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
And Abraham H85 drew near, H5066 and said, H559 Wilt thou also destroy H5595 the righteous H6662 with H5973 the wicked? H7563 Peradventure there be H3426 fifty H2572 righteous H6662 within H8432 the city: H5892 wilt thou also destroy H5595 and not spare H5375 the place H4725 for H4616 the fifty H2572 righteous H6662 that are therein? H7130 That be far H2486 from thee to do H6213 after this manner, H1697 to slay H4191 the righteous H6662 with the wicked: H7563 and that the righteous H6662 should be as the wicked, H7563 that be far H2486 from thee: Shall not the Judge H8199 of all the earth H776 do H6213 right? H4941
And Moses H4872 cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 What shall I do H6213 unto this people? H5971 they be almost H4592 ready to stone H5619 me.
O H994 Lord, H136 what shall I say, H559 when H310 Israel H3478 turneth H2015 their backs H6203 before H6440 their enemies! H341 For the Canaanites H3669 and all the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 shall hear H8085 of it, and shall environ us round, H5437 and cut off H3772 our name H8034 from the earth: H776 and what wilt thou do H6213 unto thy great H1419 name? H8034
And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said H559 to Samuel, H8050 Cease H2790 not to cry H2199 unto the LORD H3068 our God H430 for us, that he will save H3467 us out of the hand H3027 of the Philistines. H6430 And Samuel H8050 took H3947 a H259 sucking H2461 lamb, H2924 and offered H5927 it for a burnt offering H5930 wholly H3632 unto the LORD: H3068 and Samuel H8050 cried H2199 unto the LORD H3068 for Israel; H3478 and the LORD H3068 heard H6030 him.
And it came to pass at the time of the offering H5927 of the evening sacrifice, H4503 that Elijah H452 the prophet H5030 came near, H5066 and said, H559 LORD H3068 God H430 of Abraham, H85 Isaac, H3327 and of Israel, H3478 let it be known H3045 this day H3117 that thou art God H430 in Israel, H3478 and that I am thy servant, H5650 and that I have done H6213 all these things at thy word. H1697 Hear H6030 me, O LORD, H3068 hear H6030 me, that this people H5971 may know H3045 that thou art the LORD H3068 God, H430 and that thou hast turned H5437 their heart H3820 back H5437 again. H322
It may be H194 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 will hear H8085 all the words H1697 of Rabshakeh, H7262 whom the king H4428 of Assyria H804 his master H113 hath sent H7971 to reproach H2778 the living H2416 God; H430 and will reprove H3198 the words H1697 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath heard: H8085 wherefore lift up H5375 thy prayer H8605 for the remnant H7611 that are left. H4672
And Hezekiah H2396 prayed H6419 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 O LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 which dwellest H3427 between the cherubims, H3742 thou art the God, H430 even thou alone, of all the kingdoms H4467 of the earth; H776 thou hast made H6213 heaven H8064 and earth. H776
Righteous H6662 art thou, O LORD, H3068 when I plead H7378 with thee: yet let me talk H1696 with thee of thy judgments: H4941 Wherefore doth the way H1870 of the wicked H7563 prosper? H6743 wherefore are all they happy H7951 that deal very H899 treacherously? H898
And G2532 all things, G3956 whatsoever G302 G3745 ye shall ask G154 in G1722 prayer, G4335 believing, G4100 ye shall receive. G2983
And G2532 the prayer G2171 of faith G4102 shall save G4982 the sick, G2577 and G2532 the Lord G2962 shall raise G1453 him G846 up; G1453 and if G2579 he have G5600 committed G4160 sins, G266 they shall be forgiven G863 him. G846 Confess G1843 your faults G3900 one to another, G240 and G2532 pray G2172 one G240 for G5228 another, G240 that G3704 ye may be healed. G2390 The effectual fervent G1754 prayer G1162 of a righteous man G1342 availeth G2480 much. G4183 Elias G2243 was G2258 a man G444 subject to like passions as G3663 we are, G2254 and G2532 he prayed G4336 earnestly G4335 that it might G1026 not G3361 rain: G1026 and G2532 it rained G1026 not G3756 on G1909 the earth G1093 by the space of three G5140 years G1763 and G2532 six G1803 months. G3376 And G2532 he prayed G4336 again, G3825 and G2532 the heaven G3772 gave G1325 rain, G5205 and G2532 the earth G1093 brought forth G985 her G846 fruit. G2590
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 17
Commentary on 1 Kings 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
So sad was the character both of the princes and people of Israel, as described in the foregoing chapter, that one might have expected God would cast off a people that had so cast him off; but, as an evidence to the contrary, never was Israel so blessed with a good prophet as when it was so plagued with a bad king. Never was king so bold to sin as Ahab; never was prophet so bold to reprove and threaten as Elijah, whose story begins in this chapter and is full of wonders. Scarcely any part of the Old-Testament history shines brighter than this history of the spirit and power of Elias; he only, of all the prophets, had the honour of Enoch, the first prophet, to be translated, that he should not see death, and the honour of Moses, the great prophet, to attend our Saviour in his transfiguration. Other prophets prophesied and wrote, he prophesied and acted, but wrote nothing; but his actions cast more lustre on his name than their writings did on theirs. In this chapter we have,
Thus his story begins with judgments and miracles, designed to awaken that stupid generation that had to deeply corrupted themselves.
1Ki 17:1-7
The history of Elijah begins somewhat abruptly. Usually, when a prophet enters, we have some account of his parentage, are told whose son he was and of what tribe; but Elijah drops (so to speak) out of the clouds, as if, like Melchisedek, he were without father, without mother, and without descent, which made some of the Jews fancy that he was an angel sent from heaven; but the apostle has assured us that he was a man subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17), which perhaps intimates, not only that he was liable to the common infirmities of human nature, but that, by his natural temper, he was a man of strong passions, more hot and eager than most men, and therefore the more fit to deal with the daring sinners of the age he lived in: so wonderfully does God suit men to the work he designs them for. Rough spirits are called to rough services. The reformation needed such a man as Luther to break the ice. Observe,
Thus does Elijah, for a great while, eat his morsels alone, and his provision of water, which he has in an ordinary way from the brook, fails him before that which he has by miracle. The powers of nature are limited, but not the powers of the God of nature. Elijah's brook dried up (v. 7) because there was no rain. If the heavens fail, earth fails of course; such are all our creature-comforts; we lose them when we most need them, like the brooks in summer, Job 6:15. But there is a river which makes glad the city of God and which never runs dry (Ps. 46:4), a well of water that springs up to eternal life. Lord, give us that living water!
1Ki 17:8-16
We have here an account of the further protection Elijah was taken under, and the further provision made for him in his retirement. At destruction and famine he shall laugh that has God for his friend to guard and maintain him. The brook Cherith is dried up, but God's care of his people, and kindness to them, never slacken, never fail, but are still the same, are still continued and drawn out to those that know him, Ps. 36:10. When the brook was dried up Jordan was not; why did not God send him thither? Surely because he would show that he has a variety of ways to provide for his people and is not tied to any one. God will now provide for him where he shall have some company and opportunity of usefulness, and not be, as he had been, buried alive. Observe,
1Ki 17:17-24
We have here a further recompence made to the widow for her kindness to the prophet; as if it were a small thing to be kept alive, her son, when dead, is restored to life, and so restored to her. Observe,