1 And Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 who was of the inhabitants H8453 of Gilead, H1568 said H559 unto Ahab, H256 As the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 there shall not be dew H2919 nor rain H4306 these years, H8141 but according H6310 to my word. H1697
Elias G2243 was G2258 a man G444 subject to like passions as G3663 we are, G2254 and G2532 he prayed G4336 earnestly G4335 that it might G1026 not G3361 rain: G1026 and G2532 it rained G1026 not G3756 on G1909 the earth G1093 by the space of three G5140 years G1763 and G2532 six G1803 months. G3376
And G2532 he G846 shall go G4281 before G1799 him G846 in G1722 the spirit G4151 and G2532 power G1411 of Elias, G2243 to turn G1994 the hearts G2588 of the fathers G3962 to G1909 the children, G5043 and G2532 the disobedient G545 to G1722 the wisdom G5428 of the just; G1342 to make ready G2090 a people G2992 prepared G2680 for the Lord. G2962
But G1161 I tell G3004 you G5213 of G1909 a truth, G225 many G4183 widows G5503 were G2258 in G1722 Israel G2474 in G1722 the days G2250 of Elias, G2243 when G3753 the heaven G3772 was shut up G2808 G1909 three G5140 years G2094 and G2532 six G1803 months, G3376 when G5613 great G3173 famine G3042 was G1096 throughout G1909 all G3956 the land; G1093 But G2532 unto G4314 none G3762 of them G846 was G3992 Elias G2243 sent, G3992 save G1508 unto G1519 Sarepta, G4558 a city of Sidon, G4605 unto G4314 a woman G1135 that was a widow. G5503
And Elisha H477 said, H559 As the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 liveth, H2416 before H6440 whom I stand, H5975 surely, were it not that H3884 I regard H5375 the presence H6440 of Jehoshaphat H3092 the king H4428 of Judah, H3063 I would not look H5027 toward thee, nor see H7200 thee.
And Micaiah H4321 said, H559 As the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 what the LORD H3068 saith H559 unto me, that will I speak. H1696
At that time H6256 the LORD H3068 separated H914 the tribe H7626 of Levi, H3878 to bear H5375 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 to stand H5975 before H6440 the LORD H3068 to minister H8334 unto him, and to bless H1288 in his name, H8034 unto this day. H3117
God G2316 hath G683 not G3756 cast away G683 his G846 people G2992 which G3739 he foreknew. G4267 G2228 Wot ye G1492 not G3756 what G5101 the scripture G1124 saith G3004 of G1722 Elias? G2243 how G5613 he maketh intercession G1793 to God G2316 against G2596 Israel, G2474 saying, G3004
And it came to pass after many H7227 days, H3117 that the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came to Elijah H452 in the third H7992 year, H8141 saying, H559 Go, H3212 shew H7200 thyself unto Ahab; H256 and I will send H5414 rain H4306 upon H6440 the earth. H127
Then Jephthah H3316 gathered together H6908 all the men H582 of Gilead, H1568 and fought H3898 with Ephraim: H669 and the men H582 of Gilead H1568 smote H5221 Ephraim, H669 because they said, H559 Ye Gileadites H1568 are fugitives H6412 of Ephraim H669 among H8432 the Ephraimites, H669 and among H8432 the Manassites. H4519
Watch ye G69 therefore, G3767 and pray G1189 always, G1722 G3956 G2540 that G2443 ye may be accounted worthy G2661 to escape G1628 all G3956 these things G5023 that shall G3195 come to pass, G1096 and G2532 to stand G2476 before G1715 the Son G5207 of man. G444
These G3778 have G2192 power G1849 to shut G2808 heaven, G3772 that G3363 it rain G1026 G5205 not G3363 in G1722 the days G2250 of their G846 prophecy: G4394 and G2532 have G2192 power G1849 over G1909 waters G5204 to turn G4762 them G846 to G1519 blood, G129 and G2532 to smite G3960 the earth G1093 with all G3956 plagues, G4127 as often G3740 as G1437 they will. G2309
And G2532 they asked G2065 him, G846 and G2532 said G2036 unto him, G846 Why G5101 baptizest thou G907 then, G3767 if G1487 thou G4771 be G1488 not G3756 that Christ, G5547 nor G3777 Elias, G2243 neither G3777 that prophet? G4396
And G2532 they asked G2065 him, G846 What G5101 then? G3767 Art G1488 thou G4771 Elias? G2243 And G2532 he saith, G3004 I am G1510 not. G3756 Art G1488 thou G4771 that prophet? G4396 And G2532 he answered, G611 No. G3756
As the LORD H3068 thy God H430 liveth, H2416 there is no H3426 nation H1471 or kingdom, H4467 whither H834 my lord H113 hath not sent H7971 to seek H1245 thee: and when they said, H559 He is not there; he took an oath H7650 of the kingdom H4467 and nation, H1471 that they found H4672 thee not.
