Melachim Alef 17:12

12 And she said, As Hashem Eloheicha liveth, I have nothing baked, but an handful of meal in a pot, and a little shemen in a jug; and, see, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in, cook it for me and beni, that we may eat it, and die.

Melachim Alef 17:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 17:12

And she said, as the Lord thy God liveth
Which shows her to be a good woman, swearing by the living God, and him only, and that she took Elijah to be a good man, and a prophet of the Lord:

I have not a cake;
greater or less, not a morsel of bread in the house:

but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse;
these separate and unmixed, and not made into a cake, and dressed as she intended to do with them:

and, behold, I am gathering two sticks;
or a few, which would be sufficient to bake such a quantity as her meal and oil would make; she speaks by the figure "meiosis", which expresses less than what is meant, as Ben Melech observes:

that I may go in and dress it for me, and my son, that we may eat it,
and die;
having nothing more left, and no expectation of any elsewhere, and the famine strong in the land; so that she could look for nothing but death after this was eaten.

Melachim Alef 17:12 In-Context

10 So he arose and went to Tzarphat. And when he came to the gate of the ir, hinei, the isha almanah was there gathering sticks; and he called to her, and said, Bring me a little mayim in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her, and said, Bring me a morsel of lechem in thine hand.

12 And she said, As Hashem Eloheicha liveth, I have nothing baked, but an handful of meal in a pot, and a little shemen in a jug; and, see, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in, cook it for me and beni, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Eliyahu said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little loaf first, and bring it unto me, and after that make for thee and for thy ben.

14 For thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, The pot of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the jug of shemen fail, until the Yom that Hashem sendeth geshem upon ha’adamah.