Elijah and the Widow
This story was written in Hebrew. Take a look at some of the words from the story in the original Hebrew to find new meaning.
Elijah
Explanation: Elijah's name means Yah is God or Yah is my God. Yah is a shortened name for YHWH, the God of Israel.
Question: How does Elijah's name connect with his stories?
To sustain or nurish
Context in the story (1 Kings 17:4): You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to kul you there.”
Context in the story (1 Kings 17:9): “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to kul you.”
Question: What parallels do you see in the two verses where this word is used? (Both of them are God speaking to Elijah.) How is sustain different than just to feed?
To command or order
Context in the story (1 Kings 17:4): "You shall drink from the brook, and I have tsavah the ravens to feed you there.”
Context in the story (1 Kings 17:9): "“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have tsavah a widow there to feed you.”
Question: What parallels do you see in the two verses where this word is used? (Both of them are God speaking to Elijah.)
True, reliable, trustworthy, firm, constant
Context in the story (1 Kings 17:24): "And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is emet.”
Question: This is the final statement of this chapter. How does this statement and the understanding of the word emet serve as a good summary of the whole chapter?
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