1 Kings 17:21 kjv
And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
1 Kings 17:21 nkjv
And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him."
1 Kings 17:21 niv
Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, "LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
1 Kings 17:21 esv
Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this child's life come into him again."
1 Kings 17:21 nlt
And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, please let this child's life return to him."
1 Kings 17 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:39 | "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal..." | God's absolute sovereignty over life and death. |
| 1 Sam 2:6 | "The Lord kills and brings to life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up." | God as the ultimate life-giver. |
| Psa 103:4 | "...who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy." | God as the redeemer of life. |
| John 11:25-26 | Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live..." | Jesus embodying resurrection and life. |
| John 5:21 | "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will." | God's power through Jesus to give life. |
| Acts 3:15 | "...and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." | Jesus as the source and author of life. |
| Acts 9:40 | But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." | Peter's prayer leading to resurrection. |
| Acts 20:10 | But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." | Paul raising Eutychus, showing God's power. |
| James 5:16b | "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." | Power of a righteous prayer. |
| Job 33:4 | "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." | God as the giver of spirit and life. |
| Isa 26:19 | "Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise..." | Prophecy of resurrection. |
| Ezek 37:12 | "Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves..." | God's power to restore life to the dead. |
| Luke 7:14-15 | "Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, 'Young man, I say to you, arise.' And the dead man sat up..." | Jesus' power in raising the widow's son. |
| Mark 5:41-42 | "Taking her by the hand he said to her, 'Talitha cumi,' which means, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise.'" | Jesus raising Jairus' daughter. |
| Rom 4:17 | "...God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist." | God as the life-giver and Creator. |
| 2 Cor 1:9 | "Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." | Reliance on God, who raises the dead. |
| Heb 11:35 | "Women received back their dead by resurrection..." | Reference to faith bringing resurrections (including 1 Kgs 17 and 2 Kgs 4). |
| Phil 2:27 | "Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow." | God's mercy in healing/sparing life. |
| Gen 2:7 | "then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature." | God as the origin of human life. |
| Acts 17:25 | "...since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." | God as the sustainer of all life. |
| 2 Kgs 4:33-35 | "So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord... Elisha stretched himself upon the boy..." | Elisha's similar method of resurrection. |
| Rom 8:11 | "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." | The Spirit's power to give life, spiritual and future physical resurrection. |
1 Kings 17 verses
1 Kings 17 21 Meaning
In 1 Kings 17:21, the prophet Elijah earnestly implores the Lord to restore life to the son of the Zarephath widow, who had died. Elijah performs a specific physical act of stretching himself over the boy, three times, indicating profound identification and intense prayer. His prayer directly appeals to God to revive the child's nefesh (life/soul), demonstrating reliance solely on the Lord's power to conquer death. This verse marks a pivotal moment, showcasing God's authority over life and death and His responsiveness to His prophet's intercession.
1 Kings 17 21 Context
Chapter 17 of 1 Kings opens with Elijah's prophecy of a drought, a divine judgment upon Israel for its idolatry under King Ahab and Jezebel, who promoted the worship of Baal. This serves as a direct challenge to Baal, who was believed to be the god of rain and fertility. God then directs Elijah to the Kerith Ravine, and later to Zarephath, a Sidonian city, where he is sustained by a widow. This widow and her son face starvation during the famine, but through Elijah's word and God's provision, their jar of flour and jug of oil do not run out. The unexpected death of her son deeply distresses the widow, leading her to believe it is a consequence of her sin, and she challenges Elijah. Elijah then takes the boy to his room, where the events of verse 21 unfold. The raising of the son directly confronts the belief that Baal could grant life or overcome death, decisively proving that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is the true living God who controls life and death, and sustains through famine. It underscores God's compassion and validates Elijah's prophetic authority as God's true messenger.
1 Kings 17 21 Word analysis
- Then he stretched himself out: (Hebrew: וַיִּתְמֹדֵד, vayyitmoded) This Hithpael verb signifies a stretching out, a measuring, or even an imitation. In this context, it depicts Elijah's profound physical and spiritual identification with the deceased child. It implies an act of intense, earnest concentration and connection, going beyond mere touch. This is an active and deliberate engagement.
