The LORD’s word to Elijah in the third year, and the severe famine in Samaria

• At Luke 4:25–26 Jesus says in the synagogue at Nazareth, “But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land. Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”
  Source evidence (1)

  AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.

  • LUK 4:16–30, engwebp

    ¹⁶He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

    ¹⁷The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

    ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,

    ¹⁹and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

    ²⁰He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

    ²¹He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

    ²²All testified about him and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

    ²³He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’”

    ²⁴He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

    ²⁵But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.

    ²⁶Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

    ²⁷There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

    ²⁸They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue as they heard these things.

    ²⁹They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

    ³⁰But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.

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• 1 Kings 17:1 says, “Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.’”
  Source evidence (1)

  AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.

  • 1KI 17:1, engwebp

    ¹Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

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• 1 Kings 18:1–2 says, “After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ‘Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.’ Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.”
  Source evidence (1)

  AI-assisted comparison with the cited narrative; not independent historical verification.

  • 1KI 18:1–2, engwebp

    ¹After many days, the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”

    ²Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria.

    Publisher textRights & provenance

At Luke 4:25 Jesus says that in the days of Elijah the sky was shut up three years and six months. 1 Kings 17:1 has Elijah say to Ahab, “there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word”, and 18:1 says that after many days the LORD’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “I will send rain on the earth.” 18:1 does not say from what the third year is counted. This collection records what each book says, does no arithmetic with the years, does not fit the two passages together, and decides nothing.