Luke 4:25

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’”

24 Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.

26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.

27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.
KJV
But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
WEB
But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.
ASV
But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;
DARBY
But of a truth I say to you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, so that a great famine came upon all the land,
BLB
And in truth I say to you⁺, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came upon all the land.
ÅB
Og i sannhet sier jeg dere: Det var mange enker i Israel i Elias' dager, dengang da himmelen ble lukket for tre år og seks måneder, da det ble en stor hunger over hele landet,
OTB
Jeg forsikrer dere om at det var mange enker i Israel på Elias’ tid, da himmelen var lukket i tre år og seks måneder og det var en stor hungersnød i hele landet.
B1930
Og i sannhet sier jeg eder: Det var mange enker i Israel i Elias' dager, dengang da himmelen blev lukket for tre år og seks måneder, da det blev en stor hunger over hele landet,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • James 5:17

    Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

    Read in context
  • 1 Kings 17:1

    Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”

    Read in context
  • Matthew 20:15

    Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

    Read in context
  • 1 Kings 18:1–2

    After a long time, in the third year of the drought, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the face of the earth.”

    Read in context
  • Mark 7:26–29

    Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 55:8

    “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

    Read in context
  • Romans 9:15

    For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

    Read in context
  • Luke 10:21

    At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

    Read in context