- on the boy: Implies physical contact and a direct transfer of intense focus or intercession. This intimacy reflects a deep personal investment in the outcome.
- three times: (Hebrew: שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, shalosh pe'amim) The number three often denotes completeness, divine intervention, or emphasis in biblical narratives. It emphasizes the earnestness, persistence, and perhaps a specific, repeated action of Elijah's supplication and symbolic act. It sets a pattern seen later with Elisha.
- and cried: (Hebrew: וַיִּקְרָא, vayyiqra) This denotes a fervent, desperate, and loud plea, indicative of Elijah's urgency and intense distress. It's a prayer of absolute dependency and passion, a wrestling in prayer.
- to the Lord: (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH) Directly addressing the covenant God of Israel. This highlights that Elijah understands the power to restore life rests solely with Yahweh, not with himself or any other deity like Baal.
- and said, 'O Lord my God': (Hebrew: אֱלֹהָי, Elohai) Elijah addresses God intimately, referring to Him as "my God," emphasizing a personal relationship and reliance despite the miraculous nature of the request. It suggests an assurance based on a personal experience of God's character and power.
- please let this boy's soul come back to him!: (Hebrew: תָּשֹׁב נֶפֶשׁ הַיֶּלֶד הַזֶּה אֶל־קִרְבּוֹ, tashov nefesh hayyeled hazzeh el-qirbov)
- soul: (Hebrew: נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh) This term often means 'life,' 'living being,' or 'vitality.' In this context, it explicitly refers to the principle of life itself, that which makes a person living. Elijah is asking for the boy's life force to be re-instated.
- come back: (Hebrew: תָּשֹׁב, tashov) Implies a return of something that was present and has now departed. It is a direct plea for resuscitation or resurrection, not just comfort. This emphasizes the complete cessation of life and the need for God to reverse it.
- "stretched himself out on the boy three times": This phrase details Elijah's unique, perhaps imitative, physical action. It may symbolize the prophet imparting his vitality or life force, or more accurately, identifying profoundly with the dead boy and the desperate situation, preparing for the divine infusion of life. It prefigures Elisha's similar act in 2 Kgs 4.
- "cried to the Lord and said, 'O Lord my God, please let this boy's soul come back to him!'": This whole plea signifies complete reliance on divine power for an impossible task. Elijah, despite his previous mighty acts, knows he cannot command life back, but must fervently entreat his God. It is a prayer of faith in God's unique authority over death.
1 Kings 17 21 Bonus section
The account in 1 Kings 17:21 not only portrays God's power over death but also establishes a significant pattern for future prophetic acts and miraculous interventions. The specific number "three times" connects to other significant divine actions and prophecies of completeness (e.g., Jesus' resurrection on the third day, Hosea 6:2). Furthermore, Elijah's method here, involving direct physical contact and fervent prayer, foreshadows similar acts by Elisha in raising the Shunammite's son (2 Kgs 4:33-35). Both prophets' actions underscore that their power comes directly from God; they are not the source of life themselves. This miracle serves as a dramatic proof that Yahweh, not Baal, governs creation, including the most fundamental aspects of existence—life and death—thus directly undermining the false theological claims of Baal worship prevalent in Ahab's Israel. This act also sets a precedent for understanding the compassion of God, who hears the cries of those in despair, demonstrating His active engagement with humanity's suffering.
1 Kings 17 21 Commentary
1 Kings 17:21 is a profound display of divine power breaking through the ordinary course of nature, underscoring Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over life and death. Elijah's physical act of stretching over the boy signifies not a magical ritual but intense identification and a deeply felt, desperate intercession before God. His prayer is not presumptuous but a heartfelt cry born out of faith and the distressing reality of death. The petition for the nefesh (life/soul) to "come back" demonstrates the understanding that life had truly departed. This is the first recorded resurrection in the Bible performed by a prophet, solidifying Elijah's credibility as God's true messenger and delivering a crushing blow to the impotency of Baal, who was worshipped as the giver of life. It highlights God's compassion even in judgment, extending His grace to a gentile widow who harbored His prophet.