Luke 4:26-27

4:26 Yet ¹  Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. ²  4:27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, ³  yet ⁴  none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” ⁵ 

[4:26]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.

[4:26]  ² sn Zarephath in Sidon was Gentile territory (see 1 Kgs 17:9-24). Jesus’ point was that he would be forced to minister elsewhere, and the implication is that this ministry would ultimately extend (through the work of his followers) to those outside the nation.

[4:27]  ³ sn On Elisha see 2 Kgs 5:1-14.

[4:27]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.

[4:27]  ⁵ sn The reference to Naaman the Syrian (see 2 Kgs 5:1-24) is another example where an outsider and Gentile was blessed. The stress in the example is the missed opportunity of the people to experience God’s work, but it will still go on without them.