And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

LUKE 4:27KJV
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Luke 4:27 (KJV)

What does Luke 4:27 mean?

Luke 4:27 says that during the time of the prophet Elisha (called "Eliseus" here), there were many people in Israel with leprosy, but none of them were healed except Naaman, who was from Syria. The verse highlights that God’s miraculous healing was given to a foreigner rather than to Israelites.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to people in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. He reminds them of a story from Israel’s history to show that God sometimes chooses outsiders for his blessings. This challenges the listeners’ assumptions about who receives God’s favor and sets up the tension that follows in the passage.

The Greek behind Luke 4:27

  • "λεπροὶ" (leproi, G3015) means "lepers" or people with a skin disease. The word emphasizes that there were many suffering in Israel, not just one or two.
  • "ἐκαθαρίσθη" (ekatharisthē, G2511, translated "cleansed") means to be made clean or healed. The Greek word carries both a physical and ritual sense of being restored, which is important in the context of leprosy.
  • "Σύρος" (Syros, G4948, "Syrian") points out Naaman’s foreign identity, underlining that he was not an Israelite. This detail is central to Jesus’ point about God’s grace reaching beyond Israel.

Why Luke 4:27 matters

  • Luke 4:27 clears up the idea that God’s miracles are limited to a certain group; it shows that God’s mercy can reach anyone, even those considered outsiders.
  • The verse emphasizes Jesus’ challenge to his hometown audience, who expected special treatment as Israelites but are reminded that God’s blessings are not based on nationality or heritage.
  • This verse connects to the broader theme in Luke’s Gospel of God’s concern for all people, not just Israel, and sets the stage for the rejection Jesus faces in Nazareth.

Where else these words appear

“lepers” Greek G3015 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
  • Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
  • Mark 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

“cleansed” Greek G2511 · used in 29 verses

  • Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
  • Mark 7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
  • Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

“Israel” Greek G2474 · used in 68 verses

  • Matthew 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
  • Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
  • Acts 28:20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

“saving” Greek G1508 · used in 87 verses

  • Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
  • Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
  • Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.