Teks -- 1 Kings 17:24 (NET)

17:24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a prophet and that the Lord really does speak through you.”

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JFB: 1Ki 17:17-24 - the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick

A severe domestic calamity seems to have led her to think that, as God had shut up heaven upon a sinful land in consequence of the prophet, she was suffering on a similar account. Without answering her bitter upbraiding, the prophet takes the child, lays it on his bed, and after a very earnest prayer, had the happiness of seeing its restoration, and along with it, gladness to the widow's heart and home. The prophet was sent to this widow, not merely for his own security, but on account of her faith, to strengthen and promote which he was directed to go to her rather than to many widows in Israel, who would have eagerly received him on the same privileged terms of exception from the grinding famine. The relief of her bodily necessities became the preparatory means of supplying her spiritual wants, and bringing her and her son, through the teachings of the prophet, to a clear knowledge of God, and a firm faith in His word (Luk 4:25).

Clarke: 1Ki 17:24 - The word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth

The word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth - Three grand effects were produced by this temporary affliction

1.    The woman was led to examine her heart, and try her ways

2.    The power of God became highly manifest in the resurrection of the child

3.    She was convinced that the word of the Lord was truth, and that not one syllable of it could fall to the ground. Through a little suffering all this good was obtained

The subject in the fourth verse of this chapter deserves a more particular consideration

I have commanded the ravens to feed thee. - It is contended that if we consider ערבים orebim to signify ravens, we shall find any interpretation on this ground to be clogged with difficulties. I need mention but a few. The raven is an unclean bird, And these ye shall have in abomination among the fowls - every raven after his kind; Lev 11:13-15; that is, every species of this genus shall be considered by you unclean and abominable. Is it therefore likely that God would employ this most unclean bird to feed his prophet? Besides, where could the ravens get any flesh that was not unclean? Carrion is their food; and would God send any thing of this kind to his prophet? Again: If the flesh was clean which God sent, where could ravens get it? Here must be at least three miracles: one to bring from some table the flesh to the ravens; another, to induce the ravenous bird to give it up; and the third, to conquer its timidity towards man, so that it could come to the prophet without fear. Now, although God might employ a fowl that would naturally strive to prey on the flesh, and oblige it, contrary to its nature, to give it up; yet it is by no means likely that he would employ a bird that his own law had pronounced abominable. Again, he could not have employed this means without working a variety of miracles at the same time, in order to accomplish one simple end; and this is never God’ s method: his plan is ever to accomplish the greatest purposes by the simplest means

The original word orebim has been considered by some as meaning merchants, persons occasionally trading through that country, whom God directed, by inspiration, to supply the prophet with food. To get a constant supply from such hands in an extraordinary way was miracle enough; it showed the superintendence of God, and that the hearts of all men are in his hands

But in answer to this it is said, that the "original word never signifies merchants; and that the learned Bochart has proved this."I have carefully read over cap. 13, part. ii., lib. 2, of the Hierozoicon of this author, where he discusses this subject; and think that he has never succeeded less than in his attempt to prove that ravens are meant in this passage. He allows that the Tyrian merchants are described by this periphrasis, ערבי מערבך, the occupiers of thy merchandise, Eze 27:27; and asserts that ערבים orebim , per se, mercatores nusquam significat , "by itself, never signifies merchants."Now, with perfect deference to so great an authority, I assert that ערבי oreby , the contracted form of ערבים orebim , does signify merchants, both in Eze 27:9 and Eze 27:27, and that מערב maarab signifies a place for merchandise, the market-place or bazaar, in Eze 27:9, Eze 27:13, Eze 27:17, Eze 27:19; as also the goods sold in such places, Eze 27:33; and therefore that ערבים for aught proved to the contrary, signify merchants in the text

As to Bochart’ s objection, that, the prophet being ordered to go to the brook Cherith, that he might lie hid, and the place of his retreat not be known, if any traders or merchants supplied his wants, they would most likely discover where he was, etc., I think there is no weight in it; for the men might be as well bound by the secret inspiration of God not to discover the place of his retreat, as they were to supply his wants; besides, they might have been of the number of those seven thousand men who had not bowed their knees to the image of Baal, and consequently would not inform Ahab and Jezebel of their prophet’ s hiding place

