# General Information:

Jesus reminds the people, who are listening to him in the synagogue, about Elijah and Elisha who were prophets about whom they knew. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-background]])

# But in truth I tell you

"I tell you truthfully." This phrase was used to emphasize the importance, truth, and accuracy of the statement that follows.

# widows

A widow is a woman whose husband has died.

# during the time of Elijah

The people to whom Jesus was speaking would have known that Elijah was one of God's prophets. If your readers would not know that, you can make this implicit information explicit as in the UDB. AT: "when Elijah was prophesying in Israel" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# when the sky was shut up

This is a metaphor. The sky is pictured as a ceiling that was closed, and so no rain would fall from it. AT: "when no rain fell down from the sky" or "when there was no rain at all" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# a great famine

"a serious lack of food." A famine is a long period of time when the crops do not produce enough food for the people.

# to Zarephath ... to a widow living there

The people living in the town of Zarephath were Gentiles, not Jews. The people listening to Jesus would have understood that the people of Zarephath were Gentiles. AT: "a Gentile widow living in Zarephath" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

# Naaman the Syrian

A Syrian is a person from the country of Syria. The people of Syria were Gentiles, not Jews. AT: "the Gentile Naaman from Syria" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])