TRV
Translation
King James Version
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?
Complete Jewish Bible
Then he cried out to ADONAI: "ADONAI my God! Have you brought also this misery on the widow I'm staying with by killing her son?"
Berean Standard Bible
Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?”
American Standard Version
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?
World English Bible Messianic
He cried to the LORD, and said, “LORD my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I stay, by killing her son?”
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then he called vnto the Lord, and sayde, O Lord my God, hast thou punished also this widowe, with whome I soiourne, by killing her sonne?
Young's Literal Translation
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?'
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Commentary on 1 Kings 17 verses 17–24
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.
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,
I. The sickness and death of the child. For aught that appears he was her only son, the comfort of her widowed estate. He was fed miraculously, and yet that did not secure him from sickness and death. Your fathers did eat manna, and are dead, but there is bread of which a man may eat and not die, which was given for the life of the world, Joh 6:49, Joh 6:50. The affliction was to this widow as a thorn in the flesh, lest she should be lifted up above measure with the favours that were done her and the honours that were put upon her. 1. She was nurse to a great prophet, was employed to sustain him, and had strong reason to think the Lord would do her good; yet now she loses her child. Note, We must not think it strange if we meet with very sharp afflictions, even when we are in the way of duty, and of eminent service to God. 2. She was herself nursed by miracle, and kept a good house without charge or care, by a distinguishing blessing from heaven; and in the midst of all this satisfaction she was thus afflicted. Note, When we have the clearest manifestations of God's favour and good-will towards us, even then we must prepare for the rebukes of Providence. Our mountain never stands so strong but it may be moved, and therefore, in this world, we must always rejoice with trembling.
II. Her pathetic complaint to the prophet of this affliction. It should seem, the child died suddenly, else she would have applied to Elijah, while he was sick, for the cure of him; but being dead, dead in her bosom, she expostulates with the prophet upon it, rather to give vent to her sorrow than in any hope of relief, Kg1 17:18. 1. She expresses herself passionately: What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? How calmly had she spoken of her own and her child's death when she expected to die for want (Kg1 17:12) - that we may eat, and die! Yet now that her child dies, and not so miserably as by famine, she is extremely disturbed at it. We may speak lightly of an affliction at a distance, but when it toucheth us we are troubled, Job 4:5. Then she spoke deliberately, now in haste; the death of her child was now a surprise to her, and it is hard to keep our spirits composed when troubles come upon us suddenly and unexpectedly, and in the midst of our peace and prosperity. She calls him a man of God, and yet quarrels with him as if he had occasioned the death of her child, and is ready to which she had never seen him, forgetting past mercies and miracles: "What have I done against thee?" (so some understand it), "Wherein have I offended thee, or been wanting in my duty? Show me wherefore thou contendest with me." 2. Yet she expresses herself penitently: "Hast thou come to call my sin to thy remembrance, as the cause of the affliction, and so to call it to my remembrance, as the effect of the affliction?" Perhaps she knew of Elijah's intercession against Israel, and, being conscious to herself of sin, perhaps her former worshipping of Baal the god of the Sidonians, she apprehends he had made intercession against her. Note, (1.) When God removes our comforts from use he remembers our sins against us, perhaps the iniquities of our youth, though long since past, Job 13:26. Our sins are the death of our children. (2.) When God thus remembers our sins against us he designs thereby to make us remember them against ourselves and repent of them.
