TRV
Translation
King James Version
And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI heard Eliyahu's cry, the child's soul came back into him, and he revived.
Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.
American Standard Version
And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
World English Bible Messianic
The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then the Lord heard the voyce of Eliiah, and the soule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued.
Young's Literal Translation
and Jehovah hearkeneth to the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the lad turneth back into his midst, and he liveth.
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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.”
Caesarius of ArlesAD 542
As we mentioned, that widow prefigured the church, and her son was a type of the Gentiles. The son of the widow lay dead because the son of the church, that is, the Gentiles, was dead because of many sins and offenses. At the prayer of Elijah, the widow’s son was revived; at the coming of Christ, the church’s son or the Christian people were brought back from the prison of death. Elijah bent down in prayer, and the widow’s son was revived; Christ sank down in his passion, and the Christian people were brought back to life. Why blessed Elijah bent down three times to arouse the boy I believe that the understanding of your charity has grasped even before I say it. In the fact that he bowed three times is shown the mystery of the Trinity. Not only the Father without the Son, nor the Father and Son without the Holy Spirit, but the whole Trinity restored the widow’s son or the Gentiles to life. Moreover, this is further demonstrated in the sacrament of baptism, for the old person is plunged in the water three times, in order that the new person may merit to rise. - "Sermon 124.4"
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 17:22 marks the climactic moment of Elijah's fervent intercession for the deceased son of the widow of Zarephath, powerfully demonstrating God's immediate and compassionate response to His prophet's earnest prayer. This pivotal miracle unequivocally showcases the Lord's absolute sovereignty over life and death, as the child's vital essence returns, restoring him to full vitality. This event not only validates Elijah's prophetic ministry in a period of pervasive apostasy but also serves as a profound testament to Yahweh's unique power to bring life out of death.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse serves as the dramatic culmination of a deeply personal and profound narrative within Elijah's early ministry, immediately following a period of miraculous provision. After God commanded Elijah to seek refuge with the widow of Zarephath during a severe famine, Yahweh miraculously sustained them through an unfailing supply of flour and oil, a testament to His faithfulness even amidst national judgment (1 Kings 17:8-16). The sudden and tragic death of the widow's only son plunges her into despair, leading her to confront Elijah with a cry of perceived divine judgment for her sins (1 Kings 17:18). In response, Elijah takes the child to his room, stretches himself over the boy three times, and cries out to the Lord with intense earnestness, pleading for the child's life (1 Kings 17:19-21). Verse 22 is the immediate and triumphant divine answer to this desperate prayer, directly preceding the widow's powerful declaration of faith and recognition of Elijah as a true prophet of God (1 Kings 17:24). This miracle not only solidifies Elijah's credibility but also unequivocally demonstrates God's active power in a land steeped in the worship of false gods.
Historical & Cultural Context: The events of 1 Kings 17 unfold during the tumultuous reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, a period characterized by unprecedented idolatry and a severe, divinely ordained drought (1 Kings 17:1). The aggressive promotion of Baal worship, a Canaanite storm and fertility god, by the royal house directly challenged the sovereignty of Yahweh. In this context, the famine was a direct refutation of Baal's supposed power over rain and life, exposing his impotence. The widow of Zarephath, a Sidonian, was a Gentile, highlighting God's boundless compassion extending beyond Israel's covenant boundaries, even to those who were not part of the chosen people. Her reliance on Elijah, a prophet of Yahweh, and God's miraculous provision for her underscored the futility of Baal and the living reality of the God of Israel. The act of raising the dead was an extraordinary and unprecedented demonstration of divine power in the Old Testament, directly countering the death-dealing nature of idolatry and affirming Yahweh as the sole source and sustainer of life. This miracle was a profound theological statement in a culture where the line between life and death was often seen as an uncrossable barrier.
