Widow of Zarephath

(1 kings 17)
Zahra Naz
 A bit of Context: Elijah and the
Widow of Zarephath
3-6

Biblical Author’s Evaluation

agenda
7
Purpose of The Widow of
Zarephath
8

My Evaluation of the Widow

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Widow of Zarephath in Art

10-12
A bit of Context…
1 Kings 17 • Drought in Israel
• Punishment for Idolatry
v. 1-2

1 Kings 17 • Elijah told to hide at Wadi Cherith

• Ravine dries up, Elijah commissioned to
v. 3-7 go to Zarephath to meet a widow

1 Kings 17 • Elijah asks for water and some bread

• Widow reveals she has but only some
v. 10-12 flour and oil in a jar

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 A bit of Context…
1 KINGS 17 V. 12
o But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked,
only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am now
gathering a couple of sticks so that I may go home and prepare it
for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”

1 KINGS 17 V. 13-14
o Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said, but
first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward
make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the
Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the
jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the
earth.”

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 Tragedy strikes the
widow’s household
She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O
man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to
remembrance and to cause the death of my son!”
▪ Elijah prayed to god: “O LORD my God, let this
child’s life come into him again.” The LORD answered
his prayers, and the child was resurrected.
Widow’s Testimony to
Elijah’s Prophethood
“Now I know that you are a
man of God and that the word
of the LORD in your mouth is
truth.” (1 kings 17 v. 24)
 Biblical Author’s Evaluation of the
Widow
• Widow is unnamed, Zarephath serves as her identification
• Only widow in her city (?)
• Zarephath = region of Sidonia, Queen Jezebel and widow share
the same place of origin. Widow not of Hebrew lineage
• Widow takes a leap of faith
• YHWH rewards her by providing sustenance for her and Elijah
through the drought/famine
• Life of a widow = v. difficult, lesson: YHWH provides in the
most unexpected means

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 The Widow’s Purpose in the
Hebrew Bible
• Widow’s son dies suddenly → Hospitality repaid with tragedy?
• Widow challenges Elijah’s powers + prophethood
• Confirmation of Elijah’s word being trustworthy, YHWH is the
true LORD of Israel
• Her testimony = declares Elijah as a true prophet
• Exegetes claim: would Elijah have acted on his own accord to
revive the son if not for the widow?

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 MY EVALUATION OF THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH
1. She challenges hegemonic conventions of
the Hebrew bible: not all non-Israelite
women are “bad”
2. She acts as a catalyst for Elijah to have
sacred encounters with the divine.

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 Elijah Revives the Son of the Widow
of Zarephath
Artist: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (German, 1794 -
1872)
Elijah Revives the Son of the Widow of Zarephath, 1842
Black ink

Provided by The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2009

The prophet Elijah implores God to revive the

widow's child. The widow prays in the background.
The child miraculously comes back to life as God
answers Elijah’s plea.

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 The Widow of Zarephath and Her Son
Artist: Abraham van Dijck (Netherlands, ~1635-1680)
The Widow of Zarephath and Her Son, 1655
Oil on canvas

Provided by Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University

The widow and her son are saying grace prior to eating their
meal. Prophet Elijah is deliberately omitted by the artist to
emphasize the bond between the widow and her son,
highlighting themes of maternal care and gratitude for their
blessings.

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 Elijah and the widow of Zarephath
Artist: Rembrandt Harmenszoon
van Rijn (Dutch, 1660–1642)
Elijah and the widow of Zarephath,
17th century
Feather pen and wash

Provided by Institut Néederlandais, Paris

A sketch depicting the first

encounter of Prophet Elijah with
the Widow of Zarephath.

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thank you
Feel free to ask questions!