Berean Bible

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Luke

Note Journal Prayer

4

:

25

“

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

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
I say (denoting speech in progress), (a) to say, speak; to mean, mention, tell, (b) to call, name, especially in the pass., (c) to tell, command. V-PIA-1S H3004 λέγω legō
truth Truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth of idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man, straightforwardness. N-GFS H225 ἀληθείας alētheias
many Much, many; often. Adj-NFP H4183 πολλαὶ pollai
widows A widow. N-NFP H5503 χῆραι chērai
Israel (Hebrew), Israel, surname of Jacob, then the Jewish people, the people of God. N-DMS H2474 Ισραήλ israēl
Analysis:
Read more about: Israel
days A day, the period from sunrise to sunset. N-DFP H2250 ἡμέραις ēmerais
of Elijah, Elijah, the prophet. N-GMS H2243 Ἠλίου ēliou
Analysis:
Read more about: Elijah
when When, at which time. Adv H3753 ὅτε ote
heaven Heaven, (a) the visible heavens: the atmosphere, the sky, the starry heavens, (b) the spiritual heavens. N-NMS H3772 οὐρανὸς ouranos
was shut up To shut, shut up. V-AIP-3S H2808 ἐκλείσθη ekleisthē
three Three. Adj-ANP H5140 τρία tria
Analysis:

Three: Purposes of God in: Testing, revealing, proving, documenting, victory and if applied to God, holiness

The number "three" is one of the most significant numbers in the Scriptures. Its primary purpose is for the sake of revealing or documenting something as fact (testing to validate something). It is also connected to the outcome of the will of God. One of the most famous occurrences for the number three is found in the book of Jonah, where Jonah is in the belly of the fish "three days and three nights."  A major aspect of the book of Jonah is that the prophet was fleeing from the presence of HaShem. Instead of Jonah going to Nineveh as God had commanded, the prophet desired not to obey this commandment, even if it meant that his relationship with God would be destroyed. HaShem decided to test to see if Jonah preferred to end his relationship with God rather than go to Nineveh. By placing Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, it would be revealed whether it was true that Jonah wanted to end his relationship with God over this commandment to go to Nineveh. It is most significant that immediately after (in the next verse) the reader is informed that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.  What does Jonah do? The text states that Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from within the fish. Hence, the three days and three nights ultimately revealed, proved, or documented that what Jonah said he wanted was not true. One could also say that Jonah was tested for those three days and three nights and the test results showed that he did not want to end his relationship with God and in the end Jonah went to Nineveh.

In a similar manner, Peter rejects Yeshua's statement that he will deny Him. Therefore, Yeshua says to Peter that he will deny Him three times. These three denials prove, document, and reveal to the reader that Yeshua's statement was factual. It is not a coincidence that when Yeshua reinstated Peter after the resurrection, He asked him three times, "do you love Me?” In this context, Yeshua was testing the validity of Peter's statement. 

Yeshua also revealed that He, in a similar manner to Jonah being in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, would be in the belly of the earth three days and three nights and then rise from the dead. In this passage, the number three not only documents the fact that He died, but also the resurrection. It is also very significant that Yeshua rose on the third day.

The number three also relates to victory, as in the completion of God's purposes and plans. In the book of Genesis, one reads about the offering of Isaac. This passage has great theological significance and is one of the first passages which is read in the morning synagogue service each day. This section begins with HaShem commanding Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. The climax of this portion of Scripture comes about on the third day. It was on the third day that HaShem provided the ram so that Isaac would live. In this passage, Isaac represents the promise (of God) which would have died (ended) had not HaShem acted. There is not a conflict between the two concepts for the number three of victory (the fulfillment of God’s will) and revelation or documentation. Often, it is the climax of what HaShem wants to do, which is simply being revealed or proved with the use of the number three.

Please note that when the number three is applied to God, then it can relate to holiness; whereas the number seven relates to holiness when this number is about man (see explanation for the number seven).

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016
years A year. N-ANP H2094 ἔτη etē
six Six. Adj-AMP H1803 ἑξ ex
months, A (lunar) month. N-AMP H3376 μῆνας mēnas
when As, like as, about, as it were, according as, how, when, while, as soon as, so that. Adv H5613 ὡς ōs
a great Large, great, in the widest sense. Adj-NMS H3173 μέγας megas
famine A famine, hunger. N-NMS H3042 λιμὸς limos
in In, on, among. V-AIM-3S H1096 ἐγένετο egeneto
in On, to, against, on the basis of, at. Prep H1909 ἐπ’ ep
all All, the whole, every kind of. Adj-AFS H3956 πᾶσαν pasan
land; The earth, soil, land, region, country, inhabitants of a region. N-AFS H1093 γῆν gēn

Locations

Israel

ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF" I. THE FIRST PERIOD1. The Two Kingdoms2. The Ist Dynasty3. The IInd Dynasty4. Civil WarII. PERIOD OF THE SYRIAN WARS1. The IIIrd Dynasty2. World-Politics3. Battle of Karkar4. Loss of Territory5. Reform of Religion6. Revolution7. The IVth Dynasty8. Renewed Prosperity9. AnarchyIII. DECLINE AND FALL1. Loss of Independence2. Decline3. Extinct... View Details

People

Elijah

Elijah [N] [B] [H]  [S] whose God is Jehovah.  "The Tishbite," the "Elias" of the New Testament, is suddenly introduced to our notice in 1 Kings 17:1 as delivering a message from the Lord to Ahab. There is mention made of a town called Thisbe, south of Kadesh, but it is impossible to say whether this was the place referred to in the name given to the prophet.  Having deliver... View Details

Parallel Verses

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Added text
Berean Bible And in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, when there was a great famine upon all the land;
King James Bible And in truth But I say to you, there were tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, Elias, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, when there was a great famine upon was throughout all the land;
Hebrew Greek English And in truth "But I say to you, you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven sky was shut up for three years and six months, when there was a great famine upon came over all the land;
New American Standard Bible 1995 And in truth "But I say to you, you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven sky was shut up for three years and six months, when there was a great famine upon came over all the land;