1 Elia, il Tisbita, uno degli abitanti di Gà
laad, disse ad Acab: «Per la vita del Signore, Dio di Israele, alla cui presenza io sto, in questi anni non ci sarà
né
rugiada né
pioggia, se non quando lo dirò
io». |
2 A lui fu rivolta questa parola del Signore: |
3 «Vattene di qui, dirigiti verso oriente; nasconditi presso il torrente Cherit, che è
a oriente del Giordano. |
4 Ivi berrai al torrente e i corvi per mio comando ti porteranno il tuo cibo». |
5 Egli eseguì
l'ordine del Signore; andò
a stabilirsi sul torrente Cherit, che è
a oriente del Giordano. |
6 I corvi gli portavano pane al mattino e carne alla sera; egli beveva al torrente. |
7 Dopo alcuni giorni il torrente si seccò
, perché
non pioveva sulla regione. |
8 Il Signore parlò
a lui e disse: |
9 «Alzati, và
in Zarepta di Sidò
ne e ivi stabilisciti. Ecco io ho dato ordine a una vedova di là
per il tuo cibo». |
10 Egli si alzò
e andò
a Zarepta. Entrato nella porta della città
, ecco una vedova raccoglieva la legna. La chiamò
e le disse: «Prendimi un pò
d'acqua in un vaso perché
io possa bere». |
11 Mentre quella andava a prenderla, le gridò
: «Prendimi anche un pezzo di pane». |
12 Quella rispose: «Per la vita del Signore tuo Dio, non ho nulla di cotto, ma solo un pugno di farina nella giara e un pò
di olio nell'orcio; ora raccolgo due pezzi di legna, dopo andrò
a cuocerla per me e per mio figlio: la mangeremo e poi moriremo». |
13 Elia le disse: «Non temere; su, fà
come hai detto, ma prepara prima una piccola focaccia per me e portamela; quindi ne preparerai per te e per tuo figlio, |
14 poiché
dice il Signore: La farina della giara non si esaurirà
e l'orcio dell'olio non si svuoterà
finché
il Signore non farà
piovere sulla terra». |
15 Quella andò
e fece come aveva detto Elia. Mangiarono essa, lui e il figlio di lei per diversi giorni. |
16 La farina della giara non venne meno e l'orcio dell'olio non diminuì
, secondo la parola che il Signore aveva pronunziata per mezzo di Elia. |
17 In seguito il figlio della padrona di casa si ammalò
. La sua malattia era molto grave, tanto che rimase senza respiro. |
18 Essa allora disse a Elia: «Che c'è
fra me e te, o uomo di Dio? Sei venuto da me per rinnovare il ricordo della mia iniquità
e per uccidermi il figlio?». |
19 Elia le disse: «Dammi tuo figlio». Glielo prese dal seno, lo portò
al piano di sopra, dove abitava, e lo stese sul letto. |
20 Quindi invocò
il Signore: «Signore mio Dio, forse farai del male a questa vedova che mi ospita, tanto da farle morire il figlio?». |
21 Si distese tre volte sul bambino e invocò
il Signore: «Signore Dio mio, l'anima del fanciullo torni nel suo corpo». |
22 Il Signore ascoltò
il grido di Elia; l'anima del bambino tornò
nel suo corpo e quegli riprese a vivere. |
23 Elia prese il bambino, lo portò
al piano terreno e lo consegnò
alla madre. Elia disse: «Guarda! Tuo figlio vive». |
24 La donna disse a Elia: «Ora so che tu sei uomo di Dio e che la vera parola del Signore è
sulla tua bocca». |
17 Elijah foretells the drought, Re 1 17:1.
Is fed by ravens, Re 1 17:2-7.
By a widow, whose meal and oil are multiplied, Re 1 17:8-16.
He raises her dead son, Re 1 17:17-24.
17:1 Elijah - The most eminent of the prophets, who is here brought in, like Melchisedek, without any mention of his father, or mother, orbeginning of his days; like a man dropt out of the clouds, and raised byGod's special providence as a witness for himself in this most degeneratetime that by his zeal, and courage and miracles, he might give some check,to their various and abominable idolatries, and some reviving to that smallnumber of the Lord's prophets, and people, who yet remained in Israel.He seems to have been naturally of a rough spirit. And rough spirits arecalled to rough services. His name signifies, my God Jehovah is he: hethat sends me, and will own me, and bear me out. Said to Ahab - Havingdoubtless admonished him of his sin and danger before; now upon hisobstinacy in his wicked courses, he proceeds to declare, and execute thejudgment of God upon him. As the Lord, etc - I Swear by the God ofIsrael, who is the only true and living God; whereas the gods whom thouhast joined with him, or preferred before him, are dead and senseless idols.Before whom - Whose minister I am, not only in general, but especially inthis threatening, which I now deliver in his name and authority.There shall not, etc - This was a prediction, but was seconded with hisprayer, that God would verify it, Giacomo 5:17, And this prayer wastruly charitable; that by this sharp affliction, God's honour, and the truthof his word (which was now so horribly and universally contemned) might bevindicated; and the Israelites (whom impunity had hardened in theiridolatry) might be awakened to see their own wickedness, and the necessityof returning to the true religion. Those years - That is, These followingyears, which were three and an half, Luca 4:25 Re 1 17, Giacomo 5:17, .My word - Until I shall declare, that this judgment shall cease, and shallpray to God for the removal of it.
