Section Sixteen

Elijah Heals a Widow’s Son

The story of Elijah and healing of a son of a widow who lived in a place called Zerephath. • Elijah is told to go by God to Zarephath. God also tells him that he is to be fed by a widow whilst there. • Elijah goes and finds the widow at the town gate. • Elijah asks for some water and, as the widow leaves, for some bread. • The widow replies that she has no bread - only a few of the ingredients. She says she is gathering wood for a final meal for herself and her son. • Elijah promises her that the flour and oil she has in jugs will not run dry - and this proves to be the case. • Some time later, the widow’s son becomes ill (the account does not say what he became ill with). • The son gets worse and stops breathing. • The widow becomes angry with Elijah and wonders if her sin is responsible for the son’s death. • Elijah takes the son to the upper room where he was staying. He prays, and the ‘boy’s life (is) returned to him’. • The widow declares that now she knows that Elijah is a man of God.