And the word of the Lord came to him ,.... The word of prophecy, as the Targum; this shows that by word, in the former verse, he means the word of the Lord by him: saying ; as follows. read more
Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward ,.... From the place where he was, being in danger from Ahab and Jezebel, provoked by his reproofs, threatenings, and prophecies: and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan ; in some wood or cave near it, or among the reeds and rushes that grew on the banks of it; and Bochart F15 Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 2. c. 13. col. 216. takes it to be the same with the river Kanah, on the borders of Ephraim, which has its name from reeds, ... read more
And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook ,.... The water of that was to be his drink: and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there ; whereby he should be provided with food to eat; by whom are meant not angels in the form of ravens, as some; nor, as others, Arabians, for there were none of that people near him; nor, as others, merchants, the word being sometimes used of them, for this was not a likely method for privacy; nor, as others, the inhabitants of a place called... read more
Hide thyself by the brook Cherith - This brook, and the valley through which it ran, are supposed to have been on the western side of Jordan, and not far from Samaria. Others suppose it to have been on the eastern side, because the prophet is commanded to go eastward, 1 Kings 17:3 . It was necessary, after such a declaration to this wicked and idolatrous king, that he should immediately hide himself; as, on the first drought, Ahab would undoubtedly seek his life. But what a proof... read more
I have commanded the ravens to feed thee - Thou shalt not lack the necessaries of life; thou shalt be supplied by an especial providence. See more on this subject at the end of the chapter, 1 Kings 17:24 ; (note). read more
Elijah the Tishbite. One of the noblest of the noble figures that cross the stage of Old Testament history appears before us here. Few names have such a halo of glorious associations surrounding them as that of Elijah. The mystery of his origin, the grandeur of his mission, his physical and moral characteristics, the peculiar nature of his miracles, his wonderful translation and reappearance with Moses at the time of our Lord's transfiguration, together with the place that he occupies in... read more
Elijah's Advent and Service. I. THE GREAT PROPHET . 1 . His name : Elijah, my God (is) Jehovah. It was a symbol of his spirit. It expressed his judgment of Israel's idolatry and the choice which with his soul's whole strength he had made of God. Light and fidelity are the only foundations of any true work for God or man. 2 . His origin . The words ("of the inhabitants," etc.) seemed to indicate that he belonged to none of the tribes of Israel 3 . His attitude... read more
First Preparation of Elijah for his great Mission. After Elijah's first appearance before Ahab to announce to him the Divine visitation of sterility and dearth which was to come upon the land as the chastisement of his sin, the prophet was sent away into a solitary place to prepare himself for his great and solemn mission, which was to overthrow idolatry and vindicate the worship of the true God. This work of preparation was divided into two great periods. 1 . The preparation of the... read more
And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying [cf. 1 Kings 17:8 ; 1 Kings 18:1 ; 1 Kings 21:17 ; 2 Kings 1:3 ], read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 17:1-7
The history of Elijah begins somewhat abruptly. Usually, when a prophet enters, we have some account of his parentage, are told whose son he was and of what tribe; but Elijah drops (so to speak) out of the clouds, as if, like Melchisedek, he were without father, without mother, and without descent, which made some of the Jews fancy that he was an angel sent from heaven; but the apostle has assured us that he was a man subject to like passions as we are (Jas. 5:17), which perhaps intimates, not... read more