The Widow of Zarephath
Host of Elijah
Gentile widow of Sidon who fed Elijah in famine and whose son he raised from the dead.
In 1 Kings 17 the LORD sent Elijah to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon. She had a handful of meal and a little oil — and was preparing her last meal before death.
Her Story
Elijah asked her for water and a morsel of bread. She confessed she had only a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse. Elijah said, 'Fear not... the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain.' And so it was — she, her house, and Elijah were sustained many days. Afterward her son fell sick and died. Elijah carried him to the loft, cried unto the LORD three times, stretched himself upon the child, and the boy lived. She answered, 'Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.' Jesus cited her in Luke 4:25-26.
What Scripture Teaches
- 1Gentile widow of Sidon (1 Kings 17:9)
- 2Barrel of meal and cruse of oil multiplied (17:14-16)
- 3Her son raised from the dead by Elijah (17:17-24)
- 4Cited by Christ as a witness against unbelieving Israel (Luke 4:25-26)
Key KJV Scriptures
"For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth."
"But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow."
Why It Matters
Grace reaches the Gentile, the widow, and the destitute. The first miracle of provision belonged to one who gave her last to the prophet of God.
Application for Today
Give God your handful and your little. Obedience opens jars that never fail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jesus mention her in Luke 4?
To rebuke Nazareth's unbelief — God's grace had reached a Sidonian widow when many widows of Israel were passed over. Faith, not nationality, receives the prophet.
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