1 Kings 17 Study Notes: Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath
Elijah tells Ahab that no rain will fall until he says so, and ravens feed him by a brook. God then sends him to a widow in Zarephath, whose flour and oil last through the famine. When her son dies, Elijah prays, the boy revives, and she confesses that Elijah speaks the LORD's word.
General
What did Elijah announce to King Ahab (1 Kings 17:1)?
Answer: No dew or rain would fall in the coming years unless he said so
Elijah, a Tishbite who lived in Gilead, appears suddenly before Ahab. Swearing by the living God of Israel, in whose service he stands, he announces that for years to come no dew or rain will fall unless he gives the word (17:1). Ahab had built a temple for Baal (16:32), and the LORD now shows that He alone controls the rain. Long before, God had warned that if Israel turned to worship other gods, He would shut the heavens and withhold rain (Deuteronomy 11:16-17). James points to this moment as an example of prayer: Elijah, an ordinary man like us, prayed fervently for the rain to stop, and it stopped; then he prayed again and the rain returned (James 5:17-18).
- 1 Kings 17:1 (BSB)“Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!””Elijah swears by the living LORD before whom he stands that there will be no dew or rain except at his word.
- Deuteronomy 11:16-17 (BSB)“But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods, or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you.”The law warned that if Israel turned to other gods, the LORD would shut the heavens and withhold rain.
- James 5:17 (BSB)“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.”James says Elijah, a man like us, prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not.
- James 5:18 (BSB)“Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.”James adds that Elijah prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the earth yielded its crops.
Theological
What did Elijah declare to Ahab in 1 Kings 17:1?
Answer: No dew or rain would fall in the coming years unless he said so
Elijah the Tishbite of Gilead confronts Ahab with an oath by the living LORD, before whom he stands as servant: no dew or rain will fall in the coming years except by his word (17:1). Set immediately after Ahab’s establishment of Baal worship (16:32), the drought is the covenant sanction Deuteronomy threatened for idolatry, the LORD shutting up the heavens (Deuteronomy 11:16-17), and a demonstration that the LORD, not Baal, governs the rain. James presents Elijah as a man of like nature with us whose earnest prayer God used to stop and then restore the rain (James 5:17-18); God ordains both the end and the prayers by which He brings it about.
- 1 Kings 17:1 (BSB)“Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!””Elijah swears by the living LORD before whom he stands that there will be no dew or rain except at his word.
- Deuteronomy 11:16-17 (BSB)“But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods, or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you.”The law warned that if Israel turned to other gods, the LORD would shut the heavens and withhold rain.
- James 5:17 (BSB)“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.”James says Elijah, a man like us, prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not.
- James 5:18 (BSB)“Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.”James adds that Elijah prayed again, and the heavens gave rain and the earth yielded its crops.
General
What happened after Elijah carried the boy to his room and prayed to the LORD for him (1 Kings 17:20-22)?
Answer: The LORD heard Elijah, and the boy came back to life
Elijah took the boy from his mother’s arms, carried him upstairs to the room he lodged in, and put him on his bed (17:19). He prayed aloud, asking the LORD whether He had brought this sorrow on the widow who had taken him in. Then three times he lay stretched over the boy and begged the LORD to let him live again (17:20-21). The LORD heard Elijah’s prayer, and the boy came back to life (17:22). The LORD holds the power of both death and life (1 Samuel 2:6). Hebrews remembers women whose dead were restored to them alive (Hebrews 11:35), and Jesus Himself later raised a widow’s son at Nain and restored the young man to her (Luke 7:15).
- 1 Kings 17:19-22 (BSB)“But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!” And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.”Elijah carries the boy to his upper room, cries out to the LORD, stretches himself over the child three times, and the LORD restores the boy’s life.
- 1 Samuel 2:6 (BSB)“The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.”The LORD brings death and gives life.
- Hebrews 11:35 (BSB)“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.”Hebrews recalls women who received back their dead raised to life again.
- Luke 7:15 (BSB)“And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.”Jesus raised a widow’s son at Nain and gave him back to his mother.
