1 Kings 17:4

“And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook, etc.] The water of that was to be his drink: and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there; whereby he should be provided with food to eat; by whom are meant not angels in the form of ravens, as some; nor, as others, Arabians, for there were none of that people near him; nor, as others, merchants, the word being sometimes used of them, for this was not a likely method for privacy; nor, as others, the inhabitants of a place called Oreb, or Orbo; so the Arabic version calls them Orabimi; but we read of no such place near Jordan; the Jews f366 speak of a city of this name near Bethshean, from whence these Orebim came; and some of them…”

“The ravens - This is the translation of most of the ancient versions; others, omitting the points, which are generally allowed to have no authority, read “Arabians;” others, retaining the present pointing, translate either “merchants” (compare the original of Ezekiel 27:9, Ezekiel 27:27), or “Orbites.” Jerome took it in this last sense, and so does the Arabic Version. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Have commanded - Or, I shall command, that is, effectually move them, by instincts which shall be as forcible with them, as a law or command is to men. God is said to command both brute creatures, and senseless things; when he causeth them to do the things which he intends to effect by them. The ravens - Which he chuseth for this work; to shew his care and power in providing for the prophet by those creatures, which are noted for their greediness, that by this strange experiment he might be taught to trust God in those many and great difficulties to which he was to be exposed. God could have sent angels to minister to him. But he chose winged messengers of another kind to shew he can serve…”

“I have commanded: Kg1 17:9, Kg1 19:5-8; Num 20:8; Job 34:29, Job 38:8-13, Job 38:41; Psa 33:8, Psa 33:9, Psa 147:9; Amo 9:3, Amo 9:4; Mat 4:4, Mat 4:11 3 Kings (1 Kings) 17:5”