Read 1 Kings chapter 17 online with LogosAI Bible study tools, highlights, and cross references.
1 Kings 17 is part of “Elijah's Ministry” (17–22) in the outline of 1 Kings.
1 Kings 17 summary
So sad was the character both of the princes and people of Israel, as described in the foregoing chapter, that one might have expected God would cast off a people that had so cast him off; but, as an evidence to the contrary, never was Israel so blessed with a good prophet as when it was so plagued with a bad king. Never was king so bold to sin as Ahab; never was prophet so bold to reprove and threaten as Elijah, whose story begins in this chapter and is full of wonders. Scarcely any part of the Old Testament history shines brighter than this history of the spirit and power of Elias; he only, of all the prophets, had the honour of Enoch, the first prophet, to be translated, that he should not see death, and the honour of Moses, the great prophet, to attend our Saviour in his transfiguration. Other prophets prophesied and wrote, he prophesied and acted, but wrote nothing; but his actions cast more lustre on his name than their writings did on theirs. In this chapter we have, I. His prediction of a famine in Israel, through the want of rain (Kg1 17:1). II. The provision made for him in that famine, 1. By the ravens at the brook Cherith (Kg1 17:2-7). 2. When that failed, by the widow at Zarephath, who received him in the name of a prophet and had a prophet's reward; for (1.) He multiplied her meal and her oil (Kg1 17:8-16). (2.) He raised her dead son to life (Kg1 17:17-24). Thus his story begins with judgments and miracles, designed to awaken that stupid generation that had to deeply corrupted themselves.
Source: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
1 And Eliiah the Tishbite one of the inhabitats of Gilead sayde vnto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liueth, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dewe nor rayne these yeeres, but according to my worde.
2 And the worde of the Lord came vnto him, saying,
3 Go hence, and turne thee Eastwarde, and hide thy selfe in the riuer Cherith, that is ouer against Iorden,
4 And thou shalt drinke of the riuer: and I haue comanded the rauens to feede thee there.
5 So he went and did according vnto the word of the Lord: for he went, and remained by the riuer Cherith that is ouer against Iorden.
6 And the rauens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the euening, and he dranke of the riuer.
7 And after a while the riuer dryed vp, because there fell no rayne vpon the earth.
8 And the worde of the Lord came vnto him, saying,
9 Vp, and get thee to Zarephath, which is in Zidon, and remaine there: beholde, I haue commanded a widow there to sustaine thee.
10 So he arose, and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the citie, beholde, the widowe was there gathering stickes: and he called her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a litle water in a vessel, that I may drinke.
11 And as she was going to fet it, he called to her, and sayde, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsell of bread in thine hand.
12 And shee sayde, As the Lord thy God liueth, I haue not a cake, but euen an handfull of meale in a barrel, and a litle oyle in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering a fewe stickes for to go in, and dresse it for me and my sonne, that we may eate it, and dye.
13 And Eliiah said vnto her, Feare not, come, do as thou hast sayd, but make me thereof a litle cake first of all, and bring it vnto mee, and afterward make for thee, and thy sonne.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The meale in the barrel shall not be wasted, neither shall the oyle in the cruse be diminished, vnto the time that the Lord send rayne vpon the earth.
15 So she went, and did as Eliiah sayd, and she did eate: so did he and her house for a certaine time.
16 The barrell of the meale wasted not, nor the oyle was spent out of the cruse, according to the worde of the Lord, which he spake by the hand of Eliiah.
17 And after these things, the sonne of the wife of the house fell sicke, and his sicknesse was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said vnto Eliiah, What haue I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come vnto me to call my sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne?
19 And he said vnto her, Giue me thy sonne. and he tooke him out of her bosome, and caryed him vp into a chamber, where he abode, and laid him vpon his owne bed.
20 Then he called vnto the Lord, and sayde, O Lord my God, hast thou punished also this widowe, with whome I soiourne, by killing her sonne?
21 And he stretched himselfe vpon the childe three times, and called vnto the Lord, and saide, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this childes soule come into him againe.
22 Then the Lord heard the voyce of Eliiah, and the soule of the child came into him againe, and he reuiued.
23 And Eliiah tooke the childe, and brought him downe out of the chamber into the house, and deliuered him vnto his mother, and Eliiah sayd, Behold, thy sonne liueth.
24 And the woman saide vnto Eliiah, Now I knowe that thou art a man of God, and that the worde of the Lord in thy mouth is true.