1 Re 17

1 ALLORA Elia Tisbita, ch’era di quelli della nuova popolazione di Galaad, disse ad Achab: Come il Signore Iddio d’Israele, al quale io ministro, vive, non vi sarà nè rugiada, nè pioggia, questi anni, se non alla mia parola.

2 Poi la parola del Signore gli fu indirizzata, dicendo:

3 Partiti di qui, e volgiti verso l’Oriente, e nasconditi presso al torrente Cherit, ch’è dirincontro al Giordano.

4 E tu berrai del torrente, ed io ho comandato a’ corvi che ti nudriscano quivi.

5 Egli adunque se ne andò, e fece secondo la parola del Signore, e andò, e dimorò presso al torrente Cherit, ch’è dirincontro al Giordano.

6 E i corvi gli portavano del pane e della carne, mattina e sera; ed egli bevea del torrente.

7 Ora, in capo all’anno, il torrente si seccò; perciocchè non v’era stata alcuna pioggia nel paese.

8 Allora la parola del Signore gli fu indirizzata, dicendo:

9 Levati, vattene in Sarepta, città de’ Sidonii, e dimora quivi; ecco, io ho comandato quivi ad una donna vedova che ti nudrisca.

10 Egli adunque si levò, e andò in Sarepta; e, come giunse alla porta della città, ecco, quivi era una donna vedova, che raccoglieva delle legne; ed egli la chiamò, e le disse: Deh! recami un poco d’acqua in un vaso, acciocchè io beva.

11 E come ella andava per recargliela, egli la richiamò, e le disse: Deh! recami ancora una fetta di pane.

12 Ma ella disse: Come il Signore Iddio tuo vive, io non ho pure una focaccia; io non ho altro che una menata di farina in un vaso, ed un poco di olio in un orciuolo; ed ecco, io raccolgo due stecchi, poi me ne andrò, e l’apparecchierò, per me e per lo mio figliuolo, e la mangeremo, e poi morremo.

13 Ed Elia le disse: Non temere; va’, fa’ come tu hai detto; ma pur fammene prima una piccola focaccia, e recamela qua fuori; poi ne farai del pane per te e per lo tuo figliuolo.

14 Perciocchè il Signore Iddio d’Israele ha detto così: Il vaso della farina, nè l’orciuol dell’olio non mancherà, fino al giorno che il Signore manderà della pioggia sopra la terra.

15 Ella dunque andò, e fece come Elia le avea detto; ed ella, ed egli, e la casa di essa, ne mangiarono un anno intiero.

16 Il vaso della farina, nè l’orciuol dell’olio non mancarono, secondo la parola del Signore, ch’egli avea detta per Elia.

17 Or avvenne, dopo queste cose, che il figliuolo di quella donna, padrona della casa, infermò; e la sua infermità fu molto grave, talchè egli spirò.

18 Allora ella disse ad Elia: Che ho io a far teco, uomo di Dio? sei tu venuto a me, per far che la mia iniquità sia ricordata, e per far morire il mio figliuolo?

19 Ma egli le disse: Dammi il tuo figliuolo. Ed egli lo prese dal seno di quella donna, e lo portò nella camera nella quale egli stava, e lo coricò sopra il suo letto;

20 e gridò al Signore, e disse: Signore Iddio mio, hai tu pure anche afflitta questa vedova, appo la quale io albergo, facendole morire il suo figliuolo?

21 Poi egli si distese, per tutta la sua lunghezza, sopra il fanciullo per tre volte, e gridò al Signore, e disse: Signore Iddio mio, torni, ti prego, l’anima di questo fanciullo in lui.

22 E il Signore esaudì la voce d’Elia, e l’anima del fanciullo ritornò in lui, ed egli rivisse.

23 Ed Elia prese il fanciullo, e lo portò giù dalla camera in casa, e lo diede a sua madre, e le disse: Vedi, il tuo figliuolo è vivo.

24 Allora la donna disse ad Elia: Ora conosco che tu sei uomo di Dio, e che la parola del Signore, ch’è nella tua bocca, è verità.

1 Re 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

Elijah fed by ravens. (1-7) Elijah sent to Zarephath. (8-16) Elijah raises the widow's son to life. (17-24)

Verses 1-7 God wonderfully suits men to the work he designs them for. The times were fit for an Elijah; an Elijah was fit for them. The Spirit of the Lord knows how to fit men for the occasions. Elijah let Ahab know that God was displeased with the idolaters, and would chastise them by the want of rain, which it was not in the power of the gods they served to bestow. Elijah was commanded to hide himself. If Providence calls us to solitude and retirement, it becomes us to go: when we cannot be useful, we must be patient; and when we cannot work for God, we must sit still quietly for him. The ravens were appointed to bring him meat, and did so. Let those who have but from hand to mouth, learn to live upon Providence, and trust it for the bread of the day, in the day. God could have sent angels to minister to him; but he chose to show that he can serve his own purposes by the meanest creatures, as effectually as by the mightiest. Elijah seems to have continued thus above a year. The natural supply of water, which came by common providence, failed; but the miraculous supply of food, made sure to him by promise, failed not. If the heavens fail, the earth fails of course; such are all our creature-comforts: we lose them when we most need them, like brooks in summer. But there is a river which makes glad the city of God, that never runs dry, a well of water that springs up to eternal life. Lord, give us that living water!

Verses 8-16 Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, and some, it is likely, would have bidden him welcome to their houses; yet he is sent to honour and bless with his presence a city of Sidon, a Gentile city, and so becomes the first prophet of the Gentiles. Jezebel was Elijah's greatest enemy; yet, to show her how powerless was her malice, God will find a hiding-place for him even in her own country. The person appointed to entertain Elijah is not one of the rich or great men of Sidon; but a poor widow woman, in want, and desolate, is made both able and willing to sustain him. It is God's way, and it is his glory, to make use of, and put honour upon, the weak and foolish things of the world. O woman, great was thy faith; one has not found the like, no not in Israel. She took the prophet's word, that she should not lose by it. Those who can venture upon the promise of God, will make no difficulty to expose and empty themselves in his service, by giving him his part first. Surely the increase of this widow's faith, so as to enable her thus readily to deny herself, and to depend upon the Divine promise, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the increase of her meal and oil in the kingdom of providence. Happy are all who can thus, against hope, believe and obey in hope. One poor meal's meat this poor widow gave the prophet; in recompence of it, she and her son did eat above two years, in a time of famine. To have food from God's special favour, and in such good company as Elijah, made it more than doubly sweet. It is promised to those who trust in God, that they shall not be ashamed in evil time; in days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Verses 17-24 Neither faith nor obedience shut out afflictions and death. The child being dead, the mother spake to the prophet, rather to give vent to her sorrow, than in hope of relief. When God removes our comforts from us, he remembers our sins against us, perhaps the sins of our youth, though long since past. When God remembers our sins against us, he designs to teach us to remember them against ourselves, and to repent of them. Elijah's prayer was doubtless directed by the Holy Spirit. The child revived. See the power of prayer, and the power of Him who hears prayer.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 17

This chapter begins with a prophecy of Elijah, that there should be want of rain for some years to come, and he is directed to go first to the brook Cherith, where he should be fed by ravens, 1Ki 17:1-7, and afterwards he is sent to a widow at Zarephath, where he, she, and her son, were supported for a considerable time with a handful of meal, and a little oil in a cruse miraculously increased, 1Ki 17:8-16, whose son falling sick and dying, he restored to life, 1Ki 17:17-24.