Luke 4:25 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;

Luke 4:25 nkjv

But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;

Luke 4:25 niv

I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.

Luke 4:25 esv

But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land,

Luke 4:25 nlt

"Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land.

Luke 4 verses

Luke 4 25 Meaning

This verse states a historical truth declared by Jesus concerning the severity of a drought and famine in Israel during the days of the prophet Elijah. It highlights that the heavens were shut for three and a half years, causing widespread famine throughout the entire land of Israel. Crucially, Jesus emphasizes that during this period, despite the presence of "many widows" within Israel who were in desperate need, God's prophetic intervention through Elijah was specifically directed elsewhere. This factual prelude sets the stage for Jesus' powerful and challenging revelation in the subsequent verse (Luke 4:26), explaining God's sovereign choice to bless outside the covenant people when His own people exhibit unbelief and rejection.

Luke 4 25 Context

Luke 4:25 is part of Jesus' sermon in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth. He has just read from Isaiah 61:1-2, declaring that this Scripture is fulfilled in their hearing (Luke 4:18-21). Initially, the people are amazed by His gracious words (Luke 4:22). However, their admiration quickly turns to skepticism, as they know Him only as "Joseph's son," suggesting familiarity breeds contempt and a lack of belief in His divine authority. Jesus perceives their thoughts (Luke 4:23) that they desire miracles as He performed in Capernaum.

In response, Jesus invokes the principle that "No prophet is accepted in his own country" (Luke 4:24). Luke 4:25 serves as a factual, historical illustration to buttress this point and prepare His audience for a far more challenging truth. By reminding them of the widespread suffering of "many widows in Israel" during a significant national famine, Jesus highlights that despite abundant need within Israel, God chose to act outside of it through Elijah. This was a direct challenge to their ethnocentric belief that God's blessings and care were exclusive to them by birthright, showing God's sovereign freedom to bless where there is faith, even among Gentiles, particularly when His own covenant people were steeped in unbelief or rejection. This teaching ignited violent fury in the Nazareth congregation, who attempted to throw Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4:28-29), demonstrating the profundity of their rejection.

Luke 4 25 Word analysis

• "But" (Δὲ): A conjunction, "de" in Greek, indicating a transition or slight opposition. Here, it shifts the focus to a specific example that challenges their expected narrative.
• "I tell you" (λέγω ὑμῖν): Jesus' authoritative declaration, a common opening for His profound truths. It conveys a personal, emphatic statement from Him directly to His hearers.
• "of a truth" (ἐπ’ ἀληθείας): From the Greek "aletheia," meaning "truth" or "reality." This phrase adds a solemn affirmation, underscoring the absolute veracity and certainty of what Jesus is about to reveal. It's not conjecture, but an indisputable fact and principle.
• "many" (πολλαὶ): Greek "pollai," meaning "a great number" or "much." It emphasizes the sheer quantity of vulnerable people. This is significant because it highlights that despite so many potential recipients of divine intervention within Israel, God acted differently.
• "widows" (χῆραι): Greek "chērai," women who have lost their husbands. Widows in ancient Israel were a socially vulnerable group, often dependent on family or community. The Mosaic Law (e.g., Deut 10:18) commanded care for them, indicating God's special concern. Jesus' mention of them highlights the pervasive distress in Israel and the particular demographic affected.
• "were in Israel" (ἦσαν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ): Indicates that these needy widows belonged to the chosen people, who possessed the covenant and typically expected divine favor. This contrast is crucial for Jesus' subsequent point about God's sovereign choice outside of Israel.
• "in the days of Elijah" (ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἠλίου): Specific historical context. Elijah was a revered prophet, famous for his miracles and challenge to Baal worship (1 Kings 17-18). Referring to "his days" anchors the teaching in a well-known historical period that the audience would readily recall.
• "when" (ὅτε / ὡς): Temporal conjunctions marking the timing of events, showing the simultaneity or cause-and-effect.
• "the heaven" (ὁ οὐρανὸς): Refers to the sky or heavens, the source of rain. Its "shutting up" signifies divine action or judgment.
• "was shut up" (ἐκλείσθη): From the Greek "kleio," meaning "to shut," "close," "lock." Used in the passive voice, it indicates divine agency—God himself withheld the rain as a consequence of Israel's widespread apostasy and disobedience to the Mosaic covenant (e.g., Deut 11:16-17).
• "three years and six months" (ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἕξ): A precise duration for the drought. This is affirmed independently by James (Jas 5:17), attesting to its accuracy as a historical fact. This extended period indicates an extreme and protracted judgment.
• "when great famine was" (ὡς ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας): Greek "limos megas," signifying a severe and extensive lack of food. The adjective "great" (megas) emphasizes the intensity and scale of the suffering.
• "throughout all the land" (ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν): The phrase "epi pasan tēn gēn" indicates the famine's pervasive and universal reach across the entire territory of Israel, not just a localized scarcity.

Words-group Analysis:

• "But I tell you of a truth...": This opening phrase asserts Jesus' divine authority and the absolute veracity of the coming statement. It sets a serious tone and prepares the listeners for a crucial, unassailable truth that challenges their preconceived notions. It functions as an emphatic "Indeed, I tell you," designed to capture full attention.
• "...many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah...": This part establishes the historical scenario and the context of widespread human suffering within God's covenant nation. The presence of "many widows" underlines a vast number of vulnerable people who might have expected God's immediate and direct intervention within their own land.
• "...when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;": This clause describes the specific nature and severity of the divine judgment upon Israel. The long duration and widespread famine signify God's severe but righteous hand due to the nation's spiritual decline. This comprehensive suffering is the grim backdrop against which God's decision to send Elijah to a non-Israelite widow becomes so startling and spiritually profound.

Luke 4 25 Bonus section

• The detail of "three years and six months" highlights a precise historical memory of the drought (referenced also in Jas 5:17) and gives the event a firm grounding in reality, underscoring that Jesus is citing genuine history, not parable.
• This statement by Jesus directly combats the common Jewish belief in a unique, exclusive national claim to God's favor and blessing, regardless of their spiritual state. Jesus emphasizes that God's grace and intervention are not merely an inheritance but are extended based on His sovereign choice and the condition of hearts.
• Jesus' choice of this specific Old Testament example, which led to a Gentile widow being blessed while many Israelite widows suffered, serves as a premonition and justification for the eventual spread of the gospel to the Gentiles following Israel's rejection of Him. His hometown's furious reaction (Luke 4:28-29) tragically foreshadows this larger rejection.
• The drought served not only as a physical judgment but also symbolically, as a spiritual barrenness within Israel. Just as the land was parched, so were the spiritual hearts of many within the nation.

Luke 4 25 Commentary

Luke 4:25 functions as a critical factual premise in Jesus' challenging sermon in Nazareth. By detailing the historically verifiable account of Elijah's era, Jesus prepares His audience for the unexpected truth of God's sovereign working. He underscores that during a period of immense suffering, with "many widows" in Israel, God did not exclusively channel His grace within His chosen people. The "shut heaven" and "great famine" were clear indicators of divine judgment upon Israel for their idolatry and unfaithfulness. The historical duration of three and a half years highlights the severity and protracted nature of this judgment. Jesus' point, further clarified in the next verse, is that God’s actions are not bound by nationalistic expectations or human presumptions, but are dictated by His perfect will, often reaching out where genuine faith is found, even if it is outside the conventional boundaries of His covenant people. This declaration prefigures the coming inclusion of Gentiles into God's salvation.