John Gill Commentary 1 Kings 8:35

"When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them:" — 1 Kings 8:35 (ASV)

When heaven is shut up
As it may be said to be when the air is quite serene, and not a cloud in it:

and there is no rain ;
in its season, neither the former nor the latter, as it was in the times of Elijah:

because they have sinned against you ;
want of rain was threatened in case of sin, and was always the effect of it, (Leviticus 26:19Leviticus 26:20) (Deuteronomy 28:23Deuteronomy 28:24) ,

if they pray towards this place ;
in any part of the country where they were; for it sometimes rained on one city, and not on another, (Amos 4:7)

and confess your name ;
own his power and his providence, and the justness of his dealings with them:

and turn from their sin, when you afflict them ;
their affliction being made useful, to bring them to a sense of their sin, and to repentance for it, and reformation from it; or, "when you hear" or "answer them" ^F7 ; so the Targum, receives their prayer; thus the goodness of God leads to repentance.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F7: (Mnet yk) "cum exaudieris eos", Vatablus.