1 Kings 17

King James Version

Full text for 1 Kings Chapter 17

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.

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.

8¶ And 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.

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.

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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Elijah the Tishbite declares a severe drought to King Ahab. The Lord then directs Elijah to the brook Cherith, where ravens feed him, and later to Zarephath, where a widow miraculously sustains him and her household with unfailing meal and oil. When the widow's son dies, Elijah prays to the Lord, who restores the child's life, confirming Elijah's divine authority.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with the prophet Elijah boldly declaring to King Ahab that a severe drought will afflict the land, with no dew or rain except by his word. Following the Lord's command, Elijah hides by the brook Cherith, where he is miraculously fed by ravens with bread and flesh until the brook dries up. The Lord then directs Elijah to Zarephath, instructing him that a widow there will sustain him. Upon meeting her, she reveals her dire poverty, having only enough meal and oil for one last meal for herself and her son before they die. Elijah assures her not to fear, instructing her to make him a small cake first, promising that her provisions will not fail until the Lord sends rain. She obeys, and the meal and oil miraculously endure for many days. Later, the widow's son falls gravely ill and dies, leading her to question Elijah's presence. Elijah takes the deceased child, lays him on his bed, and cries out to the Lord, stretching himself upon the child three times. The Lord hears Elijah's plea, and the child's soul returns, restoring him to life, which leads the woman to affirm Elijah as a true man of God.

Long Summary

First Kings chapter 17 introduces Elijah the Tishbite, who confronts King Ahab and declares a severe drought upon Israel, stating that there shall be no dew or rain for years, but according to his word. Immediately following this pronouncement, the word of the Lord comes to Elijah, instructing him to hide by the brook Cherith, east of Jordan. There, Elijah is sustained by the Lord's provision, as ravens bring him bread and flesh in both the morning and evening, and he drinks from the brook. After a period, the brook dries up due to the ongoing drought in the land. The Lord then commands Elijah to go to Zarephath, a city belonging to Zidon, where a widow woman has been commanded to sustain him. Upon arriving at the city gate, Elijah encounters the widow gathering sticks and requests water and a morsel of bread. The woman responds that she possesses only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse, intending to prepare one final meal for herself and her son before they die. Elijah reassures her, instructing her to first make him a small cake from her meager provisions, promising that the barrel of meal and cruse of oil will not fail until the Lord sends rain. The widow demonstrates faith by obeying Elijah's word, and as promised, her household eats for many days, with the meal and oil miraculously not wasting or failing. Subsequently, the widow's son falls gravely ill and dies, causing her to confront Elijah, questioning if his presence brought her sin to remembrance and caused her son's death. Elijah takes the deceased child to his loft, cries out to the Lord, and stretches himself upon the child three times, pleading for the child's soul to return. The Lord hears Elijah's voice, and the child's soul returns, restoring him to life. Elijah then brings the revived child down to his mother, who, witnessing this miracle, declares her conviction that Elijah is truly a man of God and that the word of the Lord in his mouth is truth.

Core Concepts

  • Divine ProvisionThe Lord miraculously sustains Elijah first through ravens at the brook Cherith, and subsequently through an unfailing supply of meal and oil for the widow of Zarephath and her household during the drought.
  • Prophetic AuthorityElijah demonstrates his authority as a prophet of the Lord by declaring the drought and by his word bringing about the miraculous sustenance and the resurrection of the dead.
  • Faith and ObedienceThe widow of Zarephath exemplifies faith and obedience by sharing her last meal with Elijah, trusting his word that her meager provisions would not fail. Her compliance leads to the miraculous multiplication of her meal and oil.
  • Resurrection from DeathThe Lord demonstrates His power over death by hearing Elijah's earnest prayer and restoring the life of the widow's son, a pivotal event that confirms Elijah's divine commission.
  • The Efficacy of PrayerElijah's fervent prayer to the Lord for the child's life is heard and answered, showcasing the power of intercession and God's responsiveness to His prophet's pleas.
  • Confirmation of God's WordThe miraculous events, from the unfailing provisions to the resurrection, serve to confirm that Elijah is a true man of God and that the word of the Lord spoken through him is truth.