1 Kings 17:19

1Ki 17:19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

Ver. 19. And he said unto her.] So to clear himself.

Carried him up into a loft.] For privacy’s sake, which is a good help to fervency in prayer; therefore Isaac got forth into the fields, Peter up to the leads, Daniel to the river side, &c.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 17:19-20. Give me thy son — Into my arms. He took him out of her bosom — By which it appears he was but a little child. And carried him up into a loft — A private place, where he might more freely and fully pour out his soul to God, and use such gestures and methods as his heart inclined him to use, without any offence or observation. And laid him upon his own bed — So that it was the room where he lodged, though near the top of the house. And he cried unto the Lord — And, in his prayer, humbly reasons with God concerning the death of the child, using most powerful arguments. Thou art the Lord, that canst revive the child; and my God, and therefore wilt not deny me. She is a widow, add not affliction to the afflicted; deprive her not of the support and staff of her age: she hath given me kind entertainment: let her not fare the worse for her kindness to a prophet, whereby wicked men will take occasion to reproach both her and religion.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:19 Following ancient Near Eastern custom, Elijah’s quarters were probably situated in a separate room accessed by an outside stairway. This arrangement maintained the woman’s reputation and offered Elijah a measure of privacy.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

19. And he took him out of her bosom] Her arms were clasped about the dead boy. We need not understand the expression as of a child who was still young enough to be carried in the arms, though the prophet was able to carry him into his own chamber.

into a loft] R.V. the chamber. The word is so rendered in 1Ki_17:23, and the two should be made to agree.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he cried unto the Lord,.... Or prayed unto him, as the Targum, with great vehemence and importunity:

and said, O Lord, my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow, with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? he pleads his interest in the Lord, and makes use of it as an argument with him to hear his prayer; he observes the character and condition of the woman, a widow, such as the Lord has a compassionate regard for; and he urges the kindness of her to him, with whom he had sojourned so long; and seems to represent the case as an additional evil or affliction to him, as well as to the widow.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Into a loft - Rather, “into the upper chamber;” often the best apartment in an Eastern house.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Give me thy son into mine arms.

Into a loft; a private place, where he might more freely and fully pour out his soul to God, and use such gestures or methods as he thought most proper, without any offence or observation.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. A loft — העליה, the aliyah; the upper chamber. “This is the most desirable part of an establishment, is best fitted up, and is still given to guests who are to be treated with honour. It is more retired than the lower apartments of the house, and, of course, appropriate for the restingplace of prophets. The poorer sort of houses have no aliyeh. We may infer from this word that the mode of building in Elijah’s time, and the custom of giving the aliyeh to the guest, were the same as now; also, that this widow was not originally among the very poorest classes, but that her extreme destitution was owing to the dreadful famine which then prevailed.” — Thomson.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out Of her bosom, the age of the child may hence be roughly inferred and carried him up into a loft Heb. hYli the upper chamber. LXX to uJperwon. Loft is most misleading. The upper room, was often rather, always the best apartment in an Eastern house" (Rawlinson). It was sometimes the guest chamber, (Luk_22:11, Luk_22:12) and, from the uses to which it was put, must have been large (Act_1:13 Act_9:39 Act_20:8; 2Ki_1:2) Thomson (L. & B. 1:235) infers from the fact that the widow"s house had an upper room, "that the mode of building in Elijah"s time and the custom of giving the ;"alliyeh to the guest were the same as now; also that this poor widow was not originally among the poorest classes (who bare no "alliyeh), but that her extreme destitution was owing to the famine", and laid him upon his own bed. It may be doubted whether the verb WhbeKivy" lit., made him to lie down, would be used of a corpse.

Vers. 19-24.

The Sign of the Widow"s Son.

Here is a touching scene a poor widow pressing to her bosom the corpse of her only child, while in the agony of her bereaved soul, addressing Elijah, she says, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come to call my sin to my remembrance, and to slay my son?" Now note the words of the text: "And he said unto her, Give me thy son," etc. In this history we have

I AN EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF FAITH. Behold here

1. The spirit of faith.

(1) He had confidence in God before he prayed. This is evident from the manner in which he asked the widow for the corpse. He did not tell her what he intended; but, on the other hand, neither did he express any hesitation as in the comfort she might expect.

