I Kings 17

מלכים א׳ פרק י״ז

Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: I Kings | Chapter: 17 of 22 | Day: 117 of 742

Date: June 8, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

Chapter 17 introduces Eliyahu, the towering prophet whose appearance in Sefer Melakhim has the quality of a sudden eruption. There is no genealogy beyond his epithet, “Eliyahu the Tishbi, of the inhabitants of Gilead” — no patronymic, no birth narrative, no call scene. He simply walks into the throne room of Ahab and pronounces a drought that will obey only his word. Chazal (Sanhedrin 113a, cited by Rashi, Radak, and Metzudat David) supply the narrative gap: Eliyahu and Ahab had gone together to console Chiel of Beit-El after his sons’ deaths at Yericho (the curse fulfilled at the end of chapter 16). Ahab challenged Eliyahu cynically: “Is it possible that the curse of the student (Yehoshua) was fulfilled, while the curse of the master (Moshe) — ‘and the heavens will be shut up and there will be no rain’ — has not been? All Israel worships idols and the rains still come down.” Eliyahu, the verse goes, “jumped” (קפץ) and swore the oath of drought. The structure is intentional: chapter 16 ended with the spiritual atmosphere of Ahab’s reign nullifying the awe of Yehoshua’s covenant curses; chapter 17 opens with God reactivating Moshe’s curse through a prophet bold enough to invoke it.

Verse 1 establishes both Eliyahu’s authority and the chapter’s central theological problem: the prophet binds the natural order to his own word. “There shall not be dew or rain these years except by my word.” Radak nuances this carefully: God in fact promised Eliyahu beforehand that the rain would come only when Eliyahu announced it (chapter 18:1), so the formula כִּי אִם לְפִי דְבָרִי is genuine prophetic authority delegated by God, not the prophet’s autonomous power. Still, the boldness of the formulation — the prophet whose oath is also a meteorological decree — launches the new mode in which Eliyahu will operate throughout these chapters: an embodied confrontation with Ahab’s regime, where signs of supernatural power are demonstrated not in the Temple courts but in the field, in private kitchens, on mountain altars, and in private bedrooms.

The middle of the chapter (verses 2-16) traces Eliyahu’s twin exiles. First he is hidden at Nahal Krit east of the Jordan, where ravens (Radak: literal black birds; some midrashim read ‘merchants’ on the same root) bring him bread and meat twice daily, miraculously sourced from Jewish tables that Chazal locate alternately at Ahab’s own palace and at Yehoshafat’s. Metzudat David draws the moral: the cruel ravens were chosen precisely to shame the king — if even ravens, by nature merciless, can sustain the prophet, how much more should Ahab have mercy on Israel and repent? When the brook dries (Rashi explains the brook was deliberately dried up so that Eliyahu would feel the people’s suffering and intercede for rain), Eliyahu is sent to Tzarfat of Sidon — Ahab’s wife’s home territory, a striking geographic irony. There he meets a widow gathering two sticks to bake what she expects will be her last meal before she and her son starve. Eliyahu, by Rashi’s read, identifies her by the test Eliezer used to identify Rivka: the one who offers him water unbidden. He asks her for a small cake first, before she feeds herself and her child — a request that on its face sounds heartless but is in fact an invitation to trust the prophetic word. She does, and her flour-jar (כד הקמח) and oil-jug (צפחת השמן) do not run out for the duration of the drought. The widow who had nothing now sustains the prophet who once had ravens; the dependency relations of the chapter keep inverting.

The chapter’s final movement (verses 17-24) is the first recorded resurrection in Tanakh. The widow’s son falls ill and dies (Radak preserves the debate: some hold the boy entered a death-like coma rather than literal death, but the plain sense is that he died fully). The grieving mother turns on Eliyahu: “What have I to do with you, man of God? You have come to me to recall my sin and put my son to death.” Rashi reads her with extraordinary subtlety: before Eliyahu came, she was weighed against her neighbors in Tzarfat and looked righteous, deserving of miracles; now, weighed against the standard of a prophet living in her house, every flaw of hers is exposed — “my righteousness is not noticed beside yours” (compare the midrashic reading of Lot’s flight from Sodom and his fear of being measured against Avraham). Eliyahu takes the boy up to the upper room where he had been staying, stretches himself out over the child three times (וַיִּתְמֹדֵד — from the root for “measure,” literally matching his own dimensions to the child’s, in a precursor of Elisha’s later resurrection of the Shunamite’s son), and cries to God: “My Lord God, even upon the widow with whom I sojourn have you brought evil, to kill her son?” God hears Eliyahu’s voice, the soul of the child returns to his body, and Eliyahu brings him down and presents him to his mother with the simple words “See, your son lives.” Her response — “Now I know you are a man of God, and the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth” — closes the chapter on a note of authenticated prophecy. Metzudat David explains: until this moment she had wondered if Eliyahu’s earlier oracle about the flour and oil might have been secondhand, learned from another prophet; the resurrection now confirms that the prophetic word is in his own mouth directly. Chazal (cited by Rashi, Radak) identify this widow as the mother of Yonah the prophet, and her revived son with Yonah himself — a striking suggestion that locates Yonah’s strange immunity to death (later in his own book, in the belly of the fish) in this earlier rescue by Eliyahu.