Theological
What was the outcome of Elijah’s intercession for the widow’s son, according to 1 Kings 17:20-22?
Answer: The LORD heard Elijah, and the boy came back to life
Elijah took the dead boy to his own upstairs room and placed him on the bed (17:19), then brought the case to the LORD, asking whether He had brought calamity on the widow who sheltered him, and, stretching himself out on the boy three times, pleaded for the boy’s life (17:20-21). The LORD answered, and the child revived (17:22). The narrative locates the power over life in God, who kills and makes alive (1 Samuel 2:6), with the prophet’s prayer as the means God answered. Hebrews counts such restorations among the triumphs of faith (Hebrews 11:35), and Christ’s raising of the widow’s son at Nain, whom He restored to his mother (Luke 7:15), shows the same lordship over death.
- 1 Kings 17:19-22 (BSB)“But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have You also brought tragedy on this widow who has opened her home to me, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, please let this boy’s life return to him!” And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him, and he lived.”Elijah carries the boy to his upper room, cries out to the LORD, stretches himself over the child three times, and the LORD restores the boy’s life.
- 1 Samuel 2:6 (BSB)“The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.”The LORD brings death and gives life.
- Hebrews 11:35 (BSB)“Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.”Hebrews recalls women who received back their dead raised to life again.
- Luke 7:15 (BSB)“And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.”Jesus raised a widow’s son at Nain and gave him back to his mother.
General
True or False: The widow’s flour and oil ran out before the drought ended.
Answer: False
This is false. The widow did what Elijah told her, and day after day Elijah, she and her family had food to eat (17:15). Her flour and oil never ran out, exactly as the LORD had said through Elijah (17:16). A little was always enough. God had made a promise, and He kept it, for He does not promise and fail to fulfill (Numbers 23:19). Scripture elsewhere speaks of God satisfying His people in days of famine (Psalm 37:19), and Paul assures believers that God will meet every need they have (Philippians 4:19).
- 1 Kings 17:15-16 (BSB)“So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household. The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.”The widow obeys, and there is food every day for Elijah, the woman and her household, just as the LORD had spoken.
- Psalm 37:19 (BSB)“In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.”In days of famine the righteous will be satisfied.
- Philippians 4:19 (BSB)“And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”God supplies all the needs of His people.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”God does not promise and then fail to fulfill.
Theological
True or False: According to 1 Kings 17:16, the widow’s provisions failed before the LORD sent rain.
Answer: False
This is false. The widow acted on Elijah’s word, and the prophet, the widow and her family had food daily (17:15); her flour and oil did not fail, in fulfillment of the LORD’s word spoken through Elijah (17:16). The narrator’s fulfillment formula, used of kings and dynasties in the preceding chapters, is now applied to a widow’s kitchen: God’s word is equally sure in both. He does not promise and fail to act (Numbers 23:19), He satisfies His people in famine (Psalm 37:19), and He supplies every need of His people in Christ (Philippians 4:19).
- 1 Kings 17:15-16 (BSB)“So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and there was food every day for Elijah and the woman and her household. The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.”The widow obeys, and there is food every day for Elijah, the woman and her household, just as the LORD had spoken.
- Psalm 37:19 (BSB)“In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.”In days of famine the righteous will be satisfied.
- Philippians 4:19 (BSB)“And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”God supplies all the needs of His people.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”God does not promise and then fail to fulfill.
General
What point did Jesus make in the synagogue at Nazareth by recalling that Elijah was sent to a widow in Zarephath (Luke 4:25-26)?
Answer: Though Israel had many widows, God sent His prophet to a foreigner
Preaching in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus reminded His hearers that Israel was full of widows during the great famine of Elijah’s time (Luke 4:25), yet God passed over all of them and sent His prophet to a widow in the Sidonian town of Zarephath, a foreigner outside Israel (Luke 4:26; 1 Kings 17:9). His point was that God freely chooses whom to show mercy to. His kindness is not owed to anyone because of their nation or background, and He may give it to an outsider while passing over many in Israel. Paul makes the same point about God’s free choice: the outcome rests not on what people want or how hard they try, but on God, who shows mercy (Romans 9:16). This widow from Zarephath is an early sign that God’s kindness would reach the nations.
- 1 Kings 17:9 (BSB)““Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.””God sends Elijah to a widow in Zarephath, a town of Sidon outside Israel.
- Luke 4:25 (BSB)“But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.”Jesus notes that there were many widows in Israel during the famine of Elijah’s day.
- Luke 4:26 (BSB)“Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.”Yet Elijah was sent to none of them except the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.
- Romans 9:16 (BSB)“So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”Paul teaches that God’s mercy does not depend on human desire or effort but on God’s free choice to show mercy.
Theological
What did Jesus teach at Nazareth from Elijah’s mission to a widow in Zarephath (Luke 4:25-26)?
Answer: Though Israel had many widows, God sent His prophet to a foreigner
In the Nazareth synagogue Jesus observed that, although Israel had many widows during the famine of Elijah’s day (Luke 4:25), the prophet was sent to none of them; he went instead to a Gentile widow in Sidonian Zarephath (Luke 4:26; 1 Kings 17:9). Jesus’ point is God’s sovereign freedom in choosing whom to show mercy: His grace is not a national entitlement, and He may pass over many in Israel to bless a foreigner. Paul articulates the same principle of God’s free choice: the outcome rests not on human wanting or striving but on the mercy of God (Romans 9:16). The episode anticipates the extension of God’s grace to the Gentiles.
- 1 Kings 17:9 (BSB)““Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.””God sends Elijah to a widow in Zarephath, a town of Sidon outside Israel.
- Luke 4:25 (BSB)“But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.”Jesus notes that there were many widows in Israel during the famine of Elijah’s day.
- Luke 4:26 (BSB)“Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.”Yet Elijah was sent to none of them except the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.
- Romans 9:16 (BSB)“So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”Paul teaches that God’s mercy does not depend on human desire or effort but on God’s free choice to show mercy.
General
Why did Elijah tell the widow to make him a small cake before feeding her own family (1 Kings 17:13-14)?
Answer: The LORD promised her flour and oil would last until rain came
Elijah told the widow not to be afraid. She could go ahead with her plan, but first she was to make a small loaf for him, and afterward prepare food for herself and her son (17:13). The reason was a promise from Israel’s God: her flour and oil would not run out until the day He sent rain once more (17:14). Elijah’s request asked her to trust God’s word before she could see it fulfilled. Scripture teaches that no one can please God apart from faith (Hebrews 11:6), and Jesus calls His followers to seek God’s kingdom first, trusting the Father to supply what they need (Matthew 6:33). The promise here was specific: food to live on through the drought.
- 1 Kings 17:13-14 (BSB)““Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’””Elijah tells the widow not to fear, to make him a small cake first, and gives the LORD’s promise that the flour and oil will last until rain comes.
- Hebrews 11:6 (BSB)“And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”Without faith it is impossible to please God, who rewards those who seek Him.
- Matthew 6:33 (BSB)“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”Jesus promises that those who seek God’s kingdom first will have what they need added to them.
Theological
On what basis did Elijah ask the widow to feed him first, according to 1 Kings 17:13-14?
Answer: The LORD promised her flour and oil would last until rain came
Elijah’s request that she first bake a small cake for him (17:13) rests entirely on a word from Israel’s God: her flour and oil would not fail until the LORD sent rain (17:14). The command calls for faith that acts on God’s promise before seeing it fulfilled, the faith without which no one pleases God (Hebrews 11:6) and which seeks God’s kingdom first while trusting Him for daily needs (Matthew 6:33). The promise is specific to her situation, sustenance through the drought, not a general guarantee of abundance.
- 1 Kings 17:13-14 (BSB)““Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’””Elijah tells the widow not to fear, to make him a small cake first, and gives the LORD’s promise that the flour and oil will last until rain comes.
- Hebrews 11:6 (BSB)“And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”Without faith it is impossible to please God, who rewards those who seek Him.
- Matthew 6:33 (BSB)“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”Jesus promises that those who seek God’s kingdom first will have what they need added to them.