(2) This confidence must have been divinely authorized, else it would have been presumption which, instead of conciliating the favour, would have awakened the displeasure of God

(3) This was what Elisha and the sons of the prophets called "the Spirit of Elijah," i.e. , the. Spirit of God abiding with him. (See 2Ki_2:9, 2Ki_2:15)

2. The prayer of faith.

(1) He recognized the hand of God in the bereavement: "Hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son?" He calls it "evil," yet attributes it to God. Moral evil God cannot perpetrate, but evil which comes in the form of affliction or punishment is a very different thing. (See Job_2:10; Isa_45:7; Amo_3:6; Joh_9:1-8)

(2) He entreated God to restore the child"s life. "He cried unto the Lord." Here is the "fervency" which characterizes "effectual" prayer.

(3) He entreated Him confidingly: "O Lord my God." This appealing to God in the possessive expresses a loving trust in a Covenant Friend. (See Lev_26:12; Jer_31:33; 2Co_6:16; Heb_11:16; Rev_21:3)

(4) Hence his success. "The Lord heard the voice of Elijah." He saw in Elijah those moral qualifications which make it fitting that He should answer prayer. So the prophet was able to restore the child alive to his mother.

3. But what example is this for us?

(1) Elijah"s success in prayer was not because he was a prophet. James replies to this objection when he assures us that "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are." For this is the ground on which he proceeds to lay down the broad principle, viz., that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Jam_5:16; see also. Act_11:24)

(2) Therefore we also may be moved by the Holy Ghost; and we must be so moved if we would pray effectually. True faith is "of the operation of God" (Luther"s prayer for the recovery of Myconius instanced in Krummacher).

(3) But how may we know that we are so influenced? God will make it plain as one of the secrets of holy communion with Him. (Psa_25:14; Joh_7:17 Joh_15:15) When we are free from selfish desire, and above all things seek God"s glory, there is little danger of being led astray.

(4) The widow was no prophetess, but she also was an example of faith. (Heb_11:35) Witness her recognition of God, and the readiness with which she gave her son from her bosom at the prophet"s request. Her faith was honoured as well as his.

II A PROPHETIC SIGN.

1. So the widow interpreted it (ver. 24).

(1) It authenticated Elijah as a "man of God." Not only that he was a good man, but that he was a prophet of the Lord.

(2) Consequently "that the word of the Lord in his mouth" was no sham. (Comp. ch. 22.) Spurious prophets could not give miraculous signs.

2. Such signs were parables. The question, then, is, what did this parable teach?

(1) Could it be a sign that the drought would be removed which had now lasted two years, working fearful ravages, and must, if continued long, destroy the nations visited? For the "word of the Lord in the mouth of Elijah" did encourage the hope that rain should come upon the earth (ver. 14). The coming of rain would be a national resurrection.

(2) Could it be a pledge of the resurrection of the dead at the last day? The gospel has thrown floods of illustration upon this subject, but in old times it was obscure. This miracle taught the separate existence of the soul. Also that the disembodied spirit may and shall be reunited to its organic companion.

(3) Why did Elijah stretch himself upon the child? He was a type of Christ. So he made himself like the dead to foreshow that Christ by dying in our room should give us life. This He does morally. Also physically, viz., in the resurrection of the body. (Comp. 2Ki_4:34; Joh_11:43-45; Act_20:10) Is there any correspondence between the "three times" mentioned in the text and the "three times" in which our Lord prayed for the removal of the cup of His suffering?. J.A.M. (Mat_26:44)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Into a loft - A private place, where he might more freely pour out his soul to God, and use such gestures as he thought most proper.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

where he was staying

Here "he" refers to Elijah.

on his own bed

Here "his" refers to Elijah.

have you also brought disaster on the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?

Possible meanings are 1) Elijah is truly asking a question. AT: "why would you cause the widow with whom I am staying to suffer even more by killing her son" or 2) Elijah uses a question to express how sad he is. AT: "surely, you would not cause the widow with whom I am staying to suffer even more by killing her son" (See: Rhetorical Question)

have you also brought disaster on the widow

Causing the widow to suffer is spoken of as if "disaster" were an object that is placed on the widow. (See: Metaphor)

also brought disaster

Here "also" means in addition to the disaster that the drought has caused.

stretched himself on the child

This is an idiom. AT: "lay on top of the child" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

Elijah

Yahweh

God

beg

life

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.