1 Kings 17:13
in 1 Kings 17“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.
KJV
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
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This verse in 1 Kings 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verse"[First] make me a [little] cake." He certainly did not make this request because he was hungry but to teach the widow that, through the mediation of the priests, some of the first fruits of her crops had to be offered to God. In the …
This site's exposition
make me thereof a little cake first
on 1 Kings 17:13-14
Elijah asks the widow to feed him before she feeds her own son, a request Clarke calls an extraordinary trial of faith, since her last handful of meal is at stake for a stranger she has met only at the city gate. The promise attached is exact rather than vague, that the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day the Lord sends rain, tying the miracle's own end to the very drought Elijah pronounced at verse 1. Wesley reads the command as a trial God intended to reward, given as much to encourage others toward the same obedience as to test her own.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(4.) That she had a great confidence in the word of God. It was a great trial for her faith and obedience when, having gold the prophet how low her stock of meal and oil was and that she had but just enough for herself and her son, he bade her make a cake for him, and make his first, and then prepare for herself and her son.
But make, &c. - This he requires as a trial of her faith, and obedience, which he knew God would plentifully reward; and so this would be a great example to encourage others to the practice of the same graces.
And Elijah said unto her, fear not,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 exhausted and that she was preparing her last meal for herself and son.
But make me thereof a little cake first - This was certainly putting the widow’s faith to an extraordinary trial: to take and give to a stranger, of whom she knew nothing, the small pittance requisite to keep her child from perishing, was too much to be expected.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
A small cake first. There is a Midrash Aggdah in Bereishis Rabboh. The Midrash cited by Rashi is not found in our texts of Midrash Rabboh on this verse. (why he wanted it first) on [the verse], “And Leah said, ‘Unexpected success has come.’” 10 Bereishis:11.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֤יהָ | ʾeleiha | to her | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙ | ʾeliyahu | Elijah | H452 → | 71 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י | tiri | you fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| בֹּ֖אִי | boi | go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עֲשִׂ֣י | ʾasi | do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כִדְבָרֵ֑ךְ | khidvarekh | according to word your | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אַ֣ךְ | ʾakh | only | H389 → | 161 times |
| עֲשִׂי־ | ʾasi- | make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לִ֣י | li | for me | ||
| מִ֠שָּׁם | mishom | from there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עֻגָ֨ה | ʾugah | a bread cake | H5692 → | |
| קְטַנָּ֤ה | ketanah | small | H6996 → | 101 times |
| בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ | varishonah | at <the> first | H7223 → | 182 times |
| וְהוֹצֵ֣אתְ | vehotzet | and you will bring [it] out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| לִ֔י | li | to me | ||
| וְלָ֣ךְ | velakh | and for yourself | ||
| וְלִבְנֵ֔ךְ | velivnekh | and for son your | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| תַּעֲשִׂ֖י | taasi | you will prepare | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ ס | baacharonah | at the last | H314 → |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֤יהָto her
ʾeleihaH413 →5510 times
אֵלִיָּ֙הוּ֙Elijah
ʾeliyahuH452 →71 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תִּ֣ירְאִ֔יyou fear
tiriH3372 →315 times
בֹּ֖אִיgo
boiH935 →2568 times
עֲשִׂ֣יdo
ʾasiH6213 →2628 times
כִדְבָרֵ֑ךְaccording to word your
khidvarekhH1697 →1440 times
אַ֣ךְonly
ʾakhH389 →161 times
עֲשִׂי־make
ʾasi-H6213 →2628 times
לִ֣יfor me
li
מִ֠שָּׁםfrom there
mishomH8033 →834 times
עֻגָ֨הa bread cake
ʾugahH5692 →
קְטַנָּ֤הsmall
ketanahH6996 →101 times
בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙at <the> first
varishonahH7223 →182 times
וְהוֹצֵ֣אתְand you will bring [it] out
vehotzetH3318 →1067 times
לִ֔יto me
li
וְלָ֣ךְand for yourself
velakh
וְלִבְנֵ֔ךְand for son your
velivnekhH1121 →4930 times
תַּעֲשִׂ֖יyou will prepare
taasiH6213 →2628 times
בָּאַחֲרֹנָֽה׃ סat the last
baacharonahH314 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 6:33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
it leads to
- Luke 12:31
But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
- Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- John 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of…
- Psalms 34:9–10
Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
- Psalms 84:11–12
For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
- Luke 12:31
Through
Malachi 3:10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 1 KINGS 17:13; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.