1 Kings 17

called Baalim. (See book i. discourse xlii. and his Apostacy of the later Times, par. i. chap. 3.) Whence it came, that there were not more Jupiters among the Europeans, than there were Baals among the Syrians. And hence so many mountains, and springs, and woods, and cities, were called by the name of Baal, when Joshua conquered Canaan; as Baal-Meon, Bamoth-Baal, Baal-Gad, Baal-Thamar, Baal-Zephon, and many more. In which places, no doubt, Baalim were worshipped, and from thence they had their names. xvi. 5. xvii. 9. So called from the plenty of redds (for Kana signifies a reed), in which the prophet lay hid while he stayed in this place. jpast before he came from the brook Cherith, (see ver. 7.) And therefore they lived upon this meal and ail two years more,, till the end of the famine.

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A.ND Elijah the Tishbite. The care of God over this people (as I noted before) was so great, that in every king’s reign, from the first to the last, there was one or more prophets to instruct, admonish, and correct them. And now in the reign of Ahab (when there was the greatest need of it), God raised up an extraordinary prophet far exceeding all others, whom Abarbinel calls the prince of the. prophets, next unto Moses.’ Whose original being not known (for here is no mention of his father or mother), some of the Jews have fancied him to have been an angel sent from heaven to reduce them to the true religion. So Abarbinel relates, upon the book of Judges, as Joh.Friscrimuthus observes, in a dissertation about Elijah. Whose name, which in the Hebrew is Elijahu, carries something Divine in it; being compounded, as iEgid. Camartus imagines, of three of the names of God, viz. Eli, and Jah, and Hu. There is no doubt the two first are the names of God, but there is reason to question the last, though a great man of our own, Edra. Castellus, in his Polyglot Lexicon, doth put Hu among the Divine names; and so do. the cabalists. He was indeed a very eminent messenger of God, sent to call the Israelites to repentance; from whence our learned Dr. Lightfoot thinks he had the name of Tishbite: from the Hebrew word shub, which signifies to return; for he was sent’ to be the converter of the nation. (See him upon St. Luke, i. 17.) Other conjectures there are about this name, which Frischmuth hath collected; and Dionysius Petavius hath delivered his opinion about it upon Epiphanius, (Heeres. lv. n. 3.) who saith Elijah was l£ Upiojv of the priests, and grandson to Zadok. But Kimchi seems to have given the plainest account of this name of Thishbite from Thesbe, a town or region where he was born: just as Ahijah is called Shilonite, from Shilo, where he was born, or dwelt. Wlio was of the inhabitants of Gilead.] It is not certain that he was a native of this country; but only that he came and settled among the Gileadites, being born, as some think, in the tribe of Benjamin, though most are rather of opinion in the tribe of Gad. Said unto Ahab, As the Lord liveth, before whom Island, there shall not be deiv nor rain these years, but according to my word.] To make his words the more regarded, he swore solemnly by the eternal God, whose minister he was (for that is meant by standing before him), and to whom he had prayed, that there should be no moisture from the clouds for three years and a half ensuing, unless it was by his prayers. Thus St. James teaches us to expound these words, these years, (James v. 17.) And Abarbinel makes out the connexion of this chapter with the foregoing in this manner: — Elijah admonished Ahab to lay to heart the punishment of Hiel the Beth-elite, saying, Fear the Lord lest ho be angry with thee, as he was with Hiel, for breaking his command. But Ahab despised his admonition, and said, That was a chance; for you say we are all idolaters, and yet the threatening in the law of Moses (Deut. xi. 16, 17.) is not come updn us. Whereupon Elijah, in a great anger, said, As the Lord liveth there shall be no dew, &c. Which story is told with more circumstances in the Talmud.

1 Kings 17:2

And the word of the Lord came to him, saying. The king being incensed at this threatening, God took care to secure Elijah from his fury, by the following direction.

