The First Book of the Kings, commonly called the Third Book of the Kings
1 Kings 17
Chapter XVII · Vol. II, pp. 750–752
1 Elijah, having prophesied against Ahab, is sent to Cherith, where the ravens feed him. 8 He is sent to a widow of Zarephath. 17 He raiseth the widow's son: the woman believeth him.
1 And Elijaha the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead,1 said unto Ahab, bAs the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.2
B.C. 910.
1 The rendering of the Septuagint seems, when given in literal English, much more agreeable to the Hebrew, and also more explanatory, viz. 'The Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead.'—C.
b 2 Ki.3.14. De.10.8. Ja.5.17. Re.11.6. Lu.4.23. Is.45.11.
2 Elijah is one of the most majestic characters in the Old Testament. In many respects he is scarcely inferior to Moses, while in a few he even excels him. Yet their missions were very different. Moses was a deliverer; Elijah a destroyer. Moses was a lawgiver; Elijah a reformer. Elijah was valued, and is still celebrated, not for what he taught or said, but for what he did; not because he created a new and pure worship, but because he annihilated an old and corrupt one. Stern, fearless, uncompromising, Elijah was specially fitted to counteract and overthrow the haughty and cruel Jezebel.—P.
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and dhide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.3
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have ecommanded the ravens to feed thee there.
e Ps.78.23; 37.3,19. Job 38.41. Re.12.6,14.
5 So he went and did faccording unto the word of the LORD: for he went4 and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the gravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
g Mat.19.26; 16.25. Hab.3.17,18. Pr.30.8-10. Ju.14.14. Ps.37.3; 34.9,10.
7 And it came to pass after a while,4 that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.
A.M. 3095. B.C. 909.
4 Heb. at the end of days.
9 Arise, get thee to iZarephath,5 which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman6 there to sustain thee.
i Ob.20, called Sarepta, Lu.4.26.
5 Situated between Tyre and Sidon, and so beyond the jurisdiction of Ahab. Thus the heathenism that will not acknowledge God, unwittingly affords an asylum for his servant.—C.
6 'Strange comfort this to mere natural reason! A woman who has herself lost her chief earthly sustainer; a Phœnician, who might be a heathen, against whose idols Elijah was so zealous. Yet poor as she appeared, by the occupation which now engaged her, his faith could tell him she would have wherewith to sustain him.'—Krummacher.
10 So he arose, and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, kFetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, lBring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, mAs the LORD thy God liveth,7 I have not a ncake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and odie.
m ver.1. 1 Sa.25.26,34.
7 How she recognized him to be a worshipper of Jehovah is not recorded, probably by his Hebrew accent or prophetic garb.—C.
o Ge.21.15,16.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but pmake me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Theq barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she rwent and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.8
r 2 Ch.20.20. Is.7.9. Mat.15.28. Mar.12.43.
8 Or, a full year.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, saccording to the word of the LORD, which he spake by9 Elijah.
s ver.14; ch.13.5. 2 Ki.14.25. Nu.23.19. Tit.1.2. He.10.23. Je.32.17,27.
9 Heb. by the hand of.
17 And it came to pass after these things, that the tson of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
t 2 Ki.4.18-20. 1 Pe.4.12; 1.7. Ja.1.2-4. Jn.4.49,50.
18 And she said unto Elijah, uWhat have I to do with thee, O thou xman of God? yart thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance,1 and to slay my son?
u Lu.5.8. 2 Sa.16.10. Ro.2.4.
x De.33.1. Ju.13.6. 1 Sa.9.6,8. ch.13.1.
1 One of the constant characteristics of an humble believer, is the acknowledgment of guilt and unworthiness, Lu. 15. 18, 19. C.——This is certainly strange language, but very significant. She seems to say, 'Surely the Lord could not have approached so near a poor sinner as I am, if thou hadst not brought his awful presence into my house.' Alas! what absurd ideas, and yet with all this foolishness, what genuine feeling, what self-annihilation, what humility! The object of the stroke is gained.—Krummacher.
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a zloft where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he acried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also bbrought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he cstretched himself upon the child three times,2 and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
2 To indicate that while the miracle was wrought by his instrumentality, it was not by his power. Had it been by the prophet's power, once would have sufficed. It was also intended to teach the Sidonians, and all others, the efficacy of persevering prayer; and formed, as it were, the model for Paul in the depth of his afflictions, 2 Co.12.8.—C.
22 And the LORD dheard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he erevived.
d Ps.65.2. Ja.5.15,16. ver.19.
e De.32.39. 2 Ki.4.35. Lu.7.14,15; 8.54,55. Jn.11.43,44. Ac.9.40; 20.11. He.11.35.
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, fNow by this I know that thou art a man of God,3 and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.4
3 Previously she may have considered him as merely possessed of some extraordinary natural secret, by which the increase of the meal and oil was effected—the restoration of life, however, proves his commission from the living God.—C.
4 It would seem that Elijah had once said something to her which she did not fully comprehend or believe. But now when he said unto her, See, thy son liveth, her heart was ready to say something greater still, 'I know that my Redeemer liveth.'—Krummacher.
Notes
[Ver. 6. Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning. There was a rock called 'Oreb,' Ju. 7. 25, and there may have been a village of the same name, whose inhabitants secretly supplied the prophet; and the same word may be translated 'ravens,' or as it would be in English, 'people of Ravenstown.' But against this interpretation (1) we have—no mean authority—nearly all translations. (2) If any people brought food, they could have brought water, see ver. 7. (3) Hence we conclude he was literally supplied by ravens carrying away the flesh and bread dedicated in the groves to heathen idols. Thus the worship of the false, ministers to the prophet of the true God. C.]
Reflections.—God will have his witnesses in the worst of times, and will endue them with gifts and graces proportionable to the difficulties with which they are called to struggle. Great and inexpressible is the power of fervent prayer with God. But it bodes ill for a people when God's prophets are driven into corners, and when obscurity becomes their duty by the call of God. They who dare to be bold for God may trust him with their protection; he will take care that they shall not starve. He can make the most ravenous or the most destitute creatures on earth to provide for them. When one created source runs dry, he can make another to break forth. And plentifully he rewards those who cheerfully supply the wants of his servants. Yet to what straits and perplexity may those who fear his name, or their children, be reduced before he appear for their relief! But in our deepest distresses God is nearer to relieve us than we think, and faith must silence all objections. A promise of God is instead of a thousand arguments. They who can trust God with their all, will find themselves no losers by him: and works of piety and charity bring us our own again with usury. God often exercises his people with the heaviest trials after they have met with remarkable favours And the more unexpected the stroke, the harder it is to be composed under it at first. In our troubles, how apt are we to quarrel with our best friends, and in our haste to speak unadvisedly with our lips! But it is more decent and becoming humbly to search out, confess, and acknowledge our sin, which is the cause of them. And if others be in trouble, our business is to sympathize with them, and intercede with God in their favour. And great is the mercy when troubles and deliverances concur to strengthen our faith and increase our knowledge. But how great the condescension of God—he hath chosen the poor, rich in faith, and heirs of his kingdom! How great his compassion in raising the monuments of his special kindness! A Canaanitish widow is regarded, is honoured with miracles, when multitudes in Israel, as destitute as she, are overlooked!