Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Luke » Chapter 4 » Verse 16-30

Luke 4:16-30 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

16 And G2532 he came G2064 to G1519 Nazareth, G3478 where G3757 he had been G2258 brought up: G5142 and, G2532 as G2596 his G846 custom G1486 was, G2596 he went G1525 into G1519 the synagogue G4864 on G1722 the sabbath G4521 day, G2250 and G2532 stood up G450 for to read. G314

17 And G2532 there was delivered G1929 unto him G846 the book G975 of the prophet G4396 Esaias. G2268 And G2532 when he had opened G380 the book, G975 he found G2147 the place G5117 where G3757 it was G2258 written, G1125

18 The Spirit G4151 of the Lord G2962 is upon G1909 me, G1691 because G1752 he hath anointed G5548 me G3165 to preach the gospel G2097 to the poor; G4434 he hath sent G649 me G3165 to heal G2390 the brokenhearted, G4937 G2588 to preach G2784 deliverance G859 to the captives, G164 and G2532 recovering of sight G309 to the blind, G5185 to set G649 at G1722 liberty G859 them that are bruised, G2352

19 To preach G2784 the acceptable G1184 year G1763 of the Lord. G2962

20 And G2532 he closed G4428 the book, G975 and he gave it again G591 to the minister, G5257 and sat down. G2523 And G2532 the eyes G3788 of all them G3956 that were G2258 in G1722 the synagogue G4864 were fastened G816 on him. G846

21 And G1161 he began G756 to say G3004 unto G4314 them, G846 This G3754 day G4594 is G4137 this G3778 scripture G1124 fulfilled G4137 in G1722 your G5216 ears. G3775

22 And G2532 all G3956 bare G3140 him G846 witness, G3140 and G2532 wondered G2296 at G1909 the gracious G5485 words G3056 which G3588 proceeded G1607 out of G1537 his G846 mouth. G4750 And G2532 they said, G3004 Is G2076 not G3756 this G3778 Joseph's G2501 son? G5207

23 And G2532 he said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Ye will G2046 surely G3843 say G2046 unto me G3427 this G5026 proverb, G3850 Physician, G2395 heal G2323 thyself: G4572 whatsoever G3745 we have heard G191 done G1096 in G1722 Capernaum, G2584 do G4160 also G2532 here G5602 in G1722 thy G4675 country. G3968

24 And G1161 he said, G2036 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 No G3762 prophet G4396 is G2076 accepted G1184 in G1722 his own G846 country. G3968

25 But G1161 I tell G3004 you G5213 of G1909 a truth, G225 many G4183 widows G5503 were G2258 in G1722 Israel G2474 in G1722 the days G2250 of Elias, G2243 when G3753 the heaven G3772 was shut up G2808 G1909 three G5140 years G2094 and G2532 six G1803 months, G3376 when G5613 great G3173 famine G3042 was G1096 throughout G1909 all G3956 the land; G1093

26 But G2532 unto G4314 none G3762 of them G846 was G3992 Elias G2243 sent, G3992 save G1508 unto G1519 Sarepta, G4558 a city of Sidon, G4605 unto G4314 a woman G1135 that was a widow. G5503

27 And G2532 many G4183 lepers G3015 were G2258 in G1722 Israel G2474 in the time G1909 of Eliseus G1666 the prophet; G4396 and G2532 none G3762 of them G846 was cleansed, G2511 saving G1508 Naaman G3497 the Syrian. G4948

28 And G2532 all they G3956 in G1722 the synagogue, G4864 when they heard G191 these things, G5023 were filled G4130 with wrath, G2372

29 And G2532 rose up, G450 and thrust G1544 him G846 out of G1854 the city, G4172 and G2532 led G71 him G846 unto G2193 the brow G3790 of the hill G3735 whereon G1909 G3739 their G846 city G4172 was built, G3618 that G1519 they might cast G2630 him G846 down headlong. G2630

30 But G1161 he G846 passing G1330 through G1223 the midst G3319 of them G846 went his way, G4198

Commentary on Luke 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 4

Lu 4:1-13. Temptation of Christ.

(See on Mt 4:1-11.)

Lu 4:14-32. Jesus Entering on His Public Ministry, Makes a Circuit of GalileeRejection at Nazareth.

Note.—A large gap here occurs, embracing the important transactions in Galilee and Jerusalem which are recorded in Joh 1:29-4:54, and which occurred before John's imprisonment (Joh 3:24); whereas the transactions here recorded occurred (as appears from Mt 4:12, 13) after that event. The visit to Nazareth recorded in Mt 13:54-58 (and Mr 6:1-6) we take to be not a later visit, but the same with this first one; because we cannot think that the Nazarenes, after being so enraged at His first display of wisdom as to attempt His destruction, should, on a second display of the same, wonder at it and ask how He came by it, as if they had never witnessed it before.

16. as his custom was—Compare Ac 17:2.

stood up for to read—Others besides rabbins were allowed to address the congregation. (See Ac 13:15.)

18, 19. To have fixed on any passage announcing His sufferings (as Isa 53:1-12), would have been unsuitable at that early stage of His ministry. But He selects a passage announcing the sublime object of His whole mission, its divine character, and His special endowments for it; expressed in the first person, and so singularly adapted to the first opening of the mouth in His prophetic capacity, that it seems as if made expressly for this occasion. It is from the well-known section of Isaiah's prophecies whose burden is that mysterious "Servant of the Lord," despised of man, abhorred of the nation, but before whom kings on seeing Him are to arise, and princes to worship; in visage more marred than any man and His form than the sons of men, yet sprinkling many nations; laboring seemingly in vain, and spending His strength for naught and in vain, yet Jehovah's Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and be His Salvation to the ends of the earth (Isa 49:1-26, &c.). The quotation is chiefly from the Septuagint version, used in the synagogues.

