1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17 is the chapter in which Elijah first appears. The preceding chapter, 1 Kings 16, records Ahab's marriage to Jezebel and his worship of Baal; in this chapter Elijah appears before Ahab and proclaims a drought.

Outline

• Verse 1 Elijah the Tishbite declares to Ahab, "There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word."
• Verses 2–7 At the word of the LORD, Elijah hides by the brook Cherith. Ravens bring him bread and meat morning and evening, until the brook dries up because there has been no rain.
• Verses 8–16 Elijah goes to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and asks a widow to make him a little cake first. When the widow does as he says, the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil do not run out.
• Verses 17–24 The widow's son falls ill and stops breathing. Elijah carries the child up to the loft, stretches himself upon the child three times, and cries out to the LORD; the child revives, and the woman confesses that Elijah is a man of God.

Key Verses

• 1 Kings 17:1 "There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word" — the proclamation that opens the entire Elijah narrative.
• 1 Kings 17:14 "The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail" — the scene in which God feeds a widow in a Gentile land during the drought.
• 1 Kings 17:24 "The word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth" — the confession that closes the chapter.

People and Places

• Elijah: A prophet from Tishbe in Gilead.
• Ahab: King of the northern kingdom of Israel. See Ahab and Jezebel.
• Widow of Zarephath: A widow living in Zarephath in the land of Sidon, who takes Elijah into her home.
• Brook Cherith: A brook "before Jordan" where Elijah hid. Its exact location is unknown. See Jordan River.
• Zarephath: A town in the region of Sidon on the Mediterranean coast.

Points for Reflection

• The proclamation of drought is commonly interpreted as aimed at Baal worship, since Baal was widely regarded as the god who controlled rain and fertility. This conflict leads into the contest on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18.
• A minority of interpreters read "ravens" (Hebrew orevim) as a group of people, such as "Arabs," but most translations and traditions take the word to refer to birds.
• In the New Testament, Jesus mentions that Elijah was sent not to Israel but to the widow of Zarephath (Luke 4:25–26). James 5:16–18 holds up Elijah's prayer as a model of prayer and, together with Luke, gives the length of the drought as "three years and six months." This period is read alongside "the third year" in 1 Kings 18:1.
• The scene in which the dead child is revived is often compared with 2 Kings 4, where Elisha raises the son of the Shunammite woman.

In the Korean Church

The story of the widow of Zarephath is frequently used as a sermon text on obedience, giving, and God's provision in hard times. Sermons that use "make me thereof a little cake first" (v. 13) as a basis for offerings, in particular, have drawn criticism for overlooking the passage's context: the widow's circumstances and God's care for a Gentile. In Sunday schools, the story of the ravens feeding Elijah is a standard lesson topic.