Cruse

A cruse was a small vessel — a flask or jug — used for carrying water or oil. In 1 Samuel 26:11–16, a cruse of water was placed at Saul's head while he slept, and David took it as proof that he had been within striking distance of the king, demonstrating his restraint and loyalty. Elijah's first post-Carmel experience involves a cruse of water and a cake baked on coals provided by an angel at the juniper tree (1 Kings 19:6), and the miraculous cruse of oil that belonged to the widow of Zarephath did not run dry throughout the years of drought (1 Kings 17:12–16).

The cruse of oil is also associated with the prophetic acts of anointing: Samuel used a cruse (vial) of oil to anoint Saul as king of Israel in 1 Samuel 10:1. The smallness of the vessel emphasizes the abundance of divine provision — a handful of meal and a small cruse of oil stretched through years of famine, and the oil in the cruse becomes a type of the inexhaustible grace that accompanies God's appointments.