1 Kings 17: Fed by Ravens and a Widow
Elijah announces a drought, is sustained by ravens and a destitute widow, and raises her dead son to life by the word of the LORD.
1 Kings 17 (WEB)
1 Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners 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.”
2 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.
4 It shall be, that you shall drink of the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
5 So he went and did according to Yahweh’s word; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6 The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Yahweh’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.”
10 So 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, “Please get me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”
11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 She said, “As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the 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.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son.
14 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’”
15 She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate many days.
16 The jar of meal didn’t empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.
17 After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him.
18 She 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!”
19 He 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.
20 He cried to Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I stay, by killing her son?”
21 He 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.”
22 Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 Elijah 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.”
24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that Yahweh’s word in your mouth is truth.”
1 Kings 17 (KJV)
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.
2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
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.
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.
18 And 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?
19 And 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.
20 And 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?
21 And 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.
22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And 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.
24 And 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.
1 Kings 17 (ASV)
1 And 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.
2 And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of Jehovah; for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 And the word of Jehovah came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.
10 So 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.
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 thy hand.
12 And 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.
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 forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
14 For 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.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 The jar of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of Jehovah, 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.
18 And 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!
19 And 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.
20 And 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?
21 And 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.
22 And Jehovah hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
23 And 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.
24 And 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.
Summary
Elijah the Tishbite suddenly appears before Ahab and declares that, as the LORD lives, there will be neither dew nor rain except by his word. God then sends Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith, where ravens bring him bread and meat morning and evening and he drinks from the stream. When the brook dries up for lack of rain, the LORD sends him to Zarephath in Sidon, to a widow whom God has commanded to feed him. Elijah finds her gathering sticks to prepare a last meal for herself and her son before they die, for she has only a handful of meal and a little oil. He asks her to make him a small cake first, promising in the name of the LORD that her jar of meal will not run out and her jug of oil will not fail until rain returns. She trusts his word, and the meal and oil last many days, just as the LORD said. Later her son falls sick and stops breathing, and she cries out that Elijah has come to bring her sin to memory. Elijah carries the boy to his room, lays him on his bed, and cries out to the LORD, stretching himself over the child three times. The LORD hears, the boy's life returns, and Elijah brings him down alive, so that the widow declares she now knows Elijah is a man of God and that the LORD's word in his mouth is truth.
Main Characters
- Elijah the Tishbite — The prophet who proclaims the drought, is fed by ravens and a widow, and raises her son, standing before the LORD as his faithful servant.
- The widow of Zarephath — A destitute Gentile woman who, trusting Elijah's word, shares her last food and sees her jar never empty and her dead son restored.
- The widow's son — The boy who falls sick and dies, and whom the LORD raises to life through Elijah's prayer, confirming the prophet's word as truth.
- Ahab — The wicked king of Israel to whom Elijah announces that rain will cease except by the prophet's word.
Key Verse
1 Kings 17:24 (WEB)
The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that Yahweh’s word in your mouth is truth.”
Lessons Learned
- God provides for his servants in surprising ways, even through ravens and a starving widow.
- Faith often means giving from our last and little, trusting God's promise to sustain us.
- The LORD's word, once spoken, proves reliable; the jar does not empty until he says so.
- God has compassion beyond Israel, caring for a Gentile widow and her son.
- God sustains his own. "I have commanded the ravens to feed you there" (1 Kings 17:4, WEB). The Lord can use any means he chooses to provide for those who obey him.
- Faith acts on God's promise first. Elijah said, "make me of it a little cake first… For thus says Yahweh… the jar of meal shall not empty" (1 Kings 17:13-14, WEB). True faith steps out trusting the word before it sees the supply.
- God's mercy reaches the outsider. The Lord sustained a Sidonian widow during the famine (1 Kings 17:9, WEB), a foretaste of grace flowing beyond Israel, as Jesus himself noted (Luke 4:25-26).
- God's word is truth that gives life. When the boy revived, the widow confessed, "Yahweh's word in your mouth is truth" (1 Kings 17:24, WEB). The God who speaks is the God who raises the dead.
- How does God provide for Elijah at the brook and then at Zarephath?
- What did Elijah ask of the widow, and why was her response such an act of faith?
- Why might God have chosen a poor Gentile widow to sustain his prophet?
- What does the raising of the widow's son reveal about the LORD and about Elijah's word?
- When has God asked you to give from your "last handful," and how did trusting his promise shape your response?
- At Cherith ravens bring Elijah bread and meat twice a day and he drinks from the brook; when it dries up, God sends him to a widow at Zarephath whose meal and oil he miraculously sustains (17:4-16). God provides through unlikely means, teaching dependence on his word rather than ordinary resources.
- Elijah asked her to make him a small cake first from her last handful of meal and oil, before feeding herself and her son (17:13). With only enough for one final meal, obeying meant trusting God's promise over her own survival instinct, an extraordinary act of faith from a destitute outsider.
- By sustaining a Sidonian widow, God shows that his compassion is not confined to Israel, and he humbles his prophet to depend on the poorest of people. Jesus later points to this very story to show God's grace reaching beyond the boundaries Israel expected (Luke 4:25-26).
- Elijah cries to the LORD and the boy's life returns, leading the widow to confess that Elijah is a man of God and that "Yahweh's word in your mouth is truth" (17:24). The miracle authenticates Elijah's word and reveals the LORD as the living God who has power over death itself.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall times they were asked to give sacrificially with little in reserve. As leader, encourage honest reflection on the fear and faith involved, and point to God's faithfulness to provide when we trust his promise first.