Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - 1 Kings 17:9
Zarephath; a city between Tyrus and Sidon, called Sarepta by Luke 4:26, by Pliny, and others. To Zidon; to the jurisdiction of that city, which therefore was inhabited by Gentiles. See Luke 4:25. And God’s providing for his prophet, first by an unclean bird, and then by a Gentile, whom the Jews esteemed unclean, was a notable presage of the calling of the Gentiles, and of the rejection of the Jews. I have commanded, i.e. appointed or provided, as before, 1 Kings 17:4; for that she had as yet no... read more
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - 1 Kings 17:7
After a while, Heb. at the end of days, i.e. of a year; for so the word days is oft used, as in Exodus 13:10; Leviticus 25:29; Numbers 9:22; Judges 17:10; 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 27:7. And this seems to be a convenient time for the drying up of the brook, which was gradually dried up; and so this agrees well with 1 Kings 18:1, in the third year; of which See Poole "1 Kings 18:1". The brook dried up; God so ordering it, partly, for the punishment of those Israelites who lived near it, and had... read more