Key Themes: The central themes illuminated by this verse are profoundly significant. Foremost is Divine Sovereignty Over Life and Death, unequivocally demonstrating that only Yahweh possesses the power to give and restore life. This miracle is the first recorded instance of a prophet raising someone from the dead in the Old Testament, setting a powerful precedent for future divine interventions and underscoring God's unique dominion over the very fabric of existence. Another prominent theme is the Efficacy of Earnest Prayer, as Elijah's specific, heartfelt, and persistent intercession is directly attributed to the child's revival. This powerfully underscores the transformative power of a righteous person's prayer, a truth later affirmed in the New Testament (James 5:16-18). Finally, the narrative highlights God's Compassion and Faithfulness, not only to His prophet Elijah but also to a distressed foreign widow and her son. This act of mercy proves His attentiveness to individual suffering even amidst national apostasy and serves to confirm Elijah's prophetic word, strengthening the faith of the widow and revealing God's active, redemptive involvement in the lives of individuals who turn to Him.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative of 1 Kings 17:22 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological message. Narrative Climax is powerfully evident, as this verse provides the dramatic and miraculous resolution to the intense tension created by the child's death and Elijah's desperate, fervent prayer. It represents the peak of the story arc concerning the widow and her son, culminating in divine triumph. Divine Intervention is the overarching and explicit theme, highlighted by the declarative statement "the LORD heard," which underscores God's direct, personal, and active involvement in human affairs, demonstrating His sovereignty over life itself. The concise, declarative statements throughout the verse ("the LORD heard," "the soul... came," "he revived") create a powerful sense of Clarity and Certainty, leaving no room for doubt about the miraculous nature and completeness of the event. Furthermore, this extraordinary event serves as profound Foreshadowing, subtly pointing towards future resurrections in biblical history, particularly those performed by Elisha and, most significantly, by Jesus Christ, thereby establishing a pattern of God's ultimate power over death. The subtle Repetition of the idea of life's return (the "soul" coming in, the child being "revived") reinforces the completeness, reality, and undeniable nature of the miracle.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The resurrection of the widow's son in 1 Kings 17:22 stands as a profound theological statement on God's absolute and exclusive sovereignty over life and death, a power uniquely belonging to the Creator. It demonstrates that God is not bound by natural processes, human limitations, or the finality of the grave, and that His boundless compassion extends even to those outside the covenant community when they are touched by His grace. This miracle serves as a powerful confirmation of Elijah's prophetic authority and the undeniable truth of Yahweh's living power, starkly contrasted against the impotent and lifeless idols of Baal. It underscores the profound efficacy of intercessory prayer, revealing God's readiness to respond to the earnest cries of His faithful servants, even in seemingly hopeless and irreversible situations, thereby affirming His active involvement in the lives of His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The account of the widow's son being raised from the dead in 1 Kings 17:22 offers profound spiritual nourishment and timeless practical application for believers today. It serves as an enduring testament to the limitless power of God, reminding us that no situation, however dire, hopeless, or seemingly irreversible, is beyond His capacity to intervene. When we face circumstances that appear to be "dead ends" in our own lives—whether it's a devastating diagnosis, a broken relationship, a crippling financial crisis, a profound spiritual drought, or the loss of a loved one—this passage calls us to remember that God is the Lord of life and resurrection. He holds ultimate dominion over all things, even death itself. This narrative also powerfully affirms the profound value and efficacy of fervent, persistent prayer. Elijah's example teaches us to bring our deepest burdens, our most desperate pleas, and our most heartfelt cries directly to God, trusting that He hears and responds according to His perfect will, boundless compassion, and divine timing. This story encourages us to cultivate a faith that looks beyond the immediate evidence of our senses and rests firmly in the sovereign, compassionate, and life-giving power of God, knowing that He is intimately attentive to the cries of His people and eternally capable of bringing life out of death.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was this the first recorded resurrection in the Bible?
Answer: Yes, 1 Kings 17:22 records the first instance in the biblical narrative where a person is explicitly raised from the dead by a prophet's intercession. While there are instances of individuals being near death and recovering or being healed (e.g., Job 42:10), this account is unique in its clear depiction of someone who had died being brought back to life. This extraordinary event sets a significant precedent for later miraculous resurrections performed by Elisha (e.g., 2 Kings 4:32-37) and, most significantly, by Jesus Christ Himself, who demonstrated His ultimate authority over death by raising multiple individuals (e.g., Luke 7:11-17).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The miraculous resurrection of the widow's son by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:22 serves as a profound and powerful foreshadowing of the ultimate authority over life and death embodied in Jesus Christ. While Elijah, as a prophet, acted as a divinely appointed instrument through whom God brought temporary life, Jesus declares Himself to be the very source and essence of life, proclaiming, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). The Old Testament resurrections, including this one, were temporary restorations to earthly life, with the individuals eventually dying again. However, Christ's own resurrection from the dead was a permanent, glorious triumph over sin and death, guaranteeing eternal life and a future bodily resurrection for all who believe in Him (Romans 6:9-10). The deep compassion shown by God through Elijah for the grieving widow finds its ultimate and most perfect expression in Jesus, who not only raised the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7:11-17) and Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:35-43) but also wept with Mary and Martha before raising Lazarus, demonstrating profound empathy and divine power (John 11:35). Thus, 1 Kings 17:22 powerfully points us to the greater reality of Christ, who truly holds the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18) and offers not merely a return to earthly life, but everlasting life in Him.