General
What did the widow conclude after Elijah gave her son back to her alive (1 Kings 17:24)?
Answer: That Elijah truly served God and spoke the LORD’s true word
Elijah carried the boy downstairs, returned him to the widow, and told her that her son was alive (17:23). The woman responded that she now knew for certain that Elijah belonged to God and spoke the LORD’s message truly (17:24). The flour and oil had kept her alive, and the return of her son brought her to this confession. The law had taught that a message which does not come true is not one the LORD has spoken (Deuteronomy 18:21-22), and the psalmist confesses that the whole of God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:160). Jesus Himself prayed to the Father that His word is truth (John 17:17).
- 1 Kings 17:23-24 (BSB)“Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared. Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.””Elijah gives the living boy back to his mother, and she confesses that he is a man of God and that the LORD’s word from his mouth is truth.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (BSB)“You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”The law taught that a prophet’s message that does not come true is not one the LORD has spoken.
- John 17:17 (BSB)“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”Jesus prays to the Father that His word is truth.
- Psalm 119:160 (BSB)“The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.”The whole of God’s word is truth.
Theological
What confession did the widow make when her son was restored, according to 1 Kings 17:24?
Answer: That Elijah truly served God and spoke the LORD’s true word
When Elijah presented her son alive (17:23), the widow confessed that she now knew he was God’s own servant and that the LORD’s word he spoke was truth (17:24). The chapter closes on the reliability of God’s word: the word that stopped the rain, fed the prophet and filled the jar is now vindicated in the gift of life. The Mosaic test of a true prophet is the fulfillment of his word (Deuteronomy 18:21-22), and Scripture confesses the entirety of God’s word to be truth (Psalm 119:160), as Christ Himself affirms in His prayer (John 17:17).
- 1 Kings 17:23-24 (BSB)“Then Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. “Look, your son is alive,” Elijah declared. Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.””Elijah gives the living boy back to his mother, and she confesses that he is a man of God and that the LORD’s word from his mouth is truth.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (BSB)“You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”The law taught that a prophet’s message that does not come true is not one the LORD has spoken.
- John 17:17 (BSB)“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”Jesus prays to the Father that His word is truth.
- Psalm 119:160 (BSB)“The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.”The whole of God’s word is truth.
General
How did the LORD provide for Elijah while he hid at the Brook of Cherith (1 Kings 17:4-6)?
Answer: Ravens carried food to him morning and evening
After the announcement, the LORD told Elijah to go east, hide at the Brook of Cherith beyond the Jordan, take water from it, and be fed by ravens that God had commanded to bring him food (17:2-4). Elijah did as he was told, and every morning and evening the ravens brought him food, while the brook gave him water (17:5-6). The God who feeds the young ravens (Psalm 147:9) can use even them to feed His servant. Jesus later told His disciples to consider the ravens, whom God feeds, and to trust Him for their own needs (Luke 12:24). As with the bread from heaven in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4), God provided in His own way.
- 1 Kings 17:2-4 (BSB)“Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan. And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.””The LORD sends Elijah to hide by the Brook of Cherith, telling him he will drink from the brook and ravens will feed him.
- 1 Kings 17:5-6 (BSB)“So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan. The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.”Elijah obeys, and ravens bring him food morning and evening while he drinks from the brook.
- Luke 12:24 (BSB)“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!”Jesus points to the ravens, whom God feeds, to show how much more He cares for His people.
- Psalm 147:9 (BSB)“He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.”God provides food even for the young ravens when they call.
- Exodus 16:4 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.”God provided bread from heaven for Israel in the wilderness, another provision outside ordinary means.
Theological
By what means did the LORD sustain Elijah at the Brook of Cherith, according to 1 Kings 17:4-6?
Answer: Ravens carried food to him morning and evening
The LORD directed Elijah to conceal himself beyond the Jordan at the Brook of Cherith, where the brook would supply water and ravens, under divine command, would supply food (17:2-4). Elijah obeyed, and the ravens brought him food twice daily (17:5-6). God commands even creatures of the wild to serve His purpose. His providence extends to feeding the ravens themselves (Psalm 147:9), and Jesus draws from this the lesson of trust: if God feeds the ravens, He will care for His children (Luke 12:24). The provision recalls the manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4), daily sustenance supplied directly by God.
