1 Kings 17:1-24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:8

And the word of the Lord came unto him ,.... As before, after he had been a year at the brook, and that was dried up: saying ; as follows. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:9

Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there ,.... This might be a trial of the prophet's faith, to be sent to dwell in a place belonging to the Zidonians, among whom Jezebel had an interest, being the daughter of their king, 1 Kings 16:31 , the place is so called, to distinguish it from another Zarephath, Obadiah 1:20 , Kimchi interprets it, near to Zidon, yet not as belonging to it, but of the land of Israel; though it rather seems to be a Gentile city; it is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:10

So he arose, and went to Zarephath ,.... Which, according to Bunting F6 Ut supra, (Travels, &c.;) p. 203. , was one hundred miles from the brook Cherith: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering sticks : perhaps out of an hedge just without the city this shows her to be a poor woman, who had no other way of coming at fuel but this, and no servant to fetch it for her: Bunting tells us, that now before the gate of the city there is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:11

And as she was going to fetch it ,.... For she made no difficulty of granting his request, but immediately set out to fetch him some water from the city, or some spring close by, or her own house; being very ready to do an hospitable act to a stranger, and especially to a good man, and a prophet, as she might perceive by his habit he was, as it seems by what follows: and said, bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand ; to eat before he drank; this he said still further to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:12

And she said, as the Lord thy God liveth ,.... Which shows her to be a good woman, swearing by the living God, and him only, and that she took Elijah to be a good man, and a prophet of the Lord: I have not a cake ; greater or less, not a morsel of bread in the house: but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse ; these separate and unmixed, and not made into a cake, and dressed as she intended to do with them: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks ; or a few,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:13

And Elijah said unto her, fear not ,.... That she and her son should die, it would not be the case: go and do as thou hast said : mix her meal and her oil, and make a cake thereof, and bake it: but make thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son : which was not said from a selfish spirit of the prophet, but to try the faith of the woman; and besides, as Abarbinel observes, the prophet was not only hungry and thirsty through his journey,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:14

For thus saith the Lord God of Israel ,.... Whom the prophet perceived she had knowledge of, and faith in: the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail ; that is, the meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruse, by an hypallage, or change of words: until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth ; which was assuring her the rain would be sent, and that the Lord, who had the sole command of it, would send it; and that, until that time it should be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:15

And she went, and did according to the saying of Elijah ,..... Made a cake for him first, and brought it to him, which showed great faith in the word of the Lord by him: and she, and he, and her house, did eat ; many days, a year at least, if not two years, see 1 Kings 17:7 the widow, the prophet, and her family, lived upon the meal and oil so long; we read but of one son, but she might have more. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:16

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. There being a continual increase and supply of both, through the mighty power of God working a continued miracle; just as the loaves and fishes were increased while the disciples were eating, Matthew 14:19 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 17:17

And it came to pass after these things ,.... Not only after the conversation that passed between the prophet, and the widow, but after they had lived together many days, a year or years, upon the miraculous provision made for them: that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick ; that is, the son of the widow woman in whose house the prophet dwelt; the Jews say F8 Pirke Eliezer, c. 33. this woman was the mother of Jonah, and that he was this son of her's: and... read more

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