Luke 4:25

NETBible

But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, 1  when the sky 2  was shut up three and a half years, and 3  there was a great famine over all the land.

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.

NASB ©

"But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;

NLT ©

"Certainly there were many widows in Israel who needed help in Elijah’s time, when there was no rain for three and a half years and hunger stalked the land.

MSG ©

Isn't it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land,

BBE ©

Truly I say to you, There were a number of widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months and there was no food in the land;

NRSV ©

But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land;

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;

KJV
But
<1161>
I tell
<3004> (5719)
you
<5213>
of
<1909>
a truth
<225>_,
many
<4183>
widows
<5503>
were
<2258> (5713)
in
<1722>
Israel
<2474>
in
<1722>
the days
<2250>
of Elias
<2243>_,
when
<3753>
the heaven
<3772>
was shut up
<2808> (5681) <1909>
three
<5140>
years
<2094>
and
<2532>
six
<1803>
months
<3376>_,
when
<5613>
great
<3173>
famine
<3042>
was
<1096> (5633)
throughout
<1909>
all
<3956>
the land
<1093>_;
NASB ©
"But I say
<3004>
to you in truth
<225>
, there were many
<4183>
widows
<5503>
in Israel
<2474>
in the days
<2250>
of Elijah
<2243>
, when
<3753>
the sky
<3772>
was shut
<2808>
up for three
<5140>
years
<2094>
and six
<1803>
months
<3376>
, when
<5613>
a great
<3173>
famine
<3042>
came
<1096>
over
<1909>
all
<3956>
the land
<1093>
;
NET [draft] ITL
But
<1161>
in
<1909>
truth
<225>
I tell
<3004>
you
<5213>
, there were
<1510>
many
<4183>
widows
<5503>
in
<1722>
Israel
<2474>
in
<1722>
Elijah’s
<2243>
days
<2250>
, when
<3753>
the sky
<3772>
was shut up
<2808>
three
<5140>
and a half
<3376>

<1803>
years
<2094>
, and
<2532>
there was
<1096>
a great
<3173>
famine
<3042>
over
<1909>
all
<3956>
the land
<1093>
.
GREEK
ep
<1909>
PREP
alhyeiav
<225>
N-GSF
de
<1161>
CONJ
legw
<3004> (5719)
V-PAI-1S
umin
<5213>
P-2DP
pollai
<4183>
A-NPF
chrai
<5503>
N-NPF
hsan
<1510> (5713)
V-IXI-3P
en
<1722>
PREP
taiv
<3588>
T-DPF
hmeraiv
<2250>
N-DPF
hliou
<2243>
N-GSM
en
<1722>
PREP
tw
<3588>
T-DSM
israhl
<2474>
N-PRI
ote
<3753>
ADV
ekleisyh
<2808> (5681)
V-API-3S
o
<3588>
T-NSM
ouranov
<3772>
N-NSM
eth
<2094>
N-APN
tria
<5140>
A-APN
kai
<2532>
CONJ
mhnav
<3376>
N-APM
ex
<1803>
A-NUI
wv
<5613>
ADV
egeneto
<1096> (5633)
V-2ADI-3S
limov
<3042>
N-NSM
megav
<3173>
A-NSM
epi
<1909>
PREP
pasan
<3956>
A-ASF
thn
<3588>
T-ASF
ghn
<1093>
N-ASF
NETBible

But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, 1  when the sky 2  was shut up three and a half years, and 3  there was a great famine over all the land.

NET Notes

1 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.

2 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.

3 tn Grk “as.” The particle ὡς can also function temporally (see BDAG 1105-6 s.v. 8).