פרק י״ז · Chapter 17

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ אֵלִיָּ֨הוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּ֜י מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י גִלְעָד֮ אֶל־אַחְאָב֒ חַי־יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָמַ֣דְתִּי לְפָנָ֔יו אִם־יִֽהְיֶ֛ה הַשָּׁנִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה טַ֣ל וּמָטָ֑ר כִּ֖י אִם־לְפִ֥י דְבָרִֽי׃ {ס}        

English:

Elijah the Tishbite, an inhabitant of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the ETERNAL lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there will be no dew or rain except at my bidding.”

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר׃

English:

The word of GOD came to him:

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

לֵ֣ךְ מִזֶּ֔ה וּפָנִ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ קֵ֑דְמָה וְנִסְתַּרְתָּ֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

English:

“Leave this place; turn eastward and go into hiding by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וְהָיָ֖ה מֵהַנַּ֣חַל תִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וְאֶת־הָעֹרְבִ֣ים צִוִּ֔יתִי לְכַלְכֶּלְךָ֖ שָֽׁם׃

English:

You will drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ וַיַּ֖עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּנַ֣חַל כְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃

English:

He proceeded to do as GOD had bidden: he went, and he stayed by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וְה��עֹרְבִ֗ים מְבִאִ֨ים ל֜וֹ לֶ֤חֶם וּבָשָׂר֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וְלֶ֥חֶם וּבָשָׂ֖ר בָּעָ֑רֶב וּמִן־הַנַּ֖חַל יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃

English:

The ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening, and he drank from the wadi.

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֛י מִקֵּ֥ץ יָמִ֖ים וַיִּיבַ֣שׁ הַנָּ֑חַל כִּ֛י לֹא־הָיָ֥ה גֶ֖שֶׁם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}        

English:

After some time the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֥יו לֵאמֹֽר׃

English:

And the word of GOD came to him:

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

ק֣וּם לֵ֤ךְ צָֽרְפַ֙תָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְצִיד֔וֹן וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖ שָׁ֑ם הִנֵּ֨ה צִוִּ֥יתִי שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ׃

English:

“Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there; I have designated a widow there to feed you.”

פסוק י״ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וַיָּ֣קׇם ׀ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ צָֽרְפַ֗תָה וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֔יר וְהִנֵּה־שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה מְקֹשֶׁ֣שֶׁת עֵצִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר קְחִי־נָ֨א לִ֧י מְעַט־מַ֛יִם בַּכְּלִ֖י וְאֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃

English:

So he went at once to Zarephath. When he came to the entrance of the town, a widow was there gathering wood. He called out to her, “Please bring me a little water in your pitcher, and let me drink.”

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לָקַ֑חַת וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר לִֽקְחִי־נָ֥א לִ֛י פַּת־לֶ֖חֶם בְּיָדֵֽךְ׃

English:

As she went to fetch it, he called out to her, “Please bring along a piece of bread for me.”

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

וַתֹּ֗אמֶר חַי־יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אִם־יֶשׁ־לִ֣י מָע֔וֹג כִּ֣י אִם־מְלֹ֤א כַף־קֶ֙מַח֙ בַּכַּ֔ד וּמְעַט־שֶׁ֖מֶן בַּצַּפָּ֑חַת וְהִנְנִ֨י מְקֹשֶׁ֜שֶׁת שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵצִ֗ים וּבָ֙אתִי֙ וַעֲשִׂיתִ֙יהוּ֙ לִ֣י וְלִבְנִ֔י וַאֲכַלְנֻ֖הוּ וָמָֽתְנוּ׃

English:

“As the ETERNAL your God lives,” she replied, “I have nothing baked, nothing but a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am just gathering a couple of sticks, so that I can go home and prepare it for me and my son; we shall eat it and then we shall die.”

פסוק י״ג · Verse 13

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֤יהָ אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י בֹּ֖אִי עֲשִׂ֣י כִדְבָרֵ֑ךְ אַ֣ךְ עֲשִׂי־לִֽי־מִ֠שָּׁ֠ם עֻגָ֨ה קְטַנָּ֤ה בָרִֽאשֹׁנָה֙ וְהוֹצֵ֣את לִ֔י וְלָ֣ךְ וְלִבְנֵ֔ךְ תַּעֲשִׂ֖י בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃

English:

“Don’t be afraid,” said Elijah to her. “Go and do as you have said; but first make me a small cake from what you have there, and bring it out to me; then make some for yourself and your son.

