Bible-Center
РУ
EN
FR
Bible
Notes
FAQ
Links
About

Search

Search Search
search in current section [Notes]

NOTES for Ki1 17:7-16

Printable version
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.
Hide

Here we have the example of a person faced with a choice: to do something for oneself or for another (see 1 Kgs 17:10-16). It is perfectly clear to us, just as it was to the poor widow of Zarephath, that the flour and oil had to run out. And although she understands that the last portion of bread will not save her and her son, giving it to “some strange man” is more than peculiar. Of course, Elijah does not simply tell her, “Give me your last food, and I will leave.” He does promise her that the Lord will not abandon them; he says that the flour will not be used up and the oil will not run dry. But this may be even harder to accept, since it contradicts the laws of this material world. If only he had said that he would bring bread later... Besides, Elijah might have been a hungry liar who needed to prolong his own life... In any event, the widow faces a choice. And the Lord gives her the strength to make the right choice. Then He proves that He is able to care for each of us better than we can care for ourselves, with our tendency to grab everything for ourselves (see Mt 6:31-34).

Other notes

 
For Ki1 17:7-16
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.
Hide
Before us is an example of a person facing a difficult choice: to do something for herself or for another. It is completely clear to us, as it was clear to the poor widow of Zarephath, that the flour and oil would inevitably run out. And although she understands that...  Read more

Before us is an example of a person facing a difficult choice: to do something for herself or for another (see 1 Kings 17:10-16). It is completely clear to us, as it was clear to the poor widow of Zarephath, that the flour and oil would inevitably run out. And although she understands that the last portion of bread will not save her and her son from hunger, giving it to some stranger is more than strange. Of course, Elijah does not simply say to her, "Give me your last food and I will go." He does promise her that the Lord will not abandon them; he says that the flour will not be exhausted and the oil will not fail. But this, perhaps, is the hardest thing to accept, since it contradicts the laws of the material world. If only he had said that he would later bring bread... Besides, Elijah could simply have been a desperate liar who needed to prolong his own life at any cost...

One way or another, the widow faces a choice, and the Lord gives her strength to make the right decision. Then by His miracle He proves that He is able to care for each of us far better than we ourselves can, we who are forever inclined to "look out for ourselves" (see Matt 6:31-34).

Hide
Bible
Notes
FAQ
Links
About
Site map
Design and development:  © 2001–2026 W-M v:2.0.3.107

After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan.

Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free.