The Meaning of 1 Kings 17:9 Explained

1 Kings 17:9

KJV: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

YLT: Rise, go to Zarephath, that is to Zidon, and thou hast dwelt there; lo, I have commanded there a widow woman to sustain thee.'

Darby: Arise, go to Zarephath, which is by Zidon, and abide there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to maintain thee.

ASV: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Arise,  get  thee to Zarephath,  which [belongeth] to Zidon,  and dwell  there: behold, I have commanded  a widow  woman  there to sustain  thee. 

What does 1 Kings 17:9 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 17:8-16 - The Jar Of Meal That Wasted Not
Even at Cherith we cannot be exempt from trial, and it is hard to sit beside a gradually dwindling brook. But God always provides. None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate. Whether the visible agents are ravens, or a poor heathen widow ready to perish, it matters little. God's majestic "I have commanded" is enough. Whether it is ordinary or extraordinary, natural or supernatural, through Jew or Gentile, God's purpose does not tarry.
Gentile help supplied what Israel might not give, Luke 4:25-26. God uses the weak and foolish things as well as those which are not, 1 Corinthians 1:28. Yet there were noble qualities in this woman. She did not complain, but went at once for the water; she was generous and hospitable, and believed that God would supply their need. How little did she realize the greatness of her reward, Matthew 10:41-42! But her faith was great. She stood the test of making Elijah's cake first, believing that afterward there would be enough for herself and her son. Though she little understood it, she had within her a spark of the same fire that burned in the soul of the great prophet; and therefore, when we all stand in our lot at the end of the days, Daniel 12:13, her portion will be with the great prophets and heroes of faith. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 17

1  Elijah, having prophesied against Ahab,
3  is sent to Cherith where the ravens feed him
8  He is sent to the widow of Zarephath
17  He raises the widow's son
24  The woman believes him

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 17:9 mean?

Arise go to Zarephath which [belongs] to Sidon and dwell there See I have commanded there women a widow to provide for you
ק֣וּם לֵ֤ךְ צָרְפַ֙תָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְצִיד֔וֹן וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖ שָׁ֑ם הִנֵּ֨ה צִוִּ֥יתִי שָׁ֛ם אִשָּׁ֥ה אַלְמָנָ֖ה לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ

ק֣וּם  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
לֵ֤ךְ  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
צָרְפַ֙תָה֙  to  Zarephath 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָרְפַת  
Sense: a city on the coast south of Sidon and the residence of Elijah during the last part of the drought; modern ‘Sura-fend’.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  which  [belongs] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְצִיד֔וֹן  to  Sidon 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִידֹון  
Sense: ancient Phoenician city, on Mediterranean coast north of Tyre.
וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖  and  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הִנֵּ֨ה  See 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
צִוִּ֥יתִי  I  have  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
אִשָּׁ֥ה  women 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אַלְמָנָ֖ה  a  widow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַלְמָנָה  
Sense: widow.
לְכַלְכְּלֶֽךָ  to  provide  for  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כּוּל  
Sense: to seize, contain, measure.