1 Kings — Chapter 17

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1And 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.

2And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

5So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10So 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.

11And 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.

12And 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.

13And 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.

14For 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.

15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16And 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.

17And 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.

18And 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?

19And 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.

20And 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?

21And 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.

22And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23And 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.

24And 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.

1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the sojourners of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As Jehovah, the God of Israel, liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying,

3Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.

5So he went and did according unto the word of Jehovah; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

6And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

7And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

8And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying,

9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.

10So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand.

12And she said, As Jehovah thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the 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.

13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.

14For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.

15And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat [many] days.

16The jar of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, which he spake by Elijah.

17And 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.

18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? thou art come unto me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son!

19And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

20And he cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?

21And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah my God, I pray thee, let this child`s soul come into him again.

22And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

23And 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.

24And the woman said to Elijah, Now I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of Jehovah in thy mouth is truth.

1Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As certainly as the Lord God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead unless I give the command.”

2The Lord’s message came to him:

3“Leave here and travel eastward. Hide out in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan.

4Drink from the stream; I have already told the ravens to bring you food there.”

5So he carried out the Lord’s message; he went and lived in the Kerith Valley near the Jordan.

6The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream.

7After a while, the stream dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

8The Lord’s message came to him,

9“Get up, go to Zarephath in Sidonian territory, and live there. I have already told a widow who lives there to provide for you.”

10So he got up and went to Zarephath. When he went through the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. He called out to her, “Please give me a little water in a cup, so I can take a drink.”

11As she went to get it, he called out to her, “Please bring me a piece of bread.”

12She said, “As certainly as the Lord your God lives, I have no food, except for a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. Right now I am gathering a couple of sticks for a fire. Then I’m going home to make one final meal for my son and myself. After we have eaten that, we will die of starvation.”

13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you planned. But first make me a small cake and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son.

14For this is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘The jar of flour will not be empty and the jug of oil will not run out until the day the Lord makes it rain on the surface of the ground.’”

15She went and did as Elijah told her; there was always enough food for Elijah and for her and her family.

16The jar of flour was never empty and the jug of oil never ran out, in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through Elijah.

17After this the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe.

18She asked Elijah, “Why, prophet, have you come to me to confront me with my sin and kill my son?”

19He said to her, “Hand me your son.” He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him down on his bed.

20Then he called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, are you also bringing disaster on this widow I am staying with by killing her son?”

21He stretched out over the boy three times and called out to the Lord, “O Lord, my God, please let this boy’s breath return to him.”

22The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer; the boy’s breath returned to him and he lived.

23Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room to the house, and handed him to his mother. Elijah then said, “See, your son is alive!”

24The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a prophet and that the Lord’s message really does come through you.”

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 a cake, but 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, and he, and her house, ate many days.

16The jar of meal didn’t run out, and the jar of oil did not 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.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Elijah declares drought upon Israel, then is fed by ravens at the brook Cherith and by a widow at Zarephath. The widow's son dies and Elijah raises him—God sustains His prophet through impossible means.

Authorship & Background

Author: Unknown, traditionally attributed to Jeremiah or a prophetic school. Originally one book with 2 Kings in the Hebrew Bible. Covers approximately 120 years (970-850 BC) — from David's death through Ahaziah's reign. Key themes: the glory and failure of Solomon, the division of the kingdom as judgment for idolatry, the faithfulness of God's prophets (especially Elijah), and the principle that a nation's spiritual health depends on its leaders' faithfulness to God's covenant.
Historical Context: Chapter 17 is one of the great turning points in Scripture. After the relentless darkness of chapters 14-16 — wicked kings, assassinations, escalating idolatry culminating in Ahab's Baal worship — God introduces His answer: not an army, not a political revolution, but one man. Elijah appears without genealogy, without introduction, without backstory — he simply erupts onto the scene with a declaration: "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" (v.1). The drought is a direct challenge to Baal, who was worshipped as the storm god, the bringer of rain and fertility. If Baal is god, let him send rain. He cannot. Yahweh alone controls the heavens. The chapter then follows Elijah through three stages of God's provision: the brook Cherith (fed by ravens), the widow of Zarephath (miraculous flour and oil), and the raising of the widow's son. Each stage teaches dependence on God alone. Zarephath is particularly significant — it is in Sidon, Jezebel's homeland. God sends His prophet to be sustained by a Gentile widow in the very territory of the enemy. Jesus references this in Luke 4:25-26 as evidence that God's grace extends beyond Israel. The chapter establishes Elijah as the great prophet of faith — a man who lives entirely by God's word, sustained by miraculous provision, wielding authority over life and death.
Elijah's Declaration (v.1): Elijah appears with no introduction — "Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead." His name means "My God is Yahweh" — a theological statement in itself, directly confronting Baal worship. He is from Gilead, the rugged Transjordan wilderness — a man formed in solitude, not in courts. His declaration to Ahab is stunning in its boldness: "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand" — Elijah claims to stand in God's presence as His servant. The drought announcement is not a prayer request but a prophetic decree: "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." James 5:17 confirms this was the result of Elijah's prayer. The drought lasted three and a half years (Luke 4:25; James 5:17). This is a direct assault on Baal's claimed domain — the storm god cannot send rain because Yahweh has shut the heavens.
God's Provision at Cherith (vv.2-7): God immediately hides Elijah by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. The provision is extraordinary: "I have commanded the ravens to feed thee" (v.4). Ravens — unclean birds (Leviticus 11:15) — become God's servants. They bring bread and flesh morning and evening. God uses the unlikely and the unclean to sustain His prophet. The provision is daily — no stockpiling, no security beyond today. Elijah must trust God each morning and each evening. "So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD" (v.5) — simple, immediate obedience. Then the brook dries up (v.7). God's provision at Cherith was real but temporary. When one source ends, God has another prepared. The drying brook is not God's failure — it is God's redirection.
God's Provision at Zarephath (vv.8-16): God sends Elijah to Zarephath — in Sidon, Jezebel's homeland. This is astonishing: God's prophet is sustained in enemy territory by a Gentile widow. The widow is at the point of death — gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son before they starve (v.12). Elijah's request seems cruel: "make me thereof a little cake first" (v.13). But it is a test of faith — will she trust God's word through God's prophet over her own desperate circumstances? The promise: "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" (v.14). She obeys — and the miracle sustains her household "many days" (v.15). The provision is daily and ongoing — never abundance, never surplus, but never failure. The jar is never full, but it is never empty. This is the life of faith: enough for today, every day, until God changes the season.
The Widow's Son Raised (vv.17-24): After the provision miracle, the widow's son falls ill and dies. Her response reveals guilt: "Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?" (v.18). She interprets the prophet's presence as bringing divine scrutiny that exposed her sin and brought judgment. Elijah takes the child to his upper room, stretches himself upon the child three times, and cries to God: "O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again" (v.21). God hears — "the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived" (v.22). This is the first recorded resurrection in Scripture. Elijah delivers the living child to his mother with the simple words: "See, thy son liveth" (v.23). The widow's response is the chapter's theological climax: "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth" (v.24). The provision of flour and oil demonstrated God's sustaining power; the resurrection demonstrates God's sovereign power over death itself.

