4558. Sarepta
Lexical Summary
Sarepta: Sarepta

Original Word: Σαρεπτά
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: Sarepta
Pronunciation: sah-rep-TAH
Phonetic Spelling: (sar'-ep-tah)
KJV: Sarepta
NASB: Zarephath
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H6886 (צָּרְפַת - Zarephath))]

1. Sarepta (i.e. Tsarephath), a place in Lebanon

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Sarepta.

Of Hebrew origin (Tsarphath); Sarepta (i.e. Tsarephath), a place in Palestine -- Sarepta.

see HEBREW Tsarphath

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Hebrew origin Tsarephath
Definition
Sarepta, a city near Sidon
NASB Translation
Zarephath (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4558: Σάρεπτα

Σάρεπτα (Tr marginal reading Σαρεφθα; Tdf. in O. T. Σάρεπτα), (צָרְפַת from צָרַף, to smelt; hence, perhaps 'smelting-house'), Σαρεπτων (yet cf. Buttmann, 15 (14); but declined in Obad.), τά; Sarepta (so A. V.; better with O. T. Zarephath) a Phoenician town between Tyre and Sidon, but nearer Sidon (now Surafend; cf. B. D., under the word ), (1 Kings 17:9; Obadiah 1:20; in Josephus, Antiquities 8, 13, 2 Σαρεφθα): τῆς Σιδωνίας, in the land of Sidon, Luke 4:26. Cf. Robinson, Palestine 2:474ff; (B. D. as above).

Topical Lexicon
Name and Location

Sarepta (Greek Σάρεπτα) is the Hellenized form of the Old Testament town Zarephath, situated on the Phoenician coastline between Sidon and Tyre, approximately fourteen kilometers south of Sidon. Modern Sarafand preserves the ancient name. The settlement occupied a strategic maritime position on the Via Maris and was known in antiquity for the refining of metals and the production of purple dye, activities attested by archaeological remains of furnaces, workshops, and storerooms.

Old Testament Background

Zarephath emerges prominently in the ministry of the prophet Elijah during the severe drought under King Ahab. Following God’s directive, Elijah journeyed north from the Brook Cherith to the Gentile region:

“Get up and go to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you” (1 Kings 17:9).

The ensuing narrative (1 Kings 17:10-24) records two miracles: the inexhaustible jar of flour and jug of oil, and the raising of the widow’s son. These signs testified to the living God’s sovereignty beyond Israel’s borders and foreshadowed His redemptive concern for the nations.

New Testament Usage

The single New Testament occurrence appears in the synagogue address at Nazareth:

“I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months and a great famine swept over all the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon” (Luke 4:25-26).

By invoking Sarepta, Jesus confronts His hometown’s unbelief, contrasting it with the receptive faith of a Gentile widow. The reference underscores two key truths: divine prerogative in choosing vessels of mercy and the inclusive scope of the gospel.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Provision in Extremity – Both Testaments unite in portraying God’s faithfulness to sustain His servants and humble believers during famine and want (cf. Psalm 37:19; Philippians 4:19).
2. Grace Reaching the Outsider – Sarepta symbolizes the extension of covenant blessings to non-Israelites, anticipating the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
3. Faith and Obedience – The widow’s willingness to share her last meal models the obedience that releases divine supply (James 2:22).
4. Resurrection Hope – The raising of the widow’s son prefigures later resurrection miracles (Mark 5:41-42; John 11:43-44) and ultimately Christ’s own resurrection.

Christological Implications

Jesus’ citation of Sarepta in Luke 4 foreshadows His broader Galilean and Gentile ministry. The Nazareth incident serves as a prophetic sign of Israel’s mixed response and the subsequent turning of the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). Sarepta thus becomes a narrative link between Elijah’s office and the Messiah’s fulfillment of prophetic patterns (Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 1:17).

Ministry Application

• Encourage believers to trust God’s provision when resources dwindle, remembering the jar of flour that did not run dry.
• Cultivate openness to minister across cultural and ethnic barriers, following Elijah’s example and Jesus’ affirmation.
• Highlight the importance of receptive faith; God bypasses unbelief to work where hearts are yielded.
• Preach resurrection hope grounded in God’s demonstrated power at Sarepta.

Archaeological and Historical Notes

Excavations at Sarafand have uncovered Iron Age pottery, winepresses, and evidence of metallurgical activity matching biblical descriptions of smelting (“refining,” the root meaning of Zarephath). Phoenician inscriptions confirm sustained occupation through the Persian and Hellenistic periods, validating the town’s prominence in the era of Elijah and the first century.

See Also

1 Kings 17; Luke 4; Sidon; Elijah; Widow; Gentile Inclusion

Forms and Transliterations
Σαρεπτα Σάρεπτα Sarepta Sárepta
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 4:26 N-ANP
GRK: μὴ εἰς Σάρεπτα τῆς Σιδωνίας
NAS: of them, but only to Zarephath, [in the land] of Sidon,
KJV: unto Sarepta, [a city] of Sidon,
INT: not to Zarephath of Sidon

Strong's Greek 4558
1 Occurrence


Σάρεπτα — 1 Occ.

4557
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