Some have supposed that the original means Arabians; but Bochart contends that there were no Arabians in that district: this is certainly more than he or any other man can prove. Colonies of Arabs, and hordes and families of the same people, have been widely scattered over different places for the purpose of temporal sojournment and trade; for they were a wandering people, and often to be found in different districts remote enough from the place of their birth. But, letting this pass merely for what it is worth, and feeling as I do the weight of the objections that may be brought against the supposition of ravens being the agents employed to feed the prophet, I would observe that there was a town or city of the name of Orbo, that was not far from the place where Elijah was commanded to hide himself. In Bereshith Rabba, a rabbinical comment on Genesis, we have these words עיר היא בתחום ביתשאן ושמה ערבו ir hi bithchom Beithshean , veshemo Orbo ; "There is a town in the vicinity of Beth-shan, (Scythopolis), and its name is Orbo."We may add to this from St. Jerome, Orbim, accolae villae in finibus Arabum, Eliae dederunt alimenta ; "The Orbim, inhabitants of a town in the confines of the Arabs, gave nourishment to Elijah."Now, I consider Jerome’ s testimony to be of great worth, because he spent several years in the holy land, that he might acquire the most correct notion possible of the language and geography of the country, as well as of the customs and habits of the people, in order to his translating the sacred writings, and explaining them. Had there not been such a place in his time, he could not have written as above: and although in this place the common printed editions of the Vulgate have corvi , "crows or ravens;"yet in 2Ch 21:16, St. Jerome translates the same word ערבים, "the Arabians;"and the same in Neh 4:7; it is therefore most likely that the inhabitants of Oreb or Orbo, as mentioned above, furnished the aliment by which the prophet was sustained; and that they did this being specially moved thereto by the Spirit of the Lord. Add to all these testimonies that of the Arabic version, which considers the words as meaning a people, Orabim , and not ravens or fowls of any kind. In such a case this version is high authority

It is contended that those who think the miracle is lost if the ravens be not admitted, are bound to show

1.    With what propriety the raven, an unclean animal, could be employed

2.    Why the dove, or some such clean creature, was not preferred

3.    How the ravens could get properly dressed flesh to bring to the prophet

4.    From whose table it was taken; and by what means

5.    Whether it be consistent with the wisdom of God, and his general conduct, to work a tissue of miracles where one was sufficient

6.    And whether it be not best, in all cases of this kind, to adopt that mode of interpretation which is most simple; the wisdom, goodness, and providence of God being as equally apparent as in those cases where a multitude of miracles are resorted to in order to solve difficulties?

TSK: 1Ki 17:24 - Now by this // the word

Now by this : Joh 2:11, Joh 3:2, Joh 4:42-48, Joh 11:15, Joh 11:42, Joh 15:24, Joh 16:30

the word : Ecc 12:10; 1Th 2:13; 1Jo 2:21

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Poole: 1Ki 17:24 - Now by this I know // That the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth

Now by this I know now I am assured of that concerning which I began upon this sad occasion to doubt.

That the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth that the God whom thou professest is the true God, and the doctrine and religion which thou teachest is the only true religion; and therefore henceforth I wholly renounce the worship of idols.

Haydock: 1Ki 17:24 - True

True. She saw the force of miracles; (Haydock) and now was, at least, thoroughly converted. (Salien)

Gill: 1Ki 17:24 - And the woman said to Elijah, now by this I know that thou art a man of God // and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth

And the woman said to Elijah, now by this I know that thou art a man of God,.... She took him to be one at his first coming to her; she was in a great measure confirmed in it by the miracle of the barrel of meal and cruse of oil; but upon the death of her son, which she was ready to impute to the prophet, she was staggered at it; but now, by his resurrection from the dead, was fully assured of it:

and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth; she had known before that what he said concerning the meal and oil not failing was true; but now she was more and more convinced and assured that the God, whose prophet he was, was the true God, and that the religion he professed was the true religion, and he a true prophet, and that all his prophecies would be exactly fulfilled.