Luke 4:27 kjv
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
Luke 4:27 nkjv
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
Luke 4:27 niv
And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed?only Naaman the Syrian."
Luke 4:27 esv
And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
Luke 4:27 nlt
And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian."
Luke 4 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Kgs 5:1-19 | Naaman... commander... mighty man... but he was a leper... His servants said, "If the prophet had told you to do some great thing..." | The full account of Naaman's miraculous healing. |
| 1 Kgs 17:8-16 | The word of the LORD came to Elijah... to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, where there is a widow... | Elijah's aid to the Gentile widow during famine. |
| Matt 8:10-12 | "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith... many will come from east and west..." | Gentile faith surpassing Israel, leading to their inclusion. |
| Luke 7:1-10 | A Roman centurion... Jesus marveled at him, and said to the crowd... "Not even in Israel have I found such faith." | Another example of Jesus praising a Gentile's great faith. |
| Acts 10:34-35 | Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." | God's universal acceptance regardless of nationality. |
| Acts 13:46 | Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you... we turn to the Gentiles." | Apostolic turning point towards Gentile evangelization. |
| Rom 9:30-33 | What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel... | Gentiles attained righteousness by faith, Israel by law. |
| Rom 10:12 | For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. | Equality of Jew and Gentile under Christ's Lordship. |
| Rom 11:7-11 | What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking... through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. | Israel's partial hardening benefits Gentile salvation. |
| Gal 3:8-9 | And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." | The Abrahamic covenant promising blessing for all nations. |
| Gal 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Union in Christ transcends ethnic and social divisions. |
| Eph 2:11-13 | Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh... but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. | Gentiles formerly excluded are brought near to God. |
| Col 3:11 | Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. | Christ unifies all people without distinction. |
| John 1:11 | He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. | The rejection of Christ by His own nation. |
| Matt 15:21-28 | A Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David..." And Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith!" | Jesus commends a Gentile woman's exceptional faith. |
| Isa 61:1 | The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD has anointed me... to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; | Part of Jesus' inaugural sermon, hinting at universal release and healing. |
| Luke 7:22 | And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear..." | Cleansing of lepers as a sign validating Messiah's ministry. |
| Mark 1:40-45 | A leper came to him, imploring him... And Jesus, moved with pity... touched him and said to him, "I will; be clean." | Jesus' compassionate cleansing of a leper. |
| Luke 17:11-19 | On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee... Ten lepers met him... One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back... and he was a Samaritan. | A Samaritan (outsider) being the only grateful one among the cleansed lepers. |
| Gen 12:3 | I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. | God's promise to Abraham included universal blessing. |
| Mal 1:11 | For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering... | Prophecy of God's future worldwide worship by Gentiles. |
| Zech 8:20-23 | Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities... many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem... | Gentile nations seeking the Lord and clinging to Judah. |
Luke 4 verses
Luke 4 27 Meaning
Luke 4:27 declares that despite the presence of many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet, none of them received cleansing except Naaman, who was a Syrian. This statement directly challenges the nationalistic pride of Jesus' Nazareth audience by illustrating God's sovereign choice to extend His grace to outsiders, specifically a Gentile. It underscores that divine favor is not inherently tied to ethnicity or chosen status but is granted according to God's own will, often in response to faith, thereby prefiguring the universal scope of the Gospel beyond Israel.
Luke 4 27 Context
Luke 4:27 forms a pivotal moment within Jesus' initial public discourse at the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. Having read from Isaiah 61 and proclaimed its fulfillment in Himself, Jesus anticipated His audience's ethnocentric expectations. He then challenged them by providing two historical examples from Israel’s past: the famine under Elijah where God aided a Gentile widow from Zarephath, and the lepers during Elisha's time where only Naaman the Syrian was cleansed. These examples served to undermine the Jewish belief in their exclusive claim to divine blessing. Jesus' words implied that just as God worked outside of Israel's national boundaries in the past due to unbelief within, so too might He now, given the current generation's spiritual state. This prophetic truth directly confronted their perceived entitlement, leading to their immediate, violent rejection of Jesus.
Luke 4 27 Word analysis
- And (καὶ - kai): A connective particle, linking this specific instance to the preceding example of Elijah and the widow, emphasizing a consistent pattern in God's historical dealings.