Map & Geography

  • Jerusalem is central — site of Solomon's Temple and royal palace; capital of the united kingdom, then of Judah (southern kingdom) after the division.
  • The kingdom divides after Solomon: Israel (north, capital eventually at Samaria) and Judah (south, capital Jerusalem).
  • Key locations: Gibeon (Solomon's dream, ch.3), Tyre (Hiram's city in Phoenicia, chs.5-7), Mount Carmel (Elijah vs. Baal prophets, ch.18), Zarephath (Sidonian widow, ch.17), Mount Horeb/Sinai (Elijah flees, ch.19), Ramoth-gilead (Ahab's death, ch.22).

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes Elijah's sudden appearance as God's dramatic intervention at Israel's darkest hour. He notes the significance of Zarephath being in Sidon — Jezebel's territory — showing that God's power operates even in the enemy's homeland. Guzik also highlights the progressive nature of the widow's faith: she first trusts for daily bread, then trusts for resurrection. God builds faith incrementally through increasingly difficult tests.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail. Day after day she went to the barrel, and there was meal. Day after day she went to the cruse, and there was oil. It was never full — she never found it overflowing. But it was never empty — she never found it dry. This is the life of faith. God does not give us a warehouse of provision to make us independent of Him. He gives us daily bread — enough for today — so that tomorrow we must come to Him again. The barrel that is never full keeps us humble; the barrel that is never empty keeps us trusting. This is God's wisdom in provision: enough to sustain, never enough to make us self-sufficient."

Reflection

  • 1. God's answer to national apostasy is often one faithful person (v.1). Against Ahab's entire corrupt regime, God sends one man. Elijah has no army, no political power, no institutional backing — only God's word and God's presence. Never underestimate what God can do through one person who stands before Him. You do not need a majority to be faithful — you need only to stand where God places you.
  • 2. God's provision is real but often temporary and redirecting (vv.5-9). The brook Cherith was God's provision — until it dried up. The drying brook was not God's failure but God's redirection to Zarephath. When one provision ends, do not panic — look for God's next instruction. Closed doors are often God's way of opening different ones. The end of one season of provision is the beginning of another.
  • 3. Faith is tested by being asked to give what you cannot afford to give (vv.12-14). The widow had enough for one last meal — and Elijah asked for it first. This seems unreasonable until you see the promise attached: "The barrel of meal shall not waste." God often asks us to give from our scarcity, not our abundance. The test of faith is whether we trust His promise more than our calculations.
  • 4. God provides enough — never too much, never too little (vv.15-16). The jar was never full and never empty. This is the pattern of faith: daily dependence, daily sufficiency. God does not make us independently wealthy in spiritual resources — He keeps us coming back daily. The manna principle (Exodus 16) operates throughout Scripture: enough for today, trust for tomorrow.
  • 5. God's power extends beyond provision to resurrection (vv.21-22). The God who feeds with ravens and sustains with flour also raises the dead. There is no situation beyond His power — not poverty, not famine, not death itself. Whatever has "died" in your life — hope, relationship, calling — the God of Elijah can restore it. "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14).