Limitless Word
So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
1 Kings 17:5 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB So he went and did according to Yahweh’s word; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan.
  • BSB So Elijah did what the LORD had told him, and he went and lived by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
  • NKJV So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
  • NASB So he went and did everything according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan.
  • NLT So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Elijah obeys God's word and goes to live by the brook Cherith.

Overview

Elijah's prompt and exact obedience models the faith that takes God at His word even when the provision seems improbable. His withdrawal to Cherith places him entirely in God's hands, dependent on daily supply. The verse commends a trust that follows divine instruction without hesitation.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 4

  • Prov 3:5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
  • Matt 16:24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
  • John 15:14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
  • 1 Kgs 19:9And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 17:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 17:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.