Charity Never Faileth SOLD Part of Elspeth Young’s series of women in scripture paintings. Depicts the Widow of Zarephath from 1 Kings 17. Oil on panel. 22 in. x 30 inches. Categories: Elspeth Young, Figure, Interior, Oil painting, Old Testament, Women in scripture, The Widow of Zarephath, Charity Never Faileth Product No.: 3.64.0271.000 Availability: Sold

And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah…And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

The widow of Zarephath feeds the prophet of the Lord in faith during a famine that almost took she and her sons’ life. Because of her faith, however, the Lord feeds she, her household, and Elijah "many days" and provided for her throughout the remainder of the famine. The painting itself depicts the fulfillment of the Lord’s word to her, because of her act of faith.

For me the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise given to the widow by the prophet Elijah is one the key lessons from her story. Her faith is great, and is greatly rewarded. This painting seeks to express the joy that awaits all who trust in the Lord and lean not unto their own understanding.

The interior denotes the architecture and design of the period that included stone walls. From later reference to the upper room where the prophet raises her son from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24), indicates that the widow would have been wealthy before the famine reduced her means to point of starvation. Therefore the interior is based on the more richly designed homes of the era that contained four ground level rooms with a central courtyard.

The widow is draped in a sumptuous wrap, denoting her wealth. The material of her drape and of the carpet behind the figure is rich and contains the color purple that also indicates wealth but also symbolizes that she lived in a town between Tyre and Sidon (present-day Lebanon) where Tyrian purple was produced and widely sold. This area of Phoenicia was famous for its beautiful, costly dyes and fabrics. The woman is painted with her costuming draped in a way popular at the time, because it allowed for easy movement.

The woman holds a cruse (the Hebrew "tsappachath" translates saucer) containing the oil. Also visible is the barr of meal that in the Hebrew refers to the vessels or pitchers that contained grain. Both represent the promise and fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to her. The widow goes to gather two sticks when she meets the prophet, but to represent the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise, the painting depicts an entire bundle of sticks, implying that there was enough meal and oil provided by the Lord to require more fire than the widow had expected to need when she first gathered.

The meal referred to translates as flour. The account does not specify the kind of grain, but in times of famine lesser grains such as barley were less expensive. Grains were ground on querns and stored in grain vessels, such as the barrel to her left (the viewer’s right). She mixing the meal and oil together in a kneading bowl. Ovens were in the central courtyard where the grain vessels were stored.

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