III. The prophet's address to God upon this occasion. He gave no answer to her expostulation, but brought it to God, and laid the case before him, not knowing what to say to it himself. He took the dead child from the mother's bosom to his own bed, Kg1 17:19. Probably he had taken a particular kindness to the child, and found the affliction his own more than by sympathy. He retired to his chamber, and, 1. He humbly reasons with God concerning the death of the child, Kg1 17:20. He sees death striking by commission from God: Thou hast brought this evil for is there any evil of this kind in the city, in the family, and the Lord has not done it? He pleads the greatness of the affliction to the poor mother: "It is evil upon the widow; thou art the widow's God, and dost not usually bring evil upon widows; it is affliction added to the afflicted." He pleads his own concern: "It is the widow with whom I sojourn; wilt thou, that art my God, bring evil upon one of the best of my benefactors? I shall be reflected upon, and others will be afraid of entertaining me, if I bring death into the house where I come." 2. He earnestly begs of God to restore the child to life again, Kg1 17:21. We do not read before this of any that were raised to life; yet Elijah, by a divine impulse, prays for the resurrection of this child, which yet will not warrant us to do the like. David expected not, by fasting and prayer, to bring his child back to life (Sa2 12:23), but Elijah had a power to work miracles, which David had not. He stretched himself upon the child, to affect himself with the case and to show how much he was affected with it and how desirous he was of the restoration of the child - he would if he could put life into him by his own breath and warmth; also to give a sign of what God would do by his power, and what he does by his grace, in raising dead souls to a spiritual life; the Holy Ghost comes upon them, overshadows them, and puts life into them. He is very particular in his prayer: I pray thee let this child's soul come into him again, which plainly supposes the existence of the soul in a state of separation from the body, and consequently its immortality, which Grotius thinks God designed by this miracle to give intimation and evidence of, for the encouragement of his suffering people.
IV. The resurrection of the child, and the great satisfaction it gave to the mother: the child revived, Kg1 17:22. See the power of prayer and the power of him that hears prayer, who kills and makes alive. Elijah brought him to his mother, who, we may suppose, could scarcely believe her own eyes, and therefore Elijah assures her it is her own: "It is thy son that liveth; see it is thy own, and not another," Kg1 17:23. The good woman hereupon cries out, Now I know that thou art a man of God; though she knew it before, by the increase of her meal, yet the death of her child she took so unkindly that she began to question it (a good man surely would not serve her so); but now she was abundantly satisfied that he had both the power and goodness of a man of God, and will never doubt of it again, but give up herself to the direction of his word and the worship of the God of Israel. Thus the death of the child (like that of Lazarus, Joh 11:4) was for the glory of God and the honour of his prophet.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–24. Public domain.
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Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 17:2
“He stretched himself on the child three times and cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ ” These words contain many symbols. [The Scripture] shows us immediately that through the invocation of the three names a human being will come back to life. If he kills the ancient Adam with the help of the Messiah in the holy baptism. The divine Paul says, “If we have died with the Messiah, we believe that we will also live with him.” And what follows agrees precisely with this meaning: “He stretched himself on the child,” because in this life, which he will give us after we are dead to that ancient Adam, “he will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory.” And here you can also see a symbol of the triple descent of the Son of God to the dead: the first symbol consists here in the fact that he was made flesh and included his infinite nature into the womb of the Virgin; the second, that he stretched his body on the wood and was crucified; the third, that whoever accepts death lies in the grave and goes down to Sheol, so that, in order to vivify humankind, God consented to stretch his majesty on our smallness. “O ineffable miracle,” which Isaiah calls “wonder,” “his Lord has come down to the man and has assumed the likeness of a slave.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
1 Kings 17:20 captures the raw and deeply human cry of the prophet Elijah to the LORD following the sudden, devastating death of the son of the widow who had been faithfully sustaining him. His impassioned question, "O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?", reveals his profound distress, confusion, and sense of theological wrestling at this calamity befalling a household that had shown extraordinary hospitality and faith in the midst of a severe famine. This desperate intercession, born out of empathy and a deep understanding of God's character, sets the immediate stage for one of the most remarkable miracles in the Old Testament, demonstrating God's sovereign power over life and death and His responsiveness to fervent, authentic prayer.