### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **Tsârᵉphath**, represented by `{{H6886}}`, is a proper name for a place in Palestine known as **Zarephath**. Derived from a root meaning "refinement," it appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses**. While a specific geographical location, its biblical usage associates it with themes of divine provision in a foreign land and the promised future restoration of Israel.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H6886}}` is the setting for a significant event in 1 Kings. God commands his prophet to arise and go to **Zarephath**, which is explicitly identified as a place that "belongeth to Zidon," and to dwell there [[1 Kings 17:9]]. There, God had commanded a widow to sustain him. The prophet obeyed, and upon arriving at the gate of the city, he met the widow gathering sticks [[1 Kings 17:10]]. The location also appears in prophecy, where Obadiah foretells that the captivity of Israel will one day possess the land of the Canaanites as far as **Zarephath** [[Obadiah 1:20]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the events and prophecies surrounding Zarephath:
* `{{H6721}}` **Tsîydôwn** (fishery; Tsidon): The city to which Zarephath belongs, establishing the story's setting in a Gentile, Phoenician territory outside of Israel [[1 Kings 17:9]].
* `{{H490}}` **ʼalmânâh** (widow): The central figure in the narrative at Zarephath is a **widow** woman, whom God commanded to provide for His prophet in a time of famine [[1 Kings 17:9]].
* `{{H3557}}` **kûwl** (sustain): This is the specific action God commanded the widow of Zarephath to perform for the prophet, highlighting His supernatural provision through an unlikely source [[1 Kings 17:9]].
* `{{H1546}}` **gâlûwth** (captivity): This word connects Zarephath to a prophecy of restoration, where the exiles, or **captivity**, of Israel are promised future possession of territory that includes Zarephath [[Obadiah 1:20]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6886}}` is demonstrated in its specific contexts.
* **God's Provision Beyond Israel:** The events at **Zarephath** show that God's care and power are not limited to the people or land of Israel. He provides for his prophet in a foreign land through a Gentile widow, demonstrating the universal reach of His authority [[1 Kings 17:9]].
* **A Place of Refining Faith:** The name's root, meaning "refinement," is reflected in the trial of faith for both the prophet and the widow. The prophet had to trust God's command to go to a foreign land, while the destitute widow had to obey a command to give away her last meal, an act which led to miraculous provision [[1 Kings 17:10]].
* **A Landmark of Future Restoration:** In prophecy, **Zarephath** serves as a geographical marker for the complete restoration of Israel. Its inclusion as a boundary of future inheritance symbolizes the full extent of the blessings God has promised for His returned people [[Obadiah 1:20]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6886}}` is not merely a name on a map but a location of profound theological importance. It is a stage where God's ability to provide, test faith, and work through unexpected people is vividly displayed. As both a place of miraculous sustenance and a prophetic boundary of future hope, Zarephath illustrates God's sovereign hand at work in the lives of individuals and in the grand scope of Israel's history.
TRV