Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Kings 17:9

"Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee." — 1 Kings 17:9 (ASV)

The inscriptions of Sennacherib indicate that Zarephath (Sarepta) was dependent on Sidon. These records mention that the city belonged to Luliya (Elulaeus), king of Sidon, and submitted to the Assyrian monarch when Luliya fled from his capital.

Elijah may have been sent to this location, so near the city of Jezebel’s father, precisely because it was a place he was least expected to visit.