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse is rich in Pathos, evoking deep sympathy for both the grieving widow and the anguished prophet. Elijah's raw, emotional cry and direct questioning of God ("O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil...?") powerfully convey his distress, bewilderment, and profound empathy for the suffering. The use of a Rhetorical Question ("hast thou also brought evil...?") is central to the verse; it is not asked for information but to express Elijah's profound wrestling with God's mysterious ways and the apparent injustice of the situation. This rhetorical device underscores the tension between God's sovereignty and human suffering. The entire scene is an act of Intercession, where Elijah stands in the gap, pleading on behalf of another, demonstrating the power and necessity of fervent prayer in the face of seemingly insurmountable tragedy. There is also an element of Dramatic Irony, as the reader, knowing the broader narrative of God's redemptive plan, understands that God's ultimate purpose is not to bring evil but to demonstrate His power to restore life, thereby validating Elijah's prophetic ministry and bringing glory to Himself.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Elijah's desperate cry in 1 Kings 17:20 resonates deeply with the biblical understanding of God's sovereignty over life and death, the nature of suffering, and the transformative power of intercessory prayer. It challenges simplistic notions of divine retribution, as the widow's suffering appears undeserved, prompting even a prophet of God to question the divine action. This moment reveals that even the most faithful servants of God can wrestle with profound theological questions when faced with inexplicable pain and loss. Yet, Elijah's immediate turn to the LORD, even with his honest questions, underscores the foundational truth that God is the ultimate source of help and the only one capable of reversing such a calamity. This incident powerfully foreshadows God's ultimate victory over death and His profound compassion for the suffering.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Elijah's raw and honest cry in 1 Kings 17:20 offers profound comfort and guidance for believers navigating the complexities of suffering and loss. It validates the human experience of grief, confusion, and even questioning God's actions when faced with inexplicable calamity. We learn that it is not a sign of weak faith to bring our deepest pain, our "why" questions, and our raw emotions directly to God in prayer. He is big enough to handle our struggles, our doubts, and our accusations, inviting us into a deeper, more authentic relationship. This passage encourages us to be transparent in our spiritual walk, to lament openly, and to trust that even when God's ways are mysterious and painful, His ultimate purposes are good and redemptive. Furthermore, it powerfully demonstrates the transformative potential of intercessory prayer. Elijah's desperate plea was not a passive resignation but an active, fervent engagement with God that ultimately paved the way for a miraculous reversal of death, reminding us that our persistent, faith-filled prayers can be catalysts for divine intervention, demonstrating God's compassion and power in seemingly impossible circumstances.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the widow's son die in the first place? Was it God's judgment?
Answer: The text itself does not explicitly state the cause of the son's death as a direct judgment for sin, though the widow herself implies this in 1 Kings 17:18, asking if Elijah came "to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?" This reflects a common ancient Near Eastern belief that illness and death were direct consequences of divine displeasure. However, the narrative seems to present the death not as a punitive act, but as a catalyst for a greater demonstration of God's power over death and a validation of Elijah's prophetic ministry. It becomes an opportunity for God to display His life-giving power and compassion, proving that He is the true God who "kills and makes alive" (Deuteronomy 32:39). It highlights that even in seemingly tragic events, God can work for His glory and for the good of His people, revealing deeper truths about His character and power.
Why did Elijah question God so directly and seemingly accuse Him of bringing "evil"?
Answer: Elijah's question, "hast thou also brought evil upon the widow... by slaying her son?", is an expression of profound distress, confusion, and a wrestling with the apparent injustice of the situation. The Hebrew word for "evil" (רָעָה, ra'ah) here refers to calamity or disaster, not moral wickedness. Elijah is not accusing God of sin, but of orchestrating or allowing a devastating affliction upon an innocent party, especially one who had shown such hospitality to God's prophet. His directness demonstrates the intimacy of his relationship with God, allowing him to voice his raw emotions and theological struggles. It teaches us that God is big enough to handle our honest questions and even our lamentations in times of suffering, and that authentic prayer can include wrestling with divine providence without diminishing faith.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Elijah's desperate intercession and the subsequent miraculous resurrection of the widow's son in 1 Kings 17 powerfully prefigure the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Elijah, a man of like passions and a servant of God, cried out to God for a life to be restored, and God responded through His prophet. This Old Testament miracle foreshadows Jesus, the ultimate "man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3), who not only empathized deeply with human suffering but possessed inherent, divine power over death itself. While Elijah had to cry out to God for the power to restore life, Jesus commanded life back into existence by His own authority, as seen in His raising of Jairus's daughter, the widow of Nain's son, and most profoundly, Lazarus. Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), the one who conquered death not by temporary restoration, but by His own glorious, eternal resurrection, offering eternal life and victory over the grave to all who believe (Romans 6:9-10). Thus, Elijah's miracle points forward to the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and defeats death forever, ushering in a new creation where "death shall be no more" (Revelation 21:4).