Luke 15:14

15:14 Then ¹  after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need.

Luke 4:25

4:25 But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, ²  when the sky ³  was shut up three and a half years, and ⁴  there was a great famine over all the land.

[15:14]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the sequence of events in the parable. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[4:25]  ² sn Elijah’s days. Jesus, by discussing Elijah and Elisha, pictures one of the lowest periods in Israel’s history. These examples, along with v. 24, also show that Jesus is making prophetic claims as well as messianic ones. See 1 Kgs 17-18.

[4:25]  ³ tn Or “the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. Since the context here refers to a drought (which produced the famine), “sky” is preferable.

[4:25]  ⁴ tn Grk “as.” The particle ὡς can also function temporally (see BDAG 1105-6 s.v. 8).