1 Kings 17:14
in 1 Kings 17for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 17
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
first make me a small cake of bread
on 1 Kings 17:13-14
Elijah asks the widow to “first make me a small cake of bread from what you have”, before she feeds her own son. The promise is exact: “The jar of flour will not be exhausted and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain upon the face of the earth”. The promise ends when the drought of verse 1 ends.
This site's exposition
until the day the LORD sends rain
Elijah speaks for the God of Israel inside Sidon, the land of Ethbaal, the priest king whose daughter brought Baal worship to Samaria. The promise sets its own end at the return of rain, which falls at 18:45. The oil lasts as long as the drought.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), but what was that to a Sidonian? Or if she had a veneration for the name Jehovah, and valued the God of Israel as the true God, yet what assurance had she that this stranger was his prophet or had any warrant to speak in his name? It was easy for a hungry vagrant to impose upon her.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For thus saith the Lord God of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כֹה֩ | khoh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֨ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כַּ֤ד | kad | [the] jar of | H3537 → | 18 times |
| הַקֶּ֙מַח֙ | hakemach | <the> flour | H7058 → | 14 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִכְלָ֔ה | tikhlah | it will be at an end | H3615 → | 208 times |
| וְצַפַּ֥חַת | vetzapachat | and [the] jug of | H6835 → | 7 times |
| הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן | hashemen | <the> oil | H8081 → | 193 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֶחְסָ֑ר | techsar | it will be lacking | H2637 → | |
| עַ֠ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| י֧וֹם | yom | [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| תֵּת | titen- | gives | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֛ה | hashem | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| גֶּ֖שֶׁם | geshem | rain | H1653 → | 35 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֥י | penei | [the] surface of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | 225 times |
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כֹה֩thus
khohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֨רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כַּ֤ד[the] jar of
kadH3537 →18 times
הַקֶּ֙מַח֙<the> flour
hakemachH7058 →14 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִכְלָ֔הit will be at an end
tikhlahH3615 →208 times
וְצַפַּ֥חַתand [the] jug of
vetzapachatH6835 →7 times
הַשֶּׁ֖מֶן<the> oil
hashemenH8081 →193 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תֶחְסָ֑רit will be lacking
techsarH2637 →
עַ֠דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
י֧וֹם[the] day
yomH3117 →2304 times
תֵּתgives
titen-H5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֛הYahweh
hashemH3068 →6520 times
גֶּ֖שֶׁםrain
geshemH1653 →35 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֥י[the] surface of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאֲדָמָֽה׃the ground
haadamahH127 →225 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 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
2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel,…
it leads to
- Joshua 3:5
Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
- Exodus 16:12
“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the…
- Ezekiel 37:4
And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
- 1 Samuel 11:9
So they said to the messengers who had come, “Tell the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” And when the messengers relayed this to the…
- Exodus 14:13
But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never…
- Joshua 3:5
Through
2 Kings 3:16and he said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Dig this valley full of ditches.’
it leads to
- 2 Kings 4:3
“Go,” said Elisha, “borrow jars, even empty ones, from all your neighbors. Do not gather just a few.
- Numbers 2:16–18
The total number of men in the divisions of the camp of Reuben is 151,450; they shall set out second.
- 2 Kings 4:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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.