1 Kings 17

Elia foretelleth Achab the great drought verse 1&c. is sent by God to the brook crith 2 there he is fed by the ravens 5 it sent to Zarphath to a widow 8 who feedeth him with meal and oil of which there is no want 11 Elia raiseth the widows son 17 she acknowledged him to be a prophet,24.

1. And Elia the Tisbite of the inhabitants of Gilead [a land lying beyond Jordan see Genesis 31 on verse 21 some understand a part of that land which lay east-ward which the Reubenites Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh the half Sauls time had taken from the Hagarens and after he had planted it with new inhabitants of their own people 1 Chronicles 5:20,21,22 who from this new plantation got the name of Tesbites for Toschab with the Hebrews signifieth an inhabitant] said unto Achab as true as the Lord the God of Israel liveth before whose face I stand [ [that is whom I serve see Deuteronomy 10 on verse 8]if there shall be a dew or rain these years [understand the ensuing years in the number three and six months Luke 4.25and James 5:17]but according to my word[that is but as I shall publish it having received charge and command for it from the Lord or as I shall be my prayer obtained dew and rain from the Lord this is a kind of oath of which see Genesis 8.23 and below verse 12.]

2. After that the word of the Lord came unto him saying:

3. Depart from hence turn thee towards the east and hide thyself towards the brook Crith [which taking its original from mount Ephraim falleth into Jordan] which is before the Jordan.

4. And it shall to pass that thou shalt drink from the brook and I have commanded the ravens to sustain thee from thence [that is determined myself so to use them by my providential dispose that they shall bring food unto thee to command signifieth here to purpose intend upon which the execution followeth so verse 9.3,4that God used the ministry of these creatures to feed the prophet maketh his miracle to be so much the more admired for as much as his fowl is so greedy and so bent for its own self that they forsake their young ones which should perish and die of hunger if God did not in a wonderful manner feed and sustain them Job 39:3 Psalms 147:9]

5. He then went and did according to the word of the Lord for he went and dwelt by the brook Crith which is before the Jordan.

6. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning likewise bread and flesh in the evening and he drank of the brook.

7. And it came to pass at the end of many days [Heb. from the end of the days that is after the end of many days so Genesis 4:3 Numbers 9:22 see the annotate there now these many days seems to have been six months and that by compare the verse of the 18chapter so that Elia should have been six months by the brook Crith and three years with the widow of Zerepta] that the brook dried up for there had been no rain in the land.

8. Then the word of the lord came to him [namely to the prophet Elia]saying:

9. Get thee up go to Zerphath [otherwise called Zerepta Luke 4:26 a city lying in the tribe of Asa between Tyre and Zidon of which see also Obad verse 20]which is by Zidon and dwelt there and hold I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee [that is determined to raise up and to use a widow woman to provide meat for thee compare above the annotate on verse 4.]

10. Then he got him up and went to Zerphath now when he came to the gate of the city behold then there was a widow woman gathering wood and he called to her and said fetch me I pray a little water in this vessel [Heb. taking &c. that is fetch some water to give me afterwards see Genesis 12 on verse 15] that I may drink.

11. Now when she went to fetch it then he called to her and said fetch me also I pray a morsel of bread unto your hand [Heb. take me a morsel &c. that is fetch it and bring it me.]

12. But she said as true as the Lord thy God liveth if I have a cake [the word signifieth properly a loaf of bread or cake baked under or upon the coals and not in oven see Genesis 18 on verse 6 the meaning is that she had no baked bread in her house to serve her need even not as much as little bread baked with coal on the hot earth]serve only a handful of meal in the pitcher and a little oil in the bottle and behold I had gathered a couple of sticks and as we say one or two ] and I go and I will dress it for me and my son that we may eat it and die [as if she had said when this shall be eaten up we have no more in store so that we have nothing else to expect but die of hunger.]

13. And Elia said unto her fear not go do according to thy word but first make me a little cake thereof and bring it forth hither to me but after that thou shalt make somewhat for thee for thy son.

14. For thus saith the Lord ten God of Israel the meal of the pitcher shall not be wasted neither shall the oil of the bottle fall until the day the Lord shall give the rain upon the earth [Heb. the pitcher of the meal &c. and the bottle of oil &c. the meaning is that this should surely come to pass if the woman believed the promise of God and did that which was here enjoined her.]

15. And she went and did according to the word of Elia [the obedience of this work proceeded out of the sure assent of her faith whereby she embraced the foresaid promise]so she did eat he and her house[that is household see Genesis 7 on verse1] man days [some think of the time of three years compare the annotate above on verse 7 and below on chapter 18 on verse 1.]

16. The meal of the pitcher was not consumed and the oil of the bottle failed not according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken by the ministry [Heb. hand] of Elia.

17. And it came to pass after these things that the son of these woman the hostess of the house fell sick and the sickness grew very strong until no breath was left on him [that is until he had given up the ghost and he was dead indeed for the Hebrew Nesama is often taken for the soul or ghost of a man which is distinguished from the body and by death departed out of it as Genesis 2:7 Job 27:3 &c.]

18. And she said unto Elia what have I to do with thee thou man of God?[see above chapter 13 on verse 1] and thou come in unto me [others thou art come in unto me &c. but these words are for the most part translated by way of question or demand]to bring mine iniquity in remembrance and to kill my son?[to bring mine iniquity in remembrance to wit with the Lord and consequently to provoke him to anger against me Heb. what is me and thee &c. see of this phrase 2 Samuel 16 on verse 10 if she had said I have willingly attained thee in my house expecting by means of the Gods blessing upon me and mine but now by the decease of thy son I perceive that Gods judgment is fallen upon me because thou hast perhaps discern some falling in me and hast prayed unto God against me which if it be so I have entertained thee in mine own mischief.]

19. And he said unto her give me thy son and took him from out of the lap and carried him up into the upper room where he himself dwelt and he laid him down upon his own bed.

20. And he called upon the Lord and said O Lord my God hast thou dwell so ill with this widow [viz. as thou dost deal with many others that perish through hunger and thirst] with whom I lodge that thou hast slain her son?[he speaketh thus not to control God for visiting this widow but to lament that he feared that for Gods name might come to be blasphemed and his worshiped despised because he had promised that Gods blessing should light upon his house .]

21. And he measured himself upon the child three time [that is he stretched himself out upon the child three times see the like examples 2kings 4.34 Acts 20:10] and called upon the Lord and said O Lord my God I pray thee let this child’s soul come unto him [Heb. into his middle or inner most part so in the following verse others into his body] again an excellent proof shewing that the soul of man is distinct being from the body departing out of it by death and by the resurrection into it again see Genesis 35 on verse 18.]

22. And the Lord heard the voice of Elia and the voice of the child came unto him again [Heb. into his most part]that it revived.

23. And Elia took the child and brought it down from the upper room into the house and gave it to his mother and Elia said see thy son liveth.

24. Then said that woman unto Elia now I know this that thou art a man of God and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.