A town located between Tyre and Sidon; Phoenician seaport. God sent Elijah to meet a widow there (1 Kings 17:9).
About Zarephath
A village where the woman who provided food and lodging for Elijah lived (1 Kings 17:9–10; Luke 4:26). Obadiah later prophesied that the Israelite exiles of Halah would “possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath” (Obadiah 1:20). Zarephath was under the control of Sidon at the time Elijah visited, thus serving as a safe haven from King Ahab of Israel. Zarephath is likely the modern Surafend, where a chapel marks the traditional site for the widow’s house.
Key References
Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:
All Scripture References (4)
1 Kings (2)
“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”
Obadiah (1)
And the exiles of this host of the Israelites will possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath; and the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the cities of the Negev.
Luke (1)
Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.