- 1 Kings 17:2-4 (BSB)“Then a revelation from the LORD came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan. And you are to drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.””The LORD sends Elijah to hide by the Brook of Cherith, telling him he will drink from the brook and ravens will feed him.
- 1 Kings 17:5-6 (BSB)“So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan. The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.”Elijah obeys, and ravens bring him food morning and evening while he drinks from the brook.
- Luke 12:24 (BSB)“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!”Jesus points to the ravens, whom God feeds, to show how much more He cares for His people.
- Psalm 147:9 (BSB)“He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.”God provides food even for the young ravens when they call.
- Exodus 16:4 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.”God provided bread from heaven for Israel in the wilderness, another provision outside ordinary means.
General
When the stream at Cherith failed, where did the LORD send Elijah next (1 Kings 17:8-9)?
Answer: To a widow in Zarephath, a town of Sidon
Eventually the brook ran dry, since no rain had fallen (17:7). The LORD then sent Elijah to Zarephath, a town belonging to Sidon, and told him that He had already instructed a widow in that town to feed him (17:8-9). Sidon was the land ruled by Jezebel’s father Ethbaal (16:31), so God sustained His prophet in the homeland of Jezebel, the queen whose marriage to Ahab came with his turn to Baal. And He chose a poor widow, the kind of person Scripture says the LORD especially cares for: He protects foreigners and sustains the widow (Psalm 146:9), and He shows love to the outsider by providing him food (Deuteronomy 10:18).
- 1 Kings 17:7-9 (BSB)“Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.””When the brook dries up, the LORD sends Elijah to Zarephath of Sidon, where He has commanded a widow to provide for him.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.”Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, so Zarephath lay in the territory of her father’s people.
- Psalm 146:9 (BSB)“The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.”The LORD protects foreigners and sustains the fatherless and the widow.
- Deuteronomy 10:18 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.”God executes justice for the widow and loves the foreigner, giving him food.
Theological
Where did the LORD direct Elijah after the stream at Cherith failed, according to 1 Kings 17:8-9?
Answer: To a widow in Zarephath, a town of Sidon
When the stream at Cherith failed for lack of rain (17:7), the LORD sent Elijah to the Sidonian town of Zarephath, where He had already commanded a widow to provide for him (17:8-9). Sidon was the realm of Ethbaal, Jezebel’s father (16:31), so the LORD preserves His prophet in Jezebel’s own homeland, through a destitute Gentile widow. The choice reflects God’s revealed character as protector of the sojourner and sustainer of the widow (Psalm 146:9), who loves the foreigner and feeds him (Deuteronomy 10:18).
- 1 Kings 17:7-9 (BSB)“Some time later, however, the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.””When the brook dries up, the LORD sends Elijah to Zarephath of Sidon, where He has commanded a widow to provide for him.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal.”Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, so Zarephath lay in the territory of her father’s people.
- Psalm 146:9 (BSB)“The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.”The LORD protects foreigners and sustains the fatherless and the widow.
- Deuteronomy 10:18 (BSB)“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.”God executes justice for the widow and loves the foreigner, giving him food.
General
When her son died, what did the widow ask Elijah (1 Kings 17:18)?
Answer: Whether he had come to expose her sin and bring about her son’s death
Some time later the widow’s son fell ill, and he grew worse until he stopped breathing (17:17). In her grief she turned on Elijah, addressing him as God’s man, and asked what he had against her: had he come to bring her guilt to mind and bring about her son’s death (17:18)? In the presence of God’s prophet her thoughts went at once to her own guilt, much as Peter later cried out that he was a sinful man when he saw Jesus’ power (Luke 5:8). Her question tied her son’s death to her sin. When Jesus’ disciples made the same kind of link about a blind man, Jesus replied that the blindness was not owing to his own sin or his parents’, but that this had happened so God’s works could be shown in his life (John 9:2-3). Here too God was about to show His power, by giving her son back alive (17:22-23).