1 Kings 17:3

Get thee hence. For he saw that Ahab intended to lay hold of him. And turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.] This brook Bochartus takes to be the same with Kana, mentioned by Joshua,

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And it shall be, that thou shall drink of the brook: and I willcommand the ravens to feed thee there. This seems so strange, that some will have the word orebim not to signify ravens, but merchants: because they find the word orebe in Ezek. xxvii. 17. signifying merchants that traded in the market of Tyre. Btit, as Bochartiis hath observed, they are never called simply oHbim. Nor is their opinion better, who think Arabians to be here meant: for there were none thereabout; and Elias’s lurking-placei would soon have been discovered to Ahab, if merchants, or any other people that travelled that way, had been acquainted with it. We must therefore acknowledge a miraculous care which God took of Elijah, as all the ancients do, none excepted. (SeeJBochartus, in his Hierozoicbn, par. ii. lib. ii. cap. 13.) Nor did such* things seem incredible to the heathen, who tell us as strange stories. For example, that Jupiter was fed in his cradle by bees: and Janus, the son of Apollo and Evadne, with honey by dragons: and Midas, when an infant, had corn put into’his mouth, as ho lay asleep, by ants: iEsculapins nourished by a goat; and a great many more mentioned by that excellent person Huetius, in his Quaestiones Alnetanae, lib. ii. cap. 12. n. 17.. *

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So he went, and did according to the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

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And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. God amply provided for his servant; sending him not only bread, but flesh also, that he might make a good meal: and this twice a day, at dinner and supper. This provision some of the Jews fancy (in Gemara Sanhedrin, cap. 11. n. 7G.) the ravens brought from Ahab’s house; others fancy, from Jehoshaphat’s; as if he was fed with royal dainties. ButBochartus thinks it is better to say; that they had this provision from some of the seven thousand persons who had never bowed to Baal. But it is best of all to confess we cannot tell whence they had it; God, perhaps, making meat ready prepared on purpose for him. They who object that these were unclean creatures, -who polluted the meat* which they touched, should consider, that all this was done by an extraordinary dispensation. And St. Chrysostom fancies, there was this moral instruction in it; that Elijah should learn to be more mild and gentle towards the deluded Israelites, by these birds, who were cruel to their young, but kind to him. And indeed it is very wonderful, as Victorinus Strigelius here glosses, that the ravens, who do hot feed their own young* ones, should constantly feed the prophet. For such is the a&ropyia of these creatures, as naturalists report, that they forsake their young before they be fledged: whom God feeds by worms, which are produced by the dung, and out of the carcasses that have been brought into their nests, until they be able to fly, and provide for themselves. I think he hath this but of St. Ambrose, lib. x. epist. 82. The Psalmist is thought to allude to it, Psal. cxlvii. 9. And God himself in Job xxxviii. 41. *’ r -

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And it came to pass, after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain. In the Hebrew it is, at the end of days, that is, of a’yearj’ as-that phraiso, I have sliewn, is often used… w.fi.

1 Kings 17:8

And the word’df the Lord came to him, saijing,

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Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there.* It Was a placo between Tyre and Zidon, but belonged to the territory’of* the latter; and so was not in the land of Israel, but inhabited by gentiles* Behold, I have commanded a widow woman-there to sus* tain thee.’] He had appointed and disposed her, just as he did theravens/ver.4.* For she had no command from God for it; (it appears from ver. 12;) and this wasan extraordinary providence, that a poor widow and a gentile should support him; though, in all likelihood, she was not a stranger to the true religion, but & pious woman of another nation. « -

1 Kings 17:10

So he arose, and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering sticks. Which shetvs she was but in a poor condition. And he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.] For he knew, by a Divine inspiration, this-was the woman that was to sustain him.

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• And as she was going to fetch it. This shews she was a good woman; being ready to succour a stranger. He called unto her and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy Itand.] Which was very natural to desire, having asked for water: bufrhe said it tomovc her to acquaint him with what follows.

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And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth. By this it appears she knew the Lord God of Israel; and that Elijah was a prophet; or, at least, one of his worshippers. • I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and L am* gathering two sticks] By two sticks is meant a few: as two frequently signifies, (Isa. xvii. 6. Jer. iii. 14.) That I may go and dress it for me and my son, tlmttve may eat it, and die.] The famine, it^seems, was sore in that country, as well as in Israel. For they of Zidon had their provision from the Israelites; and besides, it is likely, had no rain: but were punished as their neighbours were; being all alike idolaters.

1 Kings 17:13

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not.J<Bo not afraid of being famished. • - Go and do as thou hast said: but make me a. little cake thereof first, and bring it unto me, and lifter that make for thee and for thy son.] A very hard command: whereby he tried her faith -and obedience.^* -’• -

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For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The bar rel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain on the earth.* This was a miracle, which they that were not Christians did not think incredible: as Huetius, shews in the same book, and the chapter abovementioned, ver. 4.