And G1161 when his G846 disciples G3101 James G2385 and G2532 John G2491 saw G1492 this, they said, G2036 Lord, G2962 wilt thou G2309 that we command G2036 fire G4442 to come down G2597 from G575 heaven, G3772 and G2532 consume G355 them, G846 even G2532 as G5613 Elias G2243 did? G4160
And G2532 it came to pass, G1096 as G1722 they G846 departed G1316 from G575 him, G846 Peter G4074 said G2036 unto G4314 Jesus, G2424 Master, G1988 it is G2076 good G2570 for us G2248 to be G1511 here: G5602 and G2532 let us make G4160 three G5140 tabernacles; G4633 one for G3391 thee, G4671 and G2532 one for G3391 Moses, G3475 and G2532 one for G3391 Elias: G2243 not G3361 knowing G1492 what G3739 he said. G3004
And G2532 the angel G32 answering G611 said G2036 unto him, G846 I G1473 am G1510 Gabriel, G1043 that stand G3936 in the presence G1799 of God; G2316 and G2532 am sent G649 to speak G2980 unto G4314 thee, G4571 and G2532 to shew G2097 thee G4671 these G5023 glad tidings. G2097
And G1161 they said, G2036 Some say that thou art G3303 John G2491 the Baptist: G910 G1161 some, G243 Elias; G2243 and G1161 others, G2087 Jeremias, G2408 or G2228 one G1520 of the prophets. G4396
Therefore thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 If thou return, H7725 then will I bring thee again, H7725 and thou shalt stand H5975 before H6440 me: and if thou take forth H3318 the precious H3368 from the vile, H2151 thou shalt be as my mouth: H6310 let them return H7725 unto thee; but return H7725 not thou unto them.
Lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 round about, H5439 and behold: H7200 all these gather themselves together, H6908 and come H935 to thee. As I live, H2416 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 thou shalt surely clothe H3847 thee with them all, as with an ornament, H5716 and bind H7194 them on thee, as a bride H3618 doeth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 17
Commentary on 1 Kings 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 17
So sad was the character both of the princes and people of Israel, as described in the foregoing chapter, that one might have expected God would cast off a people that had so cast him off; but, as an evidence to the contrary, never was Israel so blessed with a good prophet as when it was so plagued with a bad king. Never was king so bold to sin as Ahab; never was prophet so bold to reprove and threaten as Elijah, whose story begins in this chapter and is full of wonders. Scarcely any part of the Old-Testament history shines brighter than this history of the spirit and power of Elias; he only, of all the prophets, had the honour of Enoch, the first prophet, to be translated, that he should not see death, and the honour of Moses, the great prophet, to attend our Saviour in his transfiguration. Other prophets prophesied and wrote, he prophesied and acted, but wrote nothing; but his actions cast more lustre on his name than their writings did on theirs. In this chapter we have,
Thus his story begins with judgments and miracles, designed to awaken that stupid generation that had to deeply corrupted themselves.
1Ki 17:1-7
The history of Elijah begins somewhat abruptly. Usually, when a prophet enters, we have some account of his parentage, are told whose son he was and of what tribe; but Elijah drops (so to speak) out of the clouds, as if, like Melchisedek, he were without father, without mother, and without descent, which made some of the Jews fancy that he was an angel sent from heaven; but the apostle has assured us that he was a man subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17), which perhaps intimates, not only that he was liable to the common infirmities of human nature, but that, by his natural temper, he was a man of strong passions, more hot and eager than most men, and therefore the more fit to deal with the daring sinners of the age he lived in: so wonderfully does God suit men to the work he designs them for. Rough spirits are called to rough services. The reformation needed such a man as Luther to break the ice. Observe,
Thus does Elijah, for a great while, eat his morsels alone, and his provision of water, which he has in an ordinary way from the brook, fails him before that which he has by miracle. The powers of nature are limited, but not the powers of the God of nature. Elijah's brook dried up (v. 7) because there was no rain. If the heavens fail, earth fails of course; such are all our creature-comforts; we lose them when we most need them, like the brooks in summer, Job 6:15. But there is a river which makes glad the city of God and which never runs dry (Ps. 46:4), a well of water that springs up to eternal life. Lord, give us that living water!
1Ki 17:8-16
We have here an account of the further protection Elijah was taken under, and the further provision made for him in his retirement. At destruction and famine he shall laugh that has God for his friend to guard and maintain him. The brook Cherith is dried up, but God's care of his people, and kindness to them, never slacken, never fail, but are still the same, are still continued and drawn out to those that know him, Ps. 36:10. When the brook was dried up Jordan was not; why did not God send him thither? Surely because he would show that he has a variety of ways to provide for his people and is not tied to any one. God will now provide for him where he shall have some company and opportunity of usefulness, and not be, as he had been, buried alive. Observe,
1Ki 17:17-24
We have here a further recompence made to the widow for her kindness to the prophet; as if it were a small thing to be kept alive, her son, when dead, is restored to life, and so restored to her. Observe,