1 Kings Chapter 17

At a Glance

  • 1 Kings 17 introduces Elijah the Tishbite and inaugurates a dramatic series of acts that reveal God’s power in the face of Ahab’s apostasy.
  • At Zarephath, Elijah meets the widow who, despite her own scarcity, shares the last bit of resources she has.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • 1 Kings 17 occurs early in the Elijah cycle, within a Jahwist/Deuteronomistic framework that highlights prophetic confrontation with idolatry and the sovereignty of YHWH.
  • - God’s sovereignty over nature and history: drought and rain are under divine control.

1 KINGS CHAPTER 17

Chapter Overview

1 Kings 17 introduces Elijah the Tishbite and inaugurates a dramatic series of acts that reveal God’s power in the face of Ahab’s apostasy. Elijah confronts Israel’s king with a bold declaration: there will be no dew nor rain for years, except by God’s word. This sets in motion a drought that tests faith, calls for reliance on divine provision, and reveals the LORD as the sovereign sustainer of life and God of abundant mercy. The verse sequence follows the divine instruction that Elijah should hide by the brook Cherith, where ravens miraculously feed him. Yet the brook dries up when the famine intensifies, prompting a shift in God’s plan: Elijah is sent to Zarephath in the land of Sidon to a widow who will sustain him. This movement demonstrates God’s widening mercy and his ability to provide beyond Israel through a faithful widow who trusts in the God of Israel.

At Zarephath, Elijah meets the widow who, despite her own scarcity, shares the last bit of resources she has. She is asked to bake a small cake for the prophet first, a request that tests her faith. Her response—she will make bread for herself and her son after serving Elijah—signals trust in the LORD’s promise that the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil will not waste until rain returns. Elijah prophesies that the meal and oil will endure. The narrative then continues with the miracle confirmed as the widow’s jar and oil persist, providing for Elijah and the family. This episode foregrounds the themes of faith, obedience, and the precariousness of human livelihood contrasted with God’s abundant faithfulness when his people trust him.

Historical & Literary Context

1 Kings 17 occurs early in the Elijah cycle, within a Jahwist/Deuteronomistic framework that highlights prophetic confrontation with idolatry and the sovereignty of YHWH. The genre blends prophetic narrative with miracle stories to illustrate the power of God in a time of national spiritual drought. Elijah’s adventures—drought, feeding by ravens, and the widow of Zarephath—are foundational to the prophetic motif of divine provision amid crisis and are instrumental in shaping Israel’s understanding of prophetic authority and God’s faithfulness beyond national boundaries. The chapter functions as a theophanic reminder: even in a land that has embraced Baalism, God’s prophet remains a conduit of divine presence, judgment, and mercy.

Key Themes

- God’s sovereignty over nature and history: drought and rain are under divine control.

- Faith and obedience under scarcity: the widow’s trust in God’s provision is central.

- God’s mercy extending beyond Israel: the widow of Zarephath, a Gentile, participates in God’s redemptive plan.

- Divine provision through unlikely channels: ravens and a poor widow sustain Elijah.

- The integrity of prophetic mission: Elijah acts on God’s word, even when it invites danger and hardship.

Modern Application

For contemporary readers, 1 Kings 17 challenges assumptions about resource security and divine care. It invites trust in God during personal and communal droughts—times when provisions are scarce, plans fail, or institutions falter. The widow’s example shows that generosity often flows from faith rather than abundance; God honors acts of hospitality and obedience, even when they seem economically irrational. The chapter also broadens our sense of God’s mission: God’s work isn’t limited to a single nation or demographic. In today’s pluralistic world, the story encourages believers to extend mercy, support prophetic courage, and recognize God’s care often comes through everyday acts of fidelity from ordinary people. It calls readers to respond to God’s word with readiness, even when change or risk accompanies it.

- Luke 4:25-26 (Jesus’ allusion to Elijah and the widow)

- 1 Kings 16-18 (Elijah’s ministry context)

- James 5:17-18 (Elijah’s prayer and seasons of drought and rain)

- 2 Kings 5 (prophetic miracles and faith in God’s provision)

Recommended Personas

- Elijah (prophetic boldness and reliance on God)

- Jesus (fulfillment of prophetic pattern and mercy to outsiders)

- The widow of Zarephath (faithful hospitality)

- Peter (relief in moments of crisis through obedience)

Chapter Text

1

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As 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

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3

Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4

And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

5

So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

6

And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

7

And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8

And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9

Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

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, Fetch 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, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12

And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, 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 die.

13

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make 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, The 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 went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16

And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

17

And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

18

And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?

19

And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20

And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

21

And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again.

22

And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

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, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

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