The Meaning of Luke 4:25 Explained

Luke 4:25

KJV: But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

YLT: and of a truth I say to you, Many widows were in the days of Elijah, in Israel, when the heaven was shut for three years and six months, when great famine came on all the land,

Darby: But of a truth I say to you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, so that a great famine came upon all the land,

ASV: But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  I tell  you  of  a truth,  many  widows  were  in  Israel  in  the days  of Elias,  when  the heaven  was shut up  three  years  and  six  months,  when  great  famine  was  throughout  all  the land; 

What does Luke 4:25 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 4:14-30 - "his Own Received Him Not"
A wide gap occurs here, embracing the important transactions of John 1:29-51; John 2:1-25; John 3:1-36; John 4:1-54.
What a flutter in Mary's heart when she saw her son sitting in the teacher's place of His native synagogue! How gratified at the reception given to the opening sentences! What a sword pierced her heart at the sudden revulsion of feeling! They were jealous that He performed only a few private miracles; but He could not do more because of their unbelief. See Mark 6:5.
Note that our Lord here sounded forth the silver trumpet of jubilee. Seizing on the imagery of the gladdest festival of Hebrew life, He likened Himself to a priest proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord. Not yet the day of vengeance! Compare Luke 4:19 with Isaiah 61:1-2. This is Christ's program for the present age. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 4

1  The fasting and temptation of Jesus
14  He begins to preach
16  The people of Nazareth marvel at words, but seek to kill him
33  He cures one possessed of a demon,
38  Peter's mother-in-law,
40  and various other sick persons
41  The demons acknowledge Jesus, and are reproved for it
42  He preaches through the cities of Galilee

Greek Commentary for Luke 4:25

Three years and six months [ετη τρια και μηνας εχ]
Accusative of duration of time without επι — epi (doubtful). The same period is given in James 5:17, the popular Jewish way of speaking. In 1 Kings 18:1 the rain is said to have come in the third year. But the famine probably lasted still longer. [source]
A great famine was throughout all the land [ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν]
More literally and correctly, as Rev., there came (or arose )a great famine over all the land. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 4:25

Revelation 11:6 To shut up the heaven []
As Elijah, 1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17. [source]
Revelation 11:6 To shut the heaven [κλεισαι τον ουρανον]
First aorist active infinitive of κλειω — kleiō As Elijah did by prayer (1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17). [source]
Revelation 11:6 That it rain not [ινα μη υετος βρεχηι]
Sub-final use of ινα μη — hina mē with the present active subjunctive of βρεχω — brechō old verb to rain (Matthew 5:45), here with υετος — huetos as subject.During the days (τας ημερας — tas hēmeras). Accusative of extent of time. In Luke 4:25; James 5:17 the period of the drouth in Elijah‘s time was three and a half years, just the period here.Of their prophecy Not here the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10) or a particular prophecy or collection of prophecies (Revelation 1:3; Revelation 22:7.), but “the execution of the prophetic office” (Swete).Over the waters (επι των υδατων — epi tōn hudatōn). “Upon the waters.” As Moses had (Exodus 7:20).Into blood As already stated in Revelation 8:8 about the third trumpet and now again here.To smite (παταχαι — pataxai). First aorist active infinitive of πατασσω — patassō used here with εχουσιαν εχουσιν — exousian echousin (they have power), as is στρεπειν — strephein (to turn).With every plague In 1 Kings 4:8, but with reference to the plagues in Egypt.As often as they shall desire (οσακις εαν τελησωσιν — hosakis ean thelēsōsin). Indefinite temporal clause with οσακις — hosakis and modal εαν — ean (= αν — an) and the first aorist active subjunctive of τελω — thelō “as often as they will.” [source]
Revelation 11:6 During the days [τας ημερας]
Accusative of extent of time. In Luke 4:25; James 5:17 the period of the drouth in Elijah‘s time was three and a half years, just the period here. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 4:25 mean?

In truth now I say to you many widows there were in the days of Elijah - Israel when was shut up the heaven for years three and months six when there was a famine great upon all the land
ἐπ’ ἀληθείας δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν πολλαὶ χῆραι ἦσαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἠλίου τῷ Ἰσραήλ ὅτε ἐκλείσθη οὐρανὸς ἐπὶ ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἕξ ὡς ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν

ἀληθείας  truth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλήθεια  
Sense: objectively.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
λέγω  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
πολλαὶ  many 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
χῆραι  widows 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: χήρα  
Sense: a widow.
ἦσαν  there  were 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ἡμέραις  days 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
Ἠλίου  of  Elijah 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἠλίας  
Sense: a prophet born at Thisbe, the unflinching champion of the theocracy in the reigns of the idolatrous kings Ahab and Ahaziah.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰσραήλ  Israel 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰσραήλ  
Sense: the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name).
ἐκλείσθη  was  shut  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κλείω  
Sense: to shut, shut up.
οὐρανὸς  heaven 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὐρανός  
Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it.
ἔτη  years 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἔτος  
Sense: year.
τρία  three 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τρεῖς 
Sense: three.
μῆνας  months 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: μήν2  
Sense: a month.
ἕξ  six 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἕξ  
Sense: six.
ἐγένετο  there  was 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
λιμὸς  a  famine 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λιμός  
Sense: scarcity of harvest, famine.
μέγας  great 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
ἐπὶ  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
γῆν  land 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.