Zarephath, a Phoenician city between Tyre and Sidon, where Elijah stayed with a widow during a famine and performed miracles (1Kgs. 17:9-10; Obad. 1:20; Luke 4:26).
Also known as Sarepta
Zarephath, also known as Sarepta, was a Phoenician city located between Tyre and Sidon on the Mediterranean coast. The city is most notably mentioned in the Bible in connection with the prophet Elijah. During a severe famine, God directed Elijah to go to Zarephath, where he had commanded a widow to provide for him (1Kgs. 17:9). Upon arriving at the city gate, Elijah met the widow and asked her for water and bread. Despite her limited resources, the widow shared her last meal with Elijah, and as a result, her flour and oil miraculously never ran out until the end of the famine (1Kgs. 17:10-16). Later, when the widow's son fell ill and died, Elijah prayed to God and raised the boy back to life (1Kgs. 17:17-24). In the New Testament, Jesus references Elijah's stay in Zarephath as an example of God's grace extending beyond Israel to the Gentiles (Luke 4:26). The city is also mentioned in the Book of Obadiah, where it is prophesied that the exiles of Israel will possess the land as far as Zarephath (Obad. 1:20). Zarephath's significance in the Bible lies in its connection to Elijah's ministry and its role in demonstrating God's power and provision.
Approximate location: 33.433, 35.300 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Smelting-shop, “a workshop for the refining and smelting of metals”, a small Phoenician town, now Surafend, about a mile from the coast, almost midway on the road between Tyre and Sidon. Here Elijah sojourned with a poor widow during the “great famine,” when the “heaven was shut up three years and six months” (Luke 4:26; 1 Kings 17:10). It is called Sarepta in the New Testament (Luke 4:26).
(smelting place), the residence of the prophet Elijah during the latter part of the drought. (1 Kings 17:9,10) It was near to, or dependent on, Zidon. It is represented by the modern village of Sura-fend . Of the old town considerable indications remain. One group of foundations is on a headland called Ain el-Kanatarah ; but the chief remains are south of this, and extend for a mile or more, with many fragments of columns, slabs and other architectural features. In the New Testament Zarephath appears under the Greek form of Sarepta. (Luke 4:26)
ambush of the mouth
ZAR'EPHATH (smelting-house), and SAREP'TA. Luke 4:26. Zarephath was a town of Phoenicia, on the shore of the Mediterranean, between Tyre, which is 14 miles southward, and Sidon, which is 7 miles north. Scripture History. - At Zarephath, Elijah found shelter with a widow-woman during the great famine in Israel. 1 Kgs 17:8-24. The prophet Obadiah mentions it as marking the limits of Israel's victory. Ob 20. Jesus made reference to this incident in Elijah's life. Luke 4:26. Present Appearance. - Not a house now remains; only ruins mark the site. They extend for a mile along the seashore, and contain many fragments of columns. A little chapel, or uely. bears the name of El-Khuds, the Mohammedan title of Elijah, and possibly marks the site of the chapel erected by the Crusaders over the spot where the widow's house is supposed to have stood. There is no tomb within, because, as the Mussulmans say, Elijah is not yet dead: he "flies round and round the world." Tradition also claims this as the spot where our Lord rested when he visited these coasts. On the slope of a hill more than a mile back from the coast is the modern village of Surafend, which represents the ancient Zarephath.
ZAR'EPHATH (smelting-house), and SAREP'TA. Luke 4:26. Zarephath was a town of Phoenicia, on the shore of the Mediterranean, between Tyre, which is 14 miles southward, and Sidon, which is 7 miles north. Scripture History. - At Zarephath, Elijah found shelter with a widow-woman during the great famine in Israel. 1 Kgs 17:8-24. The prophet Obadiah mentions it as marking the limits of Israel's victory. Ob 20. Jesus made reference to this incident in Elijah's life. Luke 4:26. Present Appearance. - Not a house now remains; only ruins mark the site. They extend for a mile along the seashore, and contain many fragments of columns. A little chapel, or uely. bears the name of El-Khuds, the Mohammedan title of Elijah, and possibly marks the site of the chapel erected by the Crusaders over the spot where the widow's house is supposed to have stood. There is no tomb within, because, as the Mussulmans say, Elijah is not yet dead: he "flies round and round the world." Tradition also claims this as the spot where our Lord rested when he visited these coasts. On the slope of a hill more than a mile back from the coast is the modern village of Surafend, which represents the ancient Zarephath.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
4 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6886
“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.”
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.
Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.