לוקם 4:25

Hebrew Modern Translation

ואמת אני אמר לכם אלמנות רבות היו בישראל בימי אליהו בהעצר השמים שלש שנים וששה חדשים ורעב גדול היה בכל הארץ׃

Parallel Translations

Delitzsche Hebrew NT (1877)
וֶאֱמֶת אַגִּיד לָכֶם אַלְמָנוֹת רַבּוֹת הָיוּ בְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ בְּהֵעָצֵר הַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁלֹשׂ שָׁנִים וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים וַיְהִי רָעָב גָּדוֹל בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

many: Luke 10:21, Isaiah 55:8, Matthew 20:15, Mark 7:26-29, Romans 9:15, Romans 9:20, Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 1:11

when the: 1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 18:1, 1 Kings 18:2, Elijah, James 5:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:30 - seven years Leviticus 26:19 - make 2 Samuel 24:13 - seven 1 Kings 8:35 - heaven 2 Kings 4:38 - a dearth 2 Kings 8:1 - seven years 1 Chronicles 21:12 - three years' famine 2 Chronicles 6:26 - the heaven 2 Chronicles 7:13 - If I shut up heaven Job 12:15 - Behold Matthew 13:58 - General Luke 21:3 - Of John 16:7 - I tell Revelation 11:6 - power

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But I tell you of a truth,.... Or in truth: it answers to

באמת, a phrase often used by the Jewish writers o; and, which, they say p, wherever, and of whatsoever it is spoken, it signifies a tradition of Moses from Mount Sinai, and so that which is most true, sure, and firm, and to be depended on; and such is what our Lord hereafter delivers; yea, the word, הימנותא, "truth", or "of a truth", and which is the same as "in truth", is used by the Jews q, as לשון שבועה, "the form of an oath": so that these words of Christ are a strong asseveration, and amount to a solemn oath with respect to what follows:

many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias; or Elijah, the prophet; that is, there were many that were not only widows, but poor widows, and in very famishing circumstances in the land of Israel, when Elijah was the prophet of the Lord to that people:

and when the heaven was shut up three years and six months; so that no rain descended all that time: the same is observed by James 5:17 and though the space of time, in which there was no rain, is not so clear from the history of it in the book of Kings; yet, as this is fixed by Christ, and his apostle, and there is nothing in the history that contradicts it, it is to be received without scruple:

when great famine was throughout all the land of Israel; and which so long a drought must needs bring.

o Misn. Sabbat, c. 1. sect. 3. Trumot, c. 2. sect. 1. p T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 3. 2. & 12. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Trumot, c. 3. sect. 1. q T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 55. 1. & Gloss. in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 1 Kings 17:8-24.

Three years and six months - From 1Ki 18:1, 1 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 25. In the days of Elias — See this history, 1 Kings 17:1-9, compared with 1 Kings 18:1-45. This was evidently a miraculous interference, as no rain fell for three years and six months, even in the rainy seasons. There were two of these in Judea, called the first and the latter rains; the first fell in October, the latter in April: the first prepared the ground for the seed, the latter ripened the harvest. As both these rains were withheld, consequently there was a great famine throughout all the land.