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And’she went, and did according to the saying of Elijah. By which it is evident that she trusted in thd Lord God of Israel. L < And she, and he, and her house did eat many days.] Some by many days understand a full year: as it is in the margin. But it rather signifies two years: for one year Mas

1 Kings 17:16

And the barrel of meal toasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.* But what they took out for their daily use, was immediately supplied by the power of God.

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And it came to pass, after these things. After this demonstration of the power and goodness of God. That the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so i sore, that there was no breath left in him.] He expired and died.

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And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God?. Some take the meaning to be, wherein have I offended ihee? but the following words seem to imply, that in a great agony of spirit she asked him, wherefore he came to her house, if this were his intention? Art thou come to callmy sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?] This she thought was hard, to requite his entertainment at her house with such a punishment for her sins. For then sins are said to be called to remembrance before God, when he punishes them. Ver. If). And he said unto her, Give me thy son.] He reached out his hands, and bade her put him into his arms. And he took him out of her bosom.] It seems he was but a little child: who the Jews think afterward proved a prophet; viz. Jonah. And carried him up into a loft where he abode*] The LXX. translate it xmtptoov, an upper room: which he had to himself for his study, meditation, and prayer; as Elisha afterward had in another place, (2 Kings iv. 10.) And laid hint tipon his own bed.] By this it appears it was a private room, where he lodged.

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And he cried unto the Lord. Prayed most - earnestly. And said, O my God, hast thou brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?] He humbly expostulated with God; representing what an addition it was to his other afflictions, that this widow should suffer, who had been jso kind ■ to *him; and suffer in her son, the great comfort of her life; and that while he was in her house.

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And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my Gocjt, J pray thee, let this child’s soul come again into him. He lay prostate in prayer before God; and stretched out himself upon the child, as if he would inspire him with anew life. And this he did three times; believing God would be moved by his importunity, to do what he desired.

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And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. Hereby it appeared not only that this was done by God, to whom Elijah prayed; but that he did it for Elijah’s sake.

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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. There was no need, one would think, to bid her observe and lay to heart the great power and mercy of rGod, in restoring her son to Jife. But the best of us must be awakened to our duty. vol. n.

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And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know thou art a man of God. She believed it before; (ver. 18.) but When She saw he did not cure her child when he lay sick, but suffered him to die, she began to doubt of it But her faith revived, together with her son, and was mightily confirmed. And that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.] She believed all that he delivered as the mind of God; and gave up herself entirely to his instructions. The benefit of which she enjoyed, till God sent Elijah to meet Ahab; resolving to send rain upon the earth, as it follows in the next chapter.

And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. He built a temple for this god in the royal city, and set up an altar, where he sacrificed to him. Which was more directly to worship other gods than Jeroboam did: who pretended the worship he performed to the calves was to the true God, whom he honoured in them.

And Ahab made a grove. Which was another piece of idolatry; which God commanded to be abolished, (Deut. vii. 5.) And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Ismel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him."] In this grove, it is likely, all manner of impurities were practised: for Jezebel was a filthy woman.

In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite. A man that lived in the very seat of idolatry; and, it is likely, was deeply infected with it. Build Jericho.] A place which, being under a cherem, was never to be rebuilt; because it was devoted to God, as the first-fruits of the conquests of Canaan. Which this man either did not know (because ignorant of the law, which now was little read), or was so impious as not to regard the words of Joshua, believing no other* god but Baal. He laid the foundation thereof in Abiramhisfirst-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.] But he found to his cost, that the sentence which Joshua pronounced against therebuilder of this city proved true; for his eldest son died when he laid the first stone of it: and so all the rest of his children, “one after another, as the building advanced; till at last his youngest son died when it was finished. A most remarkable instance of the certainty of Divine threatcnings; and that God never forgets what lie hath said, but continues always the same. This sentence being pronounced more than four hundred and forty years ago, and now fulfilled exactly in all its circumstances: which might have been a warning to the whole nation, not to despise the long-suffering and patience of God, who, though he had not yet carried them out of their good land, according to the word of Ahijah, (xiv. 15.) would certainly do it, if they continued in their impenitence.