The big picture
1 Kings 17 opens in verse 1 with “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 12 with “And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a…”, and closes in verse 24 with “And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Elijah, word, brook, woman. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
1 Kings · King James Version · 241 Kings 17:1-8
1–8: Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto…
1 Kings 17:1–8 opens with “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God…” and reaches “And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elijah by the brook with ravens, the widow sharing her last meal, and the child restored, with particular weight carried by brook, LORD, word.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.” Naming Cherith and Get keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
1 Kings 17:1-8
King James Version1And 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.
8And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
1 Kings 17:9-16
9–16: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there…
1 Kings 17:9–16 opens with “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have…” and reaches “And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elijah by the brook with ravens, the widow sharing her last meal, and the child restored, with particular weight carried by LORD, barrel, cruse.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“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.” Naming Bring keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“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…” Naming Elijah and Fear keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.” Naming Elijah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
1 Kings 17:9-16
King James Version9Arise, 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.
16And 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.
1 Kings 17:17-24
17–24: It came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the…
1 Kings 17:17–24 opens with “And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house…” and reaches “And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Elijah by the brook with ravens, the widow sharing her last meal, and the child restored, with particular weight carried by LORD, Elijah, child.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“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…” Naming Give keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
1 Kings 17:17-24
King James Version17And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
1 Kings 17:1 begins with “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…”
Where the chapter turns
1 Kings 17:14 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
1 Kings 17:24 leaves the reader with “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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Elijah, word, brook, woman, barrel help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the covenant promise besides descendants?
Kings, land and an enduring relationship in which God is their God.
How are Isaac and Ishmael distinguished without erasing either?
Isaac carries the named covenant line; Ishmael is heard and promised fruitfulness and twelve princes.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.