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1 Kings 17

World English Bible

WEB

1Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” 2Then Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, 3“Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5So he went and did according to Yahweh’s word, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8Yahweh’s word came to him, saying, 9“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.” 10So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” 11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12She said, “As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have anything baked, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. 14For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’” 15She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, he, and her household ate many days. 16The jar of meal didn’t run out and the jar of oil didn’t fail, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Elijah. 17After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!” 19He said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed. 20He cried to Yahweh and said, “Yahweh my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” 21He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh and said, “Yahweh my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again.” 22Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “Behold, your son lives.” 24The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that Yahweh’s word in your mouth is truth.”

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

1 Kings 17 presents a powerful narrative centered around the prophet #Elijah during a time of severe drought in Israel, which was a direct consequence of the people's idolatry and disobedience to God. The chapter begins with God commanding Elijah to go to #Ahab, the king of Israel, and announce that there will be no rain or dew for several years, except at Elijah's word (1 Kings 17:1). This proclamation emphasizes God's sovereignty over nature and His judgment against the worship of Baal, the false god of rain and fertility. Following this, God instructs Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith, where He miraculously provides for him through ravens that bring him bread and meat, and he drinks from the brook (1 Kings 17:2-6). This demonstrates God's provision and care for His faithful servants even in times of crisis.

As the brook eventually dries up due to the drought, God directs Elijah to Zarephath, where a widow is to provide for him (1 Kings 17:7-9). Upon arriving, Elijah encounters the widow gathering sticks and asks her for water and bread. The widow explains that she has only a handful of flour and a little oil left, which she plans to use for herself and her son before they die of starvation (1 Kings 17:10-12). Elijah reassures her, instructing her to make him a small cake first and promising that her flour and oil will not run out until the Lord sends rain upon the earth (1 Kings 17:13-14). The widow obeys, and indeed, her supplies miraculously last throughout the drought, illustrating God's faithfulness to those who trust in Him.

The chapter concludes with a significant miracle when the widow's son falls ill and dies (1 Kings 17:17). In her distress, she questions Elijah, but he takes the boy, prays to the Lord, and God restores the boy's life (1 Kings 17:18-22). This act not only affirms Elijah's prophetic authority but also reveals God's compassion and power over life and death. The widow's response, declaring that Elijah is a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth is truth (1 Kings 17:24), highlights the transformative impact of faith and the recognition of God's presence in the midst of suffering. Overall, this chapter illustrates themes of divine provision, faith, and the power of God to bring life from death, encouraging believers to trust in His promises even in dire circumstances.

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Referenced by

  1. Amos 4:7-8v1Amos 4:7-8 describes God withholding rain as a judgment, similar to the drought pronounced by Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1, demonstrating God's control over nature as a means of calling His people to repentance.
  2. Luke 4:25-27v9Jesus references Elijah and Elisha's ministries to Gentiles, illustrating God's grace extending beyond Israel, challenging Jewish exclusivism.
  3. James 5:17-18v1James 5:17-18 references Elijah's prayer for drought, which is recorded in 1 Kings 17:1, demonstrating the power of a righteous person's prayer.

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