- 1 Kings 17:17-18 (BSB)“Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him. “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?””The widow’s son grows ill until he stops breathing, and she asks Elijah whether he came to bring her sin to remembrance and kill her son.
- John 9:2-3 (BSB)“and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.”Jesus’ disciples assumed a man’s affliction came from someone’s sin, but Jesus said it was so that God’s works would be displayed.
- Luke 5:8 (BSB)“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.””Peter, in the presence of Jesus’ power, cried out that he was a sinful man.
Theological
What question did the widow put to Elijah after her son’s death, according to 1 Kings 17:18?
Answer: Whether he had come to expose her sin and bring about her son’s death
The widow’s son sickened until no breath was left in him (17:17), and she confronted Elijah as God’s prophet, asking whether he had come to bring her iniquity to remembrance and to kill her son (17:18). In the presence of God’s prophet her mind turned to her own guilt, much as Peter’s encounter with Christ’s power drew the confession that he was a sinful man (Luke 5:8). Her question assumed a direct link between her son’s death and her sin. Jesus answered a similar assumption about a man born blind by pointing to God’s purpose to display His works (John 9:2-3), and the sequel here displays God’s power in restoring her son (17:22-23).
- 1 Kings 17:17-18 (BSB)“Later, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill, and his sickness grew worse and worse, until no breath remained in him. “O man of God,” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come to remind me of my iniquity and cause the death of my son?””The widow’s son grows ill until he stops breathing, and she asks Elijah whether he came to bring her sin to remembrance and kill her son.
- John 9:2-3 (BSB)“and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him.”Jesus’ disciples assumed a man’s affliction came from someone’s sin, but Jesus said it was so that God’s works would be displayed.
- Luke 5:8 (BSB)“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.””Peter, in the presence of Jesus’ power, cried out that he was a sinful man.
General
When Elijah asked the widow for bread, what did she tell him (1 Kings 17:12)?
Answer: She had just enough flour and oil for one last meal with her son
At the town gate Elijah met a widow collecting firewood and asked her for a drink of water, and then for some bread (17:10-11). Swearing by the LORD, whom she called Elijah’s God, she told him she had no baked bread at all, only a small amount of flour and oil. She was gathering a few sticks to cook one last meal for her son and herself, expecting that they would then die (17:12). The famine was severe and widespread, as Jesus later recalled (Luke 4:25). The woman had nothing left, and that is where the LORD chose to show His care, for He watches over all who fear Him and preserves their lives in famine (Psalm 33:18-19).
- 1 Kings 17:10-12 (BSB)“So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.” But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.””Elijah asks the widow for water and bread; she swears she has only a little flour and oil for a last meal for herself and her son.
- Luke 4:25 (BSB)“But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.”Jesus recalls that in Elijah’s time a great famine swept over all the land.
- Psalm 33:18-19 (BSB)“Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”The LORD’s eyes are on those who fear Him, to keep them alive in famine.
Theological
What did the widow in Zarephath tell Elijah about her provisions in 1 Kings 17:12?
Answer: She had just enough flour and oil for one last meal with her son
Elijah met the widow at the town gate gathering sticks and asked for water and bread (17:10-11). Swearing by the LORD as Elijah’s God, she explained that she had nothing baked, just a small amount of flour and oil, which she intended to prepare as a final meal for herself and her son before they died (17:12). The famine Jesus later recalled as gripping the whole land (Luke 4:25) had brought her to utter extremity. Her destitution is the setting in which the LORD displays His power to preserve life in famine (Psalm 33:18-19).
- 1 Kings 17:10-12 (BSB)“So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread.” But she replied, “As surely as the LORD your God lives, I have no bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. Look, I am gathering a couple of sticks to take home and prepare a meal for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.””Elijah asks the widow for water and bread; she swears she has only a little flour and oil for a last meal for herself and her son.
- Luke 4:25 (BSB)“But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.”Jesus recalls that in Elijah’s time a great famine swept over all the land.
- Psalm 33:18-19 (BSB)“Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”The LORD’s eyes are on those who fear Him, to keep them alive in famine.