17:3 Hide thyself - Thus God rescues him from the fury of Ahab and Jezebel, who, he knew, would seek to destroy him. That Ahab did notseize on him immediately upon these words must be ascribed to God'sover - ruling providence.
17:4 Have commanded - Or, I shall command, that is, effectually move them, by instincts which shall be as forcible with them, as a law orcommand is to men. God is said to command both brute creatures, andsenseless things; when he causeth them to do the things which he intends toeffect by them. The ravens - Which he chuseth for this work; to shew hiscare and power in providing for the prophet by those creatures, which arenoted for their greediness, that by this strange experiment he might betaught to trust God in those many and great difficulties to which he was tobe exposed. God could have sent angels to minister to him. But he chosewinged messengers of another kind to shew he can serve his own purposes aseffectually, by the meanest creatures as by the mightiest. Ravens neglecttheir own young, and do not feed them: yet when God pleaseth, they shallfeed his prophet.
17:6 And flesh - Not raw, but boiled by the ministry of some angel or man, and left in some place 'till the ravens came for it: in all which,there is nothing incredible, considering the power and providence of God.
17:7 A while - Heb. at the end of days; that is, of a year; for so the word days is often used. Dried - God so ordering it, for thepunishment of those Israelites who lived near it, and had hitherto beenrefreshed by it: and for the exercise of Elijah's faith, and to teachhim to depend upon God alone.
17:9 Zarephath - A city between Tyre and Sidon, called Sarepta by St. Luca 4:26, and others.Zidon - To the jurisdiction of that city, which was inhabited byGentiles. And God's providing for his prophet, first, by an uncleanbird, and then by a Gentile, whom the Jews esteemed unclean, was apresage of the calling of the Gentiles, and rejection of the Jews.So Elijah was the first prophet of the Gentiles.Commanded - Appointed or provided, for that she had as yet no revelationor command of God about it, appears from ver. Re 1 17:12.
17:12 She said - Therefore though she was a Gentile, yet she owned the God of Israel as the true God. Two sticks - A few sticks, thatnumber being often used indefinitely for any small number. And die - Forhaving no more provision, we must needs perish with hunger. For though thefamine was chiefly in the land of Israel, yet the effects of it were inTyre and Sidon, which were fed by the corn of that land. But whata poor supporter was this likely to be? who had no fuel, but what shegathered in the streets, and nothing to live upon herself, but an handfulof meal and a little oil! To her Elijah is sent, that he might liveupon providence, as much as he had done when the ravens fed him.
17:13 But make, etc - This he requires as a trial of her faith, and obedience, which he knew God would plentifully reward; and so this wouldbe a great example to encourage others to the practice of the same graces.
17:14 The barrel, etc - The meal of the barrel So the cruse of oil for the oil of the cruse.
17:15 Many days - A long time, even above two years, before the following event about her son happened. And surely the increase of herfaith to such a degree, as to enable her thus to deny herself and trustthe promise, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as theincrease of her oil in the kingdom of providence. Happy are they who canthus against hope believe and obey in hope.
17:16 Wasted not - See how the reward answered the service. She made one cake for the prophet and was repaid with many for herself and her son.What is laid out in charity is set out to the best interest, an upon thebest securities.
17:17 No breath - That is, he died. We must not think it strange, if we meet with sharp afflictions, even when we are in the way of eminentservice to God.
17:18 She said - Wherein have I injured thee? Or, why didst thou come to sojourn in my house, if this be the fruit of it? They are the words ofa troubled mind. Art thou come - Didst thou come for this end, that thoumightest severely observe my sins, and by thy prayers bring down God'sjust judgment upon me, as thou hast brought down this famine upon thenation? To call, etc - To God's remembrance: for God is said inscripture, to remember sins, when he punisheth them; and to forgetthem, when he spares the sinner.
17:19 Into a loft - A private place, where he might more freely pour out his soul to God, and use such gestures as he thought most proper.
17:20 He cried - A prayer full of powerful arguments. Thou art the Lord, that canst revive the child: and my God; and thereforewilt not, deny me. She is a widow, add not affliction to the afflicted;deprive her not of the support and staff of her age: she hath given mekind entertainment: let her not fare the worse for her kindness to aprophet, whereby wicked men will take occasion to reproach both her,and religion.
17:21 Come into him - By which it is evident, that the soul was gone out of his body, this was a great request; but Elijah was encouraged tomake it; by his zeal for God's honour, and by the experience which he hadof his prevailing power with God in prayer.
17:22 Into him again - This plainly supposes the existence of the soul in a state of separation, and consequently its immortality: probablyGod might design by this miracle to give an evidence hereof, for theencouragement of his suffering people.