:8-16. He Is Sent to a Widow of Zarephath.
8-16. the word of the Lord came to him—Zarephath, Sarepta, now Surafend, whither he was directed to go, was far away on the western coast of Palestine, about nine miles south of Sidon, and within the dominions of Jezebel's impious father, where the famine also prevailed. Meeting, at his entrance into the town, the very woman who was appointed by divine providence to support him, his faith was severely tested by learning from her that her supplies were exhausted and that she was preparing her last meal for herself and son. The Spirit of God having prompted him to ask, and her to grant, some necessary succor, she received a prophet's reward (Mt 10:41, 42), and for the one meal afforded to him, God, by a miraculous increase of the little stock, afforded many to her.
1Ki 17:17-24. He Raises Her Son to Life.
17-24. the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick—A severe domestic calamity seems to have led her to think that, as God had shut up heaven upon a sinful land in consequence of the prophet, she was suffering on a similar account. Without answering her bitter upbraiding, the prophet takes the child, lays it on his bed, and after a very earnest prayer, had the happiness of seeing its restoration, and along with it, gladness to the widow's heart and home. The prophet was sent to this widow, not merely for his own security, but on account of her faith, to strengthen and promote which he was directed to go to her rather than to many widows in Israel, who would have eagerly received him on the same privileged terms of exception from the grinding famine. The relief of her bodily necessities became the preparatory means of supplying her spiritual wants, and bringing her and her son, through the teachings of the prophet, to a clear knowledge of God, and a firm faith in His word (Lu 4:25).