Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Widow's Son

If you haven't seen it yet, hurry and get the BYU video about the widow of Zarephath. It is beautifully done. I thought this was an interesting Jewish tradition about the name of the widow's son.


And the word of the LORD came unto him [Elijah], saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 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. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 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.
1 Kings 17:8-12

According to Jewish sources, "The son of the widow of Zerephath was the [Prophet] Jonah...."

(Patai, Raphael. 1979. The Messiah Texts. Detroit: Wayne State University Press., pg 129)


5 comments:

  1. Only Donna reads Rafael Patai!
    This is a keeper....thanks!

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  2. Wow - what a surprise ending! I wasn't expecting that one!

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  3. Even neater now that I am studying about Jonah this week! (Almost one year later, wow)

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