Luke 4:25 - Barnes' Notes

Luke 4:25

23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in ^aCapernaum, do also here in ^bYour country.’ ”

24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no ^aprophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you truly, ^amany 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;

26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

27 ^aAnd many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were ^afilled with wrath,

29 ^aand rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< Luke 4:24

Luke 4:26 >>

Luke 4:25

Of a truth - Truly, and therefore worthy of your credit. He calls attention to two cases where "acknowledged" prophets had so little honor in their own nation that they bestowed their favors on foreigners. So, says he, such is the want of faith in my own country, that I shall work no miracles here, but shall give the evidence of my divine mission to others.

In Israel - In the land of Israel, or Judea. It was therefore the more remarkable, since there were so many in his own country whom he might have helped, that the prophet should have gone to a pagan city and aided a poor widow there.

The days of Elias - The days of Elijah. See the account of this in I Kings 17:8-24.

Three years and six months - From I Kings 18:1, I Kings 18:45, it would seem that the rain fell on the "third year" - that is, at the "end" of the third year after the rain had ceased to fall at the usual time. There were two seasons of the year when rains fell in Judea - in October and April, called the "early" and "latter" rain; consequently there was an interval between them of six months. To the three years, therefore, when rain was withheld "at the usual times," are to be added the previous six months, when no rain fell as a matter of course, and consequently three years "and six months" elapsed without rain.

A great famine - A great want of food, from long continued and distressing drought.

Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Luke 4:25:

1 Kings 18:1
Matthew 4:13
Matthew 4:23
Luke 2:1
James 5:17
James 5:17

<< Luke 4:24

Luke 4:26 >>

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