Bible Strands
1 Kings 17:24
Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The widow of Zarephath speaks to Elijah immediately after he returns her dead son to life. She addresses him directly in the aftermath of a concrete resurrection event.
The words — The Hebrew יָדַ֔עְתִּי (ya.Da'.ti) means "I know," modified by עַתָּה ('a.Tah) for "now," signaling a definitive shift from uncertainty to confirmed recognition. The conjunction כִּי (ki) introduces two parallel declarations: that Elijah is a man of God and that his spoken utterance is truth.
The thread — This structural movement from observed miracle to confessed divine authority parallels New Testament witnesses who recognize God's presence through signs (John 2:11; John 3:2; John 16:30). The pattern consistently ties theological acknowledgment to empirical intervention.
Why it lands — The text records a woman’s explicit confession that prophetic authority is verified by life-restoring action. It requires a reader to accept that divine truth claims demand tangible validation rather than relying on untested assertion.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.
Cross-references
- John 16:30 Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”
- John 2:11 Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
- John 3:2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
- John 4:42 They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which is also now at work in you who believe.
- 1 John 2:21 I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
- Ecclesiastes 12:10 The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
- John 11:15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
- John 11:42 I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”
- John 15:24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.