So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

1 KINGS 17:10KJV
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1 Kings 17:10 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 17:10 mean?

1 Kings 17:10 describes the prophet Elijah arriving at the city gate of Zarephath, where he meets a widow gathering sticks and asks her for a little water to drink. This marks the beginning of Elijah’s encounter with the widow, setting up a significant story of provision during a time of drought.

Elijah is following God’s direction after leaving the brook Cherith, and he finds the widow exactly as God said he would. The city gate was a common place for meeting people and conducting daily business. Elijah’s simple request for water introduces a relationship that will soon reveal both the widow’s desperate situation and God’s care for her and Elijah.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 17:10

  • "arose" (קוּם, qum): This word means to get up or rise, showing Elijah’s obedience and readiness to act on God’s command.
  • "gate" (שַׁעַר, shaʿar): The city gate was more than an entrance; it was a place of gathering, making it likely Elijah would meet someone there.
  • "widow" (אַלְמָנָה, almanah): This term highlights the woman’s vulnerable social status, which is important for understanding the significance of Elijah’s request and the coming miracle.
  • "gathering" (קָשַׁשׁ, qashash): This word means collecting or gathering, in this case, sticks—emphasizing the widow’s poverty and her need to gather fuel for cooking.

Why 1 Kings 17:10 matters

  • This verse sets the stage for one of the Bible’s most memorable stories of God providing for both Elijah and the widow during a severe famine.
  • The mention of the widow’s actions and location highlights her poverty and vulnerability, making the coming miracle more striking.
  • The meeting at the city gate shows how ordinary moments and places can become the setting for significant acts of faith and divine intervention.

Where else these words appear

“Zarephath” Hebrew H6886 · used in 3 verses

  • 1 Kings 17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
  • Obadiah 1:20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.

“gathering” Hebrew H7197 · used in 7 verses

  • Exodus 5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
  • Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
  • 1 Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

“widow” Hebrew H490 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 38:11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
  • 2 Samuel 14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
  • Isaiah 1:23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

“little” Hebrew H4592 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • 1 Samuel 14:29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
  • Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.