1 Kings 17:12

1 Kings 17:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
• New International Version (NIV)“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

Context of 1 Kings 17:12

10So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the entrance of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.” 11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no food, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks so that I may go in and prepare it for me and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” 13However, Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said. Just make me a little bread loaf from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. 14For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘The bowl of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil become empty, until the day that the Lord provides rain on the face of the earth.’”

1 Kings 17:12 word by word

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

• But she saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• As the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• livesחַיchay · aliveH2416
• I haveיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
• noאִם'im · if: surely noH518
• foodמָעוֹגmâ‛ôg · cakeH4580
• onlyכִּי [אם]kîy · that if: exceptH3588
• only[כִּי] אם'im · if: exceptH518
• a handfulמְלֹאmelô' melô' melô · fullnessH4393
• a handfulכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• of flourקֶ֫מַחqemach · flourH7058
• bowlכַּדkad · jarH3537
• and a littleמְעַטme‛aţ me‛âţ · littleH4592
• oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
• in the jarצַפַּ֫חַתtsappachath · jarH6835
• and beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
• I am gatheringקָשַׁשׁqâshash · to gatherH7197
• a fewשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• sticksעֵץ‛êts · tree: stickH6086
• so that I may goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and prepareעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• it for me and my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for 1 Kings 17:12

• 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall certainly be neither dew nor rain during these years, except by my word.”
• 1 Samuel 14:39For as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall assuredly die!” But not one of all the people answered him.
• 1 Samuel 20:3Yet David vowed again, saying, “Your father is well aware that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Jonathan is not to know this, otherwise he will be worried.’ But indeed as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is just a step between me and death.”
• 1 Samuel 25:26“Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, may your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be like Nabal.
• 1 Samuel 26:10David also said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord certainly will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down in battle and perish.
• 2 Samuel 15:21But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there assuredly shall your servant be!”
• Jeremiah 4:2And if you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will boast.”
• Jeremiah 5:2And although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ Certainly they swear falsely.”
• 2 Kings 4:2So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
• Matthew 15:33The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?”
• Genesis 21:16Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “May I not see the boy die!” And she sat opposite him, and raised her voice and wept.
• Jeremiah 14:18If I go out to the country, There are those killed by the sword! Or if I enter the city, There are diseases from famine! For both prophet and priest Have wandered around in the land that they do not know.’”
• Lamentations 4:9Better off are those killed by the sword Than those killed by hunger; For they waste away, stricken By the lack of the produce of the field.
• Ezekiel 12:18“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.
• Joel 1:15Woe for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 17:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12A handful of meal in a barrel - The word כד cad is to be understood as implying an earthen jar; not a wooden vessel, or barrel of any kind. In the East they preserve their corn and meal in such vessels; without which precaution the insects would destroy them. Travellers in Asiatic countries abound with observations of this kind. The word cruse, צפחת tsappachath, says Jarchi, signifies what in our tongue is expressed by bouteille, a bottle. Jarchi was a…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12As the Lord thy God liveth - The words do not prove that the woman was an Israelite, or a worshipper of the true God; any Phoenician, recognizing in Elijah‘s appearance the garb and manner of a Jehovistic prophet, might have thus addressed him: Baal-worshippers would have admitted Yahweh to be “a” living God. The woman does not say “as the Lord my God liveth.” That we may eat it and die - Phoenicia always depended for its cereal supplies on the harvests…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-16Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12As surely as the LORD your God lives: This wording shows Elijah’s promise and statement to Ahab (1 Kings 17:1). The non-Jewish woman’s promise does not mean the Lord is her god, but it assures Elijah she is telling the truth.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-168-16. the word of the Lord came to him--Zarephath, Sarepta, now Surafend, whither he was directed to go, was far away on the western coast of Palestine, about nine miles south of Sidon, and within the dominions of Jezebel's impious father, where the famine also prevailed. Meeting, at his entrance into the town, the very woman who was appointed by divine providence to support him, his faith was severely tested by learning from her that her supplies were…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 17:12

• Barrel
• Blessing
• Bread
• Elijah
• Frugality
• Hospitality
• Minister, Christian
• Miracles
• Oil
• Poor
• Readings, Select
• Self-Denial
• Women
• Zarephath

In the dictionaries

• God
• Ahab
• Barrel
• Cake
• Cruse
• Dearth
• Elijah
• Oven
• Quotations
• Revive

Commentaries on 1 Kings 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings