1 Kings17

Elijah the Tishbite declares a severe drought to King Ahab. The Lord then directs Elijah to the brook Cherith, where ravens feed him, and later to Zarephath, where a widow miraculously sustains him and her household with unfailing meal and oil. When the widow's son dies, Elijah prays to the Lord, who restores the child's life, confirming Elijah's divine authority.

Elijah Prophesies Drought to Ahab

Eliyahu from Tishbe, an inhabitant of Gil'ad, said to Ach'av, "As ADONAI the God of Isra'el lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither rain nor dew in the years ahead unless I say so."

Elijah at the Brook Cherith

Then the word of ADONAI came to him:

"Leave here, turn to the east, and hide in Vadi K'rit near the Yarden.

You are to drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."

So he went and acted according to the word of ADONAI- he went and lived in Vadi K'rit near the Yarden.

The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the stream.

After a while the stream dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

Sustained by the Widow of Zarephath

Then this word of ADONAI came to him:

"Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you."

So he set out and went to Tzarfat. On reaching the gate of the city, he saw a widow there gathering sticks. He called out to her, "Please bring a little water in a container for me to drink."

As she was going to get it, he called after her, "Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand."

She answered, "As ADONAI your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a pot and a little oil in the jug. Here I am, gathering a couple sticks of wood, so that I can go and cook it for myself and my son. After we have eaten that, we will die."

Eliyahu said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go; and do what you said; but first, use a little of it to make me a small loaf of bread; and bring it out to me. After that, make food for yourself and your son.

For this is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el, says: 'The pot of meal will not get used up, nor will there fail to be oil in the jug, until the day ADONAI sends rain down on the land.'"

She went and acted according to what Eliyahu had said; and she, he and her household had food to eat for a long time.

The pot of meal did not get used up, nor did there fail to be oil in the jug, in fulfillment of the word of ADONAI spoken through Eliyahu.

Resurrection of the Widow's Son

A while later, the son of the woman whose house it was fell ill; his illness grew increasingly serious until his breathing stopped.

She said to Eliyahu, "What do you have against me, you man of God? Did you come to me just to remind me how sinful I am by killing my son?"

"Give me your son," he said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him into the room upstairs where he was staying and laid him on his own bed.

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?"

He stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to ADONAI: "ADONAI my God, please! Let this child's soul come back into him!"

ADONAI heard Eliyahu's cry, the child's soul came back into him, and he revived.

Eliyahu took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Eliyahu said, "See? Your son is alive."

The woman replied to Eliyahu, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of ADONAI that you speak is the truth."

Study Notes for 1 Kings 17

Verse 1

Elijah’s sudden appearance and bold oath (“As the LORD God of Israel liveth”) directly challenges Baal, the Canaanite storm god whom Ahab and Jezebel were promoting. The drought is not merely a natural disaster but a divine judgment proving YHWH’s supremacy over creation and fertility.

Verse 3

Hiding Elijah protects him from Ahab’s inevitable wrath, demonstrating that God is sovereign over the prophet's life and safety, even in the midst of national crisis.

Verse 4

The use of ravens (ritually unclean birds under Mosaic Law) emphasizes God’s absolute power to sustain his servant through unconventional or even impure means, highlighting divine provision during the famine.

Verse 7

The drying up of the brook forces Elijah into further dependence, illustrating a pattern of obedience and reliance required of the prophet before his next mission.

Verse 9

Zarephath was located in Sidon, the homeland of the wicked Queen Jezebel and a center of Baal worship. God sends Elijah to be sustained by a Gentile widow, demonstrating that YHWH’s concern and power extend beyond the borders of Israel.

Verse 12

The widow’s desperate statement reveals the extremity of the famine; she is preparing her final meal for herself and her son, accepting imminent death. This sets the stage for the extraordinary nature of the upcoming miracle.

Verse 13

Elijah challenges the widow to act in faith first, demanding that she prioritize the needs of the prophet of YHWH. This command requires absolute trust in God’s promise over human logic.

Verse 14

The miracle of the sustained flour and oil demonstrates YHWH's power over the natural elements, directly confronting Baal's supposed domain over agricultural fertility and provision.

Verse 17

This event tests the widow’s newfound faith, shifting the focus from physical provision (food) to the power of life and death, which belongs exclusively to God.

Verse 18

The widow interprets the tragedy as divine judgment for sin, a common ancient belief. She fears Elijah’s presence as a man of God has brought her hidden sins into remembrance, leading to her son's death.

Verse 20

Elijah’s prayer is raw and honest, questioning why God would bring 'evil' (calamity) upon the faithful woman who had provided for His prophet. This demonstrates the wrestling nature of true prayer.

Verse 21

This is the first recorded instance of resurrection in the Bible. Stretching himself upon the child may have been an ancient resuscitation technique or, theologically, a symbolic transfer of life through the prophet as God’s instrument.

Verse 24

The resurrection confirms the widow’s faith, moving beyond reliance on the miracle of provision to full recognition of Elijah’s authority and the truth of YHWH’s word delivered through him.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

1 Kings17

Elijah Prophesies Drought to Ahab

Elijah at the Brook Cherith

Sustained by the Widow of Zarephath

Resurrection of the Widow's Son

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options