Luk 4:27 | NET2full | STEP | And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha , yet none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian .”

Luke 4:27

27 And there were many lepers ^{▼▼sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what is called leprosy today (Hansen’s disease). In the OT the Hebrew term generally referred to a number of exfoliative (scaly) skin diseases (when applied to humans). A person with one of these diseases was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46). In the NT the Greek term also refers to a number of skin diseases, but there is some evidence that true leprosy (Hansen’s disease) could be referred to, since that disease began to be described by Greek physicians in Alexandria, Egypt around 300 B.C. and thus might have been present in Judea and Galilee just before the time of Jesus.} in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, ^{▼▼sn On Elisha see 2 Kgs 5:1-14.} yet ^{▼▼tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.} none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” ^{▼▼sn The reference to Naaman the Syrian (see 2 Kgs 5:1-24) is another example where an outsider and Gentile was blessed. The stress in the example is the missed opportunity of the people to experience God’s work, but it will still go on without them.}