1 Kings 17

1 Now Elijah [the prophet, my God is Jehovah] the Tishbite [from Tishbe in Gilead], who was among the settlers [sojourners, resident aliens] of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, the God of Israel] lives [is alive, has life]—the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel before whom I stand [am present, serve]—there will be neither dew [moisture, gentle rain] nor rain [water from the sky, precipitation] in these years [this period of time] except at my word [according to my command, by my authority]!” word study 2 Then a revelation [word, message, or decree] from the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came to Elijah [to or toward him, as a prophet]: word study 3 “Leave here [from this place, depart], turn [face, direct yourself] eastward [toward the front, to the east], and hide [conceal, keep secret] yourself [your person, your presence] by the Brook [river, stream] of Cherith [a place of cutting or separation], east [on the front, before] of the Jordan [the descender, a river]. word study 4 And you are to drink [from the stream, of the brook] from the brook [a small river, or valley], and I have commanded [given orders, appointed] the ravens [dark-colored birds] to feed [sustain, support] you there [in that place, at that time].” word study 5 So Elijah did what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had told him, and he went [to walk, to move from one place to another] and lived [to dwell, to remain] by the Brook [a small river or valley] of Cherith [a brook in Palestine where Elijah hid during a drought], east [on the eastern side, before] of the Jordan [the river running from Lebanon to the Dead Sea]. word study 6 The ravens [dark-colored birds, unclean animals] would bring him bread [food, especially grain] and meat [flesh, living things] in the morning [the break of day, a new beginning] and evening [sunset, the end of the day], and he would drink [to take in, to receive nourishment] from the brook [a small river, a natural stream]. word study 7 Some time later [after a while, at the end of days], however, the brook [stream, small river] dried up [withered, became dry] because there had been [was] no [absence of] rain [shower, refreshing downpour] in the land [earth, territory, country]. word study 8 Then the word [a message or declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came [was given or presented] to Elijah [to or towards him, as a prophet]: word study 9 “Get up [arise, stand up] and go to Zarephath [a city of refuge, a place of safety] of Sidon [a major city in the region], and stay [dwell, remain] there [in that place, at that time]. Behold [look, see], I have commanded [given orders, appointed] a widow [a woman without a husband, alone and vulnerable] there [in that place] to provide [sustain, support] for you [to care for your needs].” word study 10 So Elijah [the prophet of God] got up [rose, stood up] and went to Zarephath [a city of refuge]. When he arrived at the city gate [the entrance to the city], there was a widow [a woman whose husband has died, alone and vulnerable] gathering [collecting, assembling] sticks [wood, fuel for fire]. Elijah called [summoned, spoke to] to her and said, “Please [I pray, kindly] bring me a little [small amount, minimal] water [refreshment, sustenance] in a cup [a vessel, container], so that I may drink [refresh myself, quench my thirst].” word study 11 And as she was going [to walk, to move] to get [to take, to fetch] it, he called [to cry out, to summon] to her and said, “Please [I pray, I beseech] bring [to take, to get] me a piece [morsel, a small amount] of bread [food, a loaf] [in your hand, as a gift].” word study 12 But she replied, “As surely as the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] lives, I have no bread [not even a cake]—only a handful [the fullness of the hand] of flour [used to make bread] in a jar [a container for storing food] and a little [a small amount] oil [often referring to olive oil] in a jug [a cruse, a flat jar for liquids]. Look, I am gathering [to assemble, collect] a couple of sticks [two, a pair] to take home and prepare [to make, do] a meal [food, nourishment] for myself and my son [a descendant, a child], so that we may eat [to devour, consume] it and die [to cease living, perish].” word study 13 “Do not be afraid [fear not, have no fear],” Elijah [my God is Jehovah] said to her. “Go [come, approach] and do as you have said [as thou hast spoken]. But first [before all else] make me a small [little, round] cake of bread [a round bread cake, an unleavened loaf] from what you have [from the little you possess], and bring it out [come out, go forth] to me. Afterward [lastly, in the end], make some for yourself [for thine own sake] and your son [thy child, thy offspring], word study 14 for this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob], says: ‘The jar [container for flour] of flour [used for making bread] will not be exhausted [come to an end, finished] and the jug [cruse, a flat jar] of oil [often referring to olive oil] will not run dry [lack, be without] until the day [a literal or figurative period of time] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] sends [gives, brings] rain [geshem, a shower or downpour] upon [on, above] the face [presence, surface] of the earth [land, ground].’” word study 15 So she went [and obeyed] and did according to the word [instruction, command] of Elijah [my God is Jehovah], and there was food [sustenance, provision] every day [a period of time, daily] for Elijah and the woman [the widow] and her household [family, those belonging to her]. word study 16 The jar [container made of clay] of flour [fine powder for bread] was not [lacking, absent] exhausted [completely used up, finished] and the jug [flat jar, cruse] of oil [olive oil] did not [lacking, absent] run dry [become empty, lacking], according to the word [divine message, promise] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had spoken [communicated, declared] through Elijah [my God is Jehovah, the prophet]. word study 17 Later [after these things, following this], the son [descendant, male child] of the woman [female person, wife] who owned [was mistress of] the house [dwelling place, home] became ill [fell sick, was weak], and his sickness [disease, affliction] grew worse [was so sore, became severe] and worse [more severe, exceedingly], until [as far as, till] no breath [spirit, wind] remained [was left, existed] in him [within him, to him]. word study 18 “O man [a male person, individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme One],” said the woman to Elijah, “what have you done to me? Have you come [approached, drawn near] to remind me of my iniquity [moral evil, sin] and cause the death [to slay, bring to an end] of my son [child, descendant]?” word study 19 But Elijah [the prophet of God] said to her, “Give [hand over, entrust] me your son [child, descendant].” So he took him [lifted, received] from her arms [bosom, embrace], carried him [bore, lifted] to the upper room [loft, chamber] where he was staying [dwelling, abiding], and laid him [placed, rested] on his own bed [couch, resting place]. word study 20 Then he cried out [with deep anguish, passionately] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], “O LORD [Yehovah, the Lord and Master] my God [Elohim, the supreme God], have You also [even, too] brought tragedy [evil, affliction] on this widow [a woman whose husband has died, left alone] who has opened her home [given hospitality, provided shelter] to me, by causing [allowing, permitting] her son [a child, a descendant] to die [to pass away, to perish]?” word study 21 Then he stretched [measured, extended] himself out over the child [youth, young one] three times [thrice, on three occasions] and cried out [called, prayed] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], “O LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] my God [Elohim, the supreme God], please [I pray, I beseech] let this boy’s [child’s, youth’s] life [soul, living being] return [come back, turn back] to him [into his body, into his midst]!” word study 22 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] listened [to hear and obey, gave attention to] to the voice [sound or spoken words] of Elijah [my God is Jehovah], and the child’s [youth, young person] life [soul, living being] returned [to turn back, come back to life] to him, and he lived [to have life, revived]. word study 23 Then Elijah [my God is Jehovah, the prophet] took the child [youth, a young person], brought him down [to a lower place, descended] from the upper room [a lofty place, a stairway or roof chamber] into the house [a dwelling place, a family home], and gave him to his mother [a female parent, a maternal figure]. “Look [see, behold], your son [a descendant, a child] is alive [having life, living],” Elijah [the prophet] declared. word study 24 Then the woman [a female person, wife, or mother] said to Elijah [my God is Jehovah, a prophet], “Now [at this time, in this moment] I know [have come to understand, ascertain by seeing] that you are a man [a male person, individual] of God [Elohim, the supreme God] and that the word [a thing, matter, or affair] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] from your mouth [lips, edge of something] is truth [faithfulness, stability, reliability].” word study