1 Kings 17 Elijah foretelleth, Ahab that there shall be a great drought; is sent to Cherith, where the ravens feed him, 1 Kings 17:1–7. He is sent to Zarephath to a widow, who feedeth him with meal and oil, which wasted not, 1 Kings 17:8–16. Her son dieth, and he raiseth him, 1 Kings 17:17–23.

Elijah was the most eminent of the prophets, Matt. 17:3, who is here brought in, like Melchisedek, Gen. 14:18, Heb. 7:3, without any mention of his father, or mother, or beginning of his days; like a man dropped out of the clouds, and raised by God’s special providence as a witness for himself in…

Thus God rescues him from the fury of Ahab and Jezebel, who he knew would seek to destroy him. Quest. Why did not Ahab seize upon him immediately upon these words? Answ. 1.

i.e. I have decreed or appointed. Or, I shall command, i.e. effectually move them, by instincts and inclinations which I shall put into them, which shall be as forcible with them as a law or command is to men.

Bread and flesh; not raw, but boiled by the ministry of some angel or man, and left in some place or places till the ravens came for it, in all which there is nothing incredible, considering the power and providence of God. In the morning and in the evening, i.e.

After a while, Heb. at the end of days, i.e. of a year; for so the word days is oft used, as in Ex. 13:10, Lev. 25:29, Num. 9:22, Judg. 17:10, 1 Sam. 1:3, 1 Sam. 27:7.

Zarephath; a city between Tyrus and Sidon, called Sarepta by Luke 4:26, by Pliny, and others. To Zidon; to the jurisdiction of that city, which therefore was inhabited by Gentiles. See Luke 4:25.

He called to her; knowing by Divine suggestion that this was the woman designed.

Which he said only to try her, and to make way for what follows.

As the Lord thy God liveth; by which she discovers, that though she was a Gentile, yet she owned the God of Israel as the true God. Two sticks, i.e. a few sticks, that number being oft used indefinitely for any small number, both in Scripture, as Hos. 6:2, and by other authors.

Make me thereof a little cake first; which he requires as a trial and exercise of her faith, and charity, and obedience, which he knew God would graciously and plentifully reward; and so this would be a great example to encourage others to the practice of the same graces upon like occasions.

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, in whom I perceive thou trustest. The barrel of meal, i.e. the meal of the barrel; an hypallage or metonymy. So the cruse of oil, for the oil of the cruse.

She did according to the saying of Elijah; giving glory to the God of Israel, by believing his prophet. Many days, i.e. a long time, even above two years: see 1 Kings 18:1. Heb. days, i.e.

God still creating new, as fast as the old was spent.

Or, no soul, or life, as this Hebrew word oft signifies, i.e. he died, as is manifest from the following verses. See also Heb. 11:35.

What have I to do with thee? wherein have I injured or provoked thee? or, why didst thou come to sojourn in my house, (as the following words seem to explain these,) if this be the fruit of it? They are words of a troubled mind, savouring of some rashness and impatience.

Give me thy son into mine arms. Into a loft; a private place, where he might more freely and fully pour out his soul to God, and use such gestures or methods as he thought most proper, without any offence or observation.

A prayer full of powerful arguments. Thou art the Lord, that canst revive the child; and my God, and therefore wilt not, do not, deny me. She is a widow; add not affliction to the afflicted; deprive her not of the great support and staff of her age.

He stretched himself upon the child; not as if he thought this could contribute any warmth or life to the child; but partly to express, and withal to increase, his grief for the child’s death, and his desire of its reviving; that thereby his prayers might be more fervent, and consequently more…

Now by this I know; now I am assured of that concerning which I began upon this sad occasion to doubt. That the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth; that the God whom thou professest is the true God, and the doctrine and religion which thou teachest is the only true religion; and therefore…