4:27a

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces a second example of a prophet helping people in other places instead of his own people. This example illustrates the same idea as the example in 4:25–26. Some other ways to begin this verse are:

Again (Revised English Bible)
-or-
also (New Revised Standard Version)

there were many lepers in Israel: The phrase there were many lepers in Israel means “there were many Israelites who had the disease called leprosy.”

lepers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lepers referred to people who had a variety of skin diseases. Scholars disagree as to whether these diseases included modern-day leprosy (Hansen’s disease). They agree that the Greek word referred to dreaded skin diseases. People believed that these diseases were spread by contact with someone who had the disease.

Some ways to translate this word are:

• Use a general phrase that describes the nature or significance of the disease. For example:

skin diseases (New Century Version)
-or-
dreaded/serious skin diseases

• Use a term that refers specifically to leprosy. For example:

leprosy
-or-
something like leprosy

in the time of Elisha the prophet: The phrase in the time of Elisha refers to the period of time when Elisha was alive. Like Elijah, Elisha was also a prophet. Both prophets lived several hundred years before Jesus was born.

Some other ways to translate this are:

during the time of Elisha the prophet
-or-
in the days of the prophet Elisha

Elisha the prophet: The phrase Elisha the prophet is similar to 3:4a, which says “Isaiah the prophet.” You should translate the word prophet the same way in both places. For more information on translating prophet, see note 4:17a and prophet in the Glossary.

4:27b

Yet: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. However, the events in 4:27b are the opposite of what one might expect would happen to the lepers in Israel. For this reason, some English versions, like the Berean Standard Bible, begin this verse with “but” or “yet.” For example:

But (New Century Version)
-or-
and yet (CSB)

not one of them was cleansed: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was cleansed is passive. Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a passive clause. For example:

none of them was cleansed (NET Bible)

• Use an active clause. God is the implied subject. For example:

God cured no one (God’s Word)
-or-
God did not cleanse any of them

cleansed: When the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cleansed refers to leprosy, it includes two ideas:

(a) being healed

(b) being allowed to worship God with the community, as a result of being healed.

Some ways to translate the phrase “not one of them was cleansed” are:

• Translate both the idea of healing and the idea of causing the person to become ritually clean. For example:

not one of them was ⌊healed and⌋ made ⌊ritually⌋ clean

• Translate only the idea of healing here. For example:

no one was healed (Contemporary English Version)

4:27c

only Naaman the Syrian: Naaman is the name of a man. He was from the country of Syria. He is the only person whom God healed from his skin disease through Elisha.

The phrase only Naaman the Syrian is an ellipsis. In this context it means:

Only Naaman the Syrian ⌊was cleansed⌋
-or-

⌊God healed⌋ only Naaman from Syria

Naaman the Syrian: All the Jews knew the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1–14). Naaman had been a leper whose home was in the country of Syria. He went to Israel, where God healed him through the prophet Elisha.

Try to make it clear in your translation or in a footnote that Naaman was a Gentile.

General Comments on 4:27a–c

In some languages, it may be natural to say what Elisha did do before saying what he did not do. For example:

27aAnd in the time of Elisha the prophet, there were many people with leprosy in Israel. 27cBut God cleansed only Naaman from Syria, 27band none of those Israelites.
-or-

27aOr think of the prophet Elisha, 27bwho healed 27cNaaman, a Syrian, 27arather than the many lepers in Israel who needed help. (New Living Translation (1996))

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