Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 4:26

"and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow." — Luke 4:26 (ASV)

Save unto Sarepta.—Better, but to Sarepta, the Greek conjunction here marking a contrast rather than an exception. Sarepta, the Zarephath of 1 Kings 17:9, was a Phoenician city lying between Tyre and Sidon. The reference to this incident at the commencement of our Lord’s ministry is a striking instance of His method of reading the underlying lessons of the narratives of the Old Testament, such as we see afterwards in His reference to David eating the shewbread. (See Notes on Matthew 12:3-4.) In what seemed a mere episode in the life of Elijah He finds a truth which implies the future calling of the Gentiles. When He complied with the prayer of the Syro-Phoenician woman, He was doing as Elijah had done.