כְּרִית
Kerith, a brook of Palestine
Definition
Kerith is the name of a specific brook or wadi in the region of Palestine, mentioned exclusively in the story of the prophet Elijah. It is the divinely appointed place of refuge where Elijah hid from King Ahab and was miraculously sustained by ravens bringing him food during a severe drought (1 Kings 17:3-5). The name itself, meaning 'cutting' or 'cut,' likely describes the brook's physical nature as a steep, cut-out gorge or channel. Its location is traditionally associated with the area east of the Jordan River.
Biblical Usage
The word כְּרִית (Kerith) is used only twice in the Old Testament, both in 1 Kings 17. It functions solely as a proper noun identifying the specific geographic location where God commanded Elijah to go for protection and provision. The usage is entirely narrative, setting the scene for a key episode of divine faithfulness and miraculous sustenance at the very beginning of Elijah's public ministry.
Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root כָּרַת (kārath, H3772), meaning 'to cut off, cut down, or make a covenant.' As a proper noun, Kerith takes the sense of 'a cutting' or 'cut place,' likely referring to the steep, eroded banks of a seasonal stream or wadi carved into the landscape.
Semantic Range
The Brook Kerith is theologically significant as the site of God's faithful provision and protection for His prophet at a time of national apostasy and judgment. Its eventual drying up (1 Kings 17:7) was not a failure of God's care but a deliberate step to move Elijah to his next place of provision (Zarephath), teaching dependence on God's timing and direction. The name's connection to the root for 'covenant' (כָּרַת) can also be seen as a subtle reminder of God's covenant faithfulness to sustain His chosen messenger.
In the arid climate of Palestine, a 'brook' or wadi was typically a seasonal watercourse, dry for much of the year but capable of flowing during rains. God's command to hide by a brook during a declared drought (1 Kings 17:1) would have seemed counterintuitive, highlighting the miraculous nature of the provision. The ravens, considered unclean birds (Leviticus 11:15), being used as agents of God's care, further underscores the theme of divine sovereignty over all creation.
נַחַל (nakhal, H5158) — A more general term for a valley, stream, or wadi, used for many watercourses, whereas Kerith is a specific, named instance.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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