פסוק י״ד · Verse 14

Hebrew:

כִּ֣י כֹה֩ אָמַ֨ר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּ֤ד הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ לֹ֣א תִכְלָ֔ה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א תֶחְסָ֑ר עַ֠ד י֧וֹם (תתן) [תֵּת־]יְהֹוָ֛ה גֶּ֖שֶׁם עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃

English:

For thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: The jar of flour shall not give out and the jug of oil shall not fail until the day that GOD sends rain upon the ground.”

פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15

Hebrew:

וַתֵּ֥לֶךְ וַֽתַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כִּדְבַ֣ר אֵ��ִיָּ֑הוּ וַתֹּ֧אכַל (הוא והיא) [הִֽיא־וָה֛וּא] וּבֵיתָ֖הּ יָמִֽים׃

English:

She went and did as Elijah had spoken, and she and he and her household had food for a long time.

פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16

Hebrew:

כַּ֤ד הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ לֹ֣א כָלָ֔תָה וְצַפַּ֥חַת הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לֹ֣א חָסֵ֑ר כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּיַ֥ד אֵֽלִיָּֽהוּ׃ {פ}

English:

The jar of flour did not give out, nor did the jug of oil fail, just as GOD had spoken through Elijah.

פסוק י״ז · Verse 17

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה חָלָ֕ה בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בַּעֲלַ֣ת הַבָּ֑יִת וַיְהִ֤י חׇלְיוֹ֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־נֽוֹתְרָה־בּ֖וֹ נְשָׁמָֽה׃

English:

After a while, the son of that woman—the owner of the house—fell sick, and his illness grew worse, until he had no breath left in him.

פסוק י״ח · Verse 18

Hebrew:

וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ מַה־לִּ֥י וָלָ֖ךְ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּ֧אתָ אֵלַ֛י לְהַזְכִּ֥יר אֶת־עֲוֺנִ֖י וּלְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנִֽי׃

English:

She said to Elijah, “What harm have I done you, O agent of God, that you should come here to recall my sin and cause the death of my son?”

פסוק י״ט · Verse 19

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלֶ֖יהָ תְּנִי־לִ֣י אֶת־בְּנֵ֑ךְ וַיִּקָּחֵ֣הוּ מֵחֵיקָ֗הּ וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב שָׁ֔ם וַיַּשְׁכִּבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מִטָּת��וֹ׃

English:

“Give me the boy,” he said to her; and taking him from her arms, he carried him to the upper chamber where he was staying, and laid him down on his own bed.

פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20

Hebrew:

וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י הֲ֠גַ֠ם עַֽל־הָאַלְמָנָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֨י מִתְגּוֹרֵ֥ר עִמָּ֛הּ הֲרֵע֖וֹתָ לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנָֽהּ׃

English:

He cried out to GOD and said, “My ETERNAL God, will You bring calamity upon this widow whose guest I am, and let her son die?”

פסוק כ״א · Verse 21

Hebrew:

וַיִּתְמֹדֵ֤ד עַל־הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֔ים וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י תָּ֥שׇׁב נָ֛א נֶפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֥לֶד הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ׃

English:

Then he stretched out over the child three times, and cried out to GOD, saying, “My ETERNAL God, let this child’s life return to his body!”

פסוק כ״ב · Verse 22

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּק֣וֹל אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתָּ֧שׇׁב נֶפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֛לֶד עַל־קִרְבּ֖וֹ וַיֶּֽחִי׃

English:

GOD heard Elijah’s plea; the child’s life returned to his body, and he revived.

פסוק כ״ג · Verse 23

Hebrew:

וַיִּקַּ֨ח אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַיֹּרִדֵ֤הוּ מִן־הָֽעֲלִיָּה֙ הַבַּ֔יְתָה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖הוּ לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ רְאִ֖י חַ֥י בְּנֵֽךְ׃

English:

Elijah picked up the child and brought him down from the upper room into the main room, and gave him to his mother. “See,” said Elijah, “your son is alive.”

פסוק כ״ד · Verse 24

Hebrew:

וַתֹּ֤אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ עַתָּה֙ זֶ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אָ֑תָּה וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֥ה בְּפִ֖יךָ אֱמֶֽת׃ {פ}

English:

And the woman answered Elijah, “Now I know that you are an agent of God and that the word of GOD is truly in your mouth.”

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