צָֽרְפַת (tsa.re.phat)
tsa.re.phat
Zarephath
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tsa.re.phat, rendered in English as Zarephath or Sarepta, refers to a coastal city located just south of Sidon. The name itself carries the meaning "refinery," likely pointing to its historical role in metal smelting or glassmaking along the Mediterranean shore.
This location appears in three biblical verses, most notably in 1 Kings and Obadiah. In the narrative of Elijah, it serves as the place where the prophet stays during a severe drought, sheltered by a widow who provides for him. The sources identify this site with the modern area known as Sura-fend.
The term highlights a specific geographic setting rather than a theological concept. Its inclusion in Obadiah’s prophecy against Edom underscores the extent of judgment reaching even distant Phoenician territories, while its presence in Kings illustrates God’s provision through unexpected means in a foreign land.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Zarephath means "refinery," a name that fits its history as a place where metals were smelted and purified. In the Old Testament, this coastal town south of Sidon becomes a stage for God’s quiet provision. When Elijah fled from King Ahab, he was sent not to a palace or a temple, but to a foreign city in the land of Israel’s enemies. There, a widow with no food left shared her last meal with him, and miraculously, her supplies never ran out.
This story reminds us that God often works outside the boundaries we expect. He did not wait for Elijah to reach a holy place; instead, He met the prophet in a Gentile town through the kindness of a stranger. The name Zarephath suggests that difficult seasons can be places where our faith is refined, much like ore in a furnace. Even when resources seem scarce, God’s provision is sufficient.
The mention of Zarephath in Obadiah shows that God’s sovereignty extends over all nations, not just Israel. It serves as a reminder that no territory is beyond His reach or care. For believers today, this offers comfort: God can bring sustenance and hope from the most unexpected places, using ordinary people to fulfill His extraordinary purposes.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Zarephath/ towards2×
- Zarephath1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צָרְפַ֙תָ/ה֙1×
- צָרְפַ֗תָ/ה1×
- צָ֣רְפַ֔ת1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 17:9
“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.”
This verse establishes Zarephath as the specific location where God directs Elijah to find sustenance through a widow, highlighting divine guidance in a foreign land.
-
I Kings 17:10
So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.”
Here the narrative grounds the promise in reality, showing Elijah encountering the widow at the city gate, which emphasizes the ordinary human interaction through which God provides.
-
Obadiah 1:20
The captives of this army of the children of Israel, who are among the Canaanites, will possess even to Zarephath; and the captives of Jerusalem, who are in Sepharad, will possess the cities of the Negev.
This prophecy uses Zarephath as a distant boundary marker to illustrate the extent of Israel’s future restoration, showing that God’s plan reaches even to Phoenician territories.