Raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath

Painting by Louis Hersent.

The raising of the widow of Zarephath's son is a miracle of the prophet Elijah recorded in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings 17.

1 Kings 17:21 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.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.”

According to Saint Jerome this boy grew up to be prophet Jonah.

Commentators have noted verbal parallels with the story of the raising of the widow of Nain's son in the Gospel of Luke.[1]

The miracle is represented in the Dura synagogue murals.[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Widow of Zarepheth.

References

  1. ↑ The People's New Testament Commentary - M. Eugene Boring, Fred B. Craddock - 2004 Page 204 "7:11-17 RAISING THE WIDOW'S SON This story is only in Luke, but it has many points of contact with the story of Elijah's raising the widow of Zarephath's son (1 Kgs. 17:8-24), including such verbatim parallels as "he gave him to his mother" ..."
  2. ↑ Jacob Neusner Judaism in late antiquity - Page 115 Jonathan A. Goldstein "In WC1, Elijah restores to life the son of the widow from Zarephath (I Kings 17:17- 24)."