19. acceptable year—an allusion to the jubilee year (Le 25:10), a year of universal release for person and property. (See also Isa 49:8; 2Co 6:2.) As the maladies under which humanity groans are here set forth under the names of poverty, broken-heartedness, bondage, blindness, bruisedness (or crushedness), so, as the glorious Healer of all these maladies, Christ announces Himself in the act of reading it, stopping the quotation just before it comes to "the day of vengeance," which was only to come on the rejecters of His message (Joh 3:17). The first words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me," have been noted since the days of the Church Fathers, as an illustrious example of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost being exhibited as in distinct yet harmonious action in the scheme of salvation.

20. the minister—the chazan, or synagogue-officer.

all eyes … fastened on Him—astounded at His putting in such claims.

21. began to say, &c.—His whole address was just a detailed application to Himself of this and perhaps other like prophecies.

22. gracious words—"the words of grace," referring both to the richness of His matter and the sweetness of His manner (Ps 45:2).

Is not this, &c.—(See on Mt 13:54-56). They knew He had received no rabbinical education, and anything supernatural they seemed incapable of conceiving.

23. this proverb—like our "Charity begins at home."

whatsoever, &c.—"Strange rumors have reached our ears of Thy doings at Capernaum; but if such power resides in Thee to cure the ills of humanity, why has none of it yet come nearer home, and why is all this alleged power reserved for strangers?" His choice of Capernaum as a place of residence since entering on public life was, it seems, already well known at Nazareth; and when He did come thither, to give no displays of His power when distant places were ringing with His fame, wounded their pride. He had indeed "laid his hands on a few sick folk and healed them" (Mr 6:5); but this seems to have been done quite privately the general unbelief precluding anything more open.

24. And he said, &c.—He replies to the one proverb by another, equally familiar, which we express in a rougher form—"Too much familiarity breeds contempt." Our Lord's long residence in Nazareth merely as a townsman had made Him too common, incapacitating them for appreciating Him as others did who were less familiar with His everyday demeanor in private life. A most important principle, to which the wise will pay due regard. (See also Mt 7:6, on which our Lord Himself ever acted.)

25-27. But I tell you, &c.—falling back for support on the well-known examples of Elijah and Elisha (Eliseus), whose miraculous power, passing by those who were near, expended itself on those at a distance, yea on heathens, "the two great prophets who stand at the commencement of prophetic antiquity, and whose miracles strikingly prefigured those of our Lord. As He intended like them to feed the poor and cleanse the lepers, He points to these miracles of mercy, and not to the fire from heaven and the bears that tore the mockers" [Stier].

three years and six months—So Jas 5:17, including perhaps the six months after the last fall of rain, when there would be little or none at any rate; whereas in 1Ki 18:1, which says the rain returned "in the third year," that period is probably not reckoned.

26, 27. save … saving—"but only." (Compare Mr 13:32, Greek.)

Sarepta—"Zarephath" (1Ki 17:9), a heathen village between Tyre and Sidon. (See Mr 7:24.)

28, 29. when they heard these things—these allusions to the heathen, just as afterwards with Paul (Ac 22:21, 22).

29. rose up—broke up the service irreverently and rushed forth.

thrust him—with violence, as a prisoner in their hands.

brow, &c.—Nazareth, though not built on the ridge of a hill, is in part surrounded by one to the west, having several such precipices. (See 2Ch 25:12; 2Ki 9:33.) It was a mode of capital punishment not unusual among the Romans and others. This was the first insult which the Son of God received, and it came from "them of His own household!" (Mt 10:36).

30. passing through the midst, &c.—evidently in a miraculous way, though perhaps quite noiselessly, leading them to wonder afterwards what spell could have come over them, that they allowed Him to escape. (Similar escapes, however, in times of persecution, are not unexampled.)

31. down to Capernaum—It lay on the Sea of Galilee (Mt 4:13), whereas Nazareth lay high.

Lu 4:33-37. Demoniac Healed.

33. unclean—The frequency with which this character of impurity is applied to evil spirits is worthy of notice.

cried out, &c.—(See Mt 8:29; Mr 3:11).

35. rebuked them, &c.—(See on Lu 4:41).

thrown him, &c.—See on Mr 9:20.

36. What a word—a word from the Lord of spirits.

Lu 4:38-41. Peter's Mother-in-law and Many Others, Healed.

(See on Mt 8:14-17.)

41. suffered them not to speak—The marginal reading ("to say that they knew him to be Christ") here is wrong. Our Lord ever refused testimony from devils, for the very reason why they were eager to give it, because He and they would thus seem to be one interest, as His enemies actually alleged. (See on Mt 12:24, &c.; see also Ac 16:16-18.)

Lu 4:42-44. Jesus Sought Out at Morning Prayer, and Entreated to Stay, Declines from the Urgency of His Work.

See on Mr 1:35-39, where we learn how early He retired, and how He was engaged in solitude when they came seeking Him.

42. stayed him—"were staying Him," or sought to do it. What a contrast to the Gadarenes! The nature of His mission required Him to keep moving, that all might hear the glad tidings (Mt 8:34).

43. I must, &c.—but duty only could move Him to deny entreaties so grateful to His spirit.