1 Kings 17:22Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
The setting
Zarephath, Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon), ~875 BC. Upper room of widow's house. A child lies motionless as Elijah stretches over him three times, crying out to God...
The emotion here: recording the impossible with trembling amazement
The original word
nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ) — the breath-soul, the animating life force that makes flesh alive
Why it matters
This is the first recorded resurrection in Scripture, happening in pagan territory
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 17:22
Elijah stretched himself on the dead child THREE times — ancient CPR meets desperate prayer
Common misconceptionPeople think this proves God always heals if we have enough faith, but Elijah had just told this widow her son would die as part of God's plan to reveal His power.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 17:22
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 17:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 17:22 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is joyful, with a comfort power of 90% and a tone that is joyful. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include answered prayer, resurrection, God's power. Notable phrases: Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; the soul of the child came into him again.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same joyful
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, …”
— Isaiah 9:6
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22
“"Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?"”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
“Rejoice always.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 17:22 mean to you, today?
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