- many (πολλοί - polloi): Signifies a multitude or great number. It highlights the widespread presence of ritual impurity and affliction among God's covenant people.
- lepers (λεπροί - leproi): Individuals afflicted with tzara'at, a serious skin condition deemed ceremonially unclean in ancient Israel (Lev 13-14), leading to isolation from the community. It represents both physical disease and spiritual-social exclusion.
- were in (ἦσαν ἐν - ēsan en) Israel: Indicates existence within the geographical and national boundaries of the chosen people. This reinforces the point that Israel themselves faced significant affliction and uncleanness.
- in the time (ἐπὶ - epi) of Elisha the prophet: Precisely dates the event to the prophetic era of Elisha (9th century BC), lending historical authenticity and placing it within the continuum of Israel's prophetic tradition.
- and none (οὐδείς - oudeis) of them: An absolute negative, stressing the complete absence of healing for any of the Israelite lepers through Elisha, despite his powerful ministry.
- was cleansed (ἐκαθαρίσθησαν - ekatharisthēsan): From katharizo, meaning "to make clean," "to purify." This implies not only physical healing but also ceremonial and social restoration into community, which was essential for lepers. It underscores a divine, not human, act.
- but (εἰ μὴ - ei mē): A strong exclusionary particle, creating a sharp contrast and emphasizing the singular exception to the rule, drawing all focus to that unique case.
- Naaman the Syrian (Ναιμὰν ὁ Σύρος - Naiman ho Syros): Identifies the specific individual and, critically, his non-Israelite nationality ("Syrian"), a general from a foreign and often hostile nation. His inclusion signifies God's grace transcending national boundaries, even for enemies, challenging the exclusivist mind-set of Jesus' Jewish audience.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet": This phrase highlights the paradox that despite a powerful prophet ministering within Israel, there was widespread uncleanness among the people of God. It sets the stage for a divine revelation that challenges ethnocentric presumptions, implying that internal issues (like a lack of faith) could prevent blessing even for the chosen.
- "and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian": This is the heart of Jesus' provocative point. The stark contrast between "none of them" (Israelites) and "Naaman the Syrian" (a Gentile enemy) underscores God's sovereign freedom to grant His grace to whom He wills, often outside the expected circles. It serves as a direct indictment of the religious pride that assumes exclusive divine favor, indicating that a foreign commander’s faith or openness superseded the condition of God’s own people in this instance.
Luke 4 27 Bonus section
- Miracle of Faith, Not Merit: Naaman’s cleansing was contingent on obedience to Elisha's seemingly simple, almost foolish, instruction (washing in the Jordan seven times), not on any inherent merit. This highlights that salvation and cleansing come by divine grace, activated through obedient faith.
- A Universalist Echo: This verse is a crucial building block in Luke's Gospel, which consistently emphasizes the universal scope of Jesus' mission, frequently including Gentiles and marginalized groups. It lays groundwork for Peter's realization in Acts 10 and Paul's extensive Gentile ministry.
- "Cleansing" and Christ's Ministry: Jesus not only refers to Naaman's cleansing but also actively cleanses lepers in His own ministry (e.g., Mark 1:40-45; Luke 17:11-19), showcasing Himself as the ultimate source of spiritual and physical restoration beyond what even Elisha accomplished, making the fulfillment of prophecy immediate in His person.
Luke 4 27 Commentary
Luke 4:27 powerfully concludes Jesus’ historical argument to His Nazareth audience. By reminding them that out of numerous lepers in Israel, only the Gentile Naaman was cleansed by Elisha, Jesus delivers a challenging message: God's salvation is not bound by ethnic identity or national privilege. It underscores His sovereignty to work outside human expectations and extends grace to the least expected, including Israel's traditional enemies. This instance, coupled with the example of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, confronts Jewish nationalistic pride, signaling that a lack of faith or an inward-focused heart, even within God's chosen people, can prevent them from receiving divine blessing, while a receptive heart, even from an outsider, can experience it. This foreshadows the broader sweep of the Gospel, which would ultimately be extended to the Gentiles as Israel, as a whole, largely rejected their Messiah. It's a reminder that divine favor is a matter of God's choosing, often directed towards humility and faith regardless of background.