Luke 4:14 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Jesus in Nazareth (Mark 1:14 f.*, Matthew 4:12-17 *, Mark 6:1-6 *, Matthew 13:53-58 *). Lk. brings Jesus to Galilee, but, anxious to make the mission begin in His own town, departs from Mk.'s order (though it leads him into difficulty, see Luke 4:23), and puts the rejection at Nazareth (Mark 6) at the beginning of the ministry. The episode is prophetic of the later and larger rejection. And the activity which Jesus is said to have displayed outside Nazareth (Luke 4:23) is prophetic of the spread of the Gospel outside Israel, a point illustrated by the cases of the widow of Sarepta and Naaman (Luke 4:26 f.). The whole incident is a summary of Lk.'s two books. Luke 4:17-21 is found only in Lk. Jesus goes to the synagogue in the usual way. and is asked to read. We should follow Syr. Sin., which transfers he stood up to read from the end of Luke 4:16 to the middle of Luke 4:17. He carefully chooses a passage (Isaiah 61), and proclaims Himself as its fulfilment. According to Lk. He is no warrior-king (Luke 17:9 *), but the Servant of God bringing the blessings of spiritual light and liberty to the poor and afflicted. The pronouncement at Nazareth corresponds to the Sermon on the Mount as a programme prefaced to the narrative of the ministry. Luke 4:21 is only a summary of the preacher's exposition. In Luke 4:22 f. Lk. returns to Mk., but with considerable freedom The hearers are at first pleased as well as astonished. But almost at once they remember that He is one of themselves, and so not worth much. He is Joseph's son; Lk. omits mentioning the other members of the family, perhaps because of the honour in which they came to be held by his day. The people of Nazareth invite Jesus to secure their belief and adherence by a sign (contrast Mark 6:5); to Lk.'s mind they typify Israel in general. Luke 4:25-30 is peculiar to Lk.; as in the days of the prophets, so in the days of the Gospel, Jews are rejected, Gentiles are chosen. Contrast Matthew 10:5 f. Such sayings enrage the Nazareth folk; they eject the Preacher, and would fain murder Him. But He suffers no harm either His mysterious majesty or the Divine protection enables Him to pass unharmed through their midst.

Luke 4:19. the acceptable year of the Lord. This may point to a one-year ministry, cf. p. 653.

Luke 4:26. a widow: Wellhausen acutely reads an Aramæ an or Syrian; the two Aramaic words only differ by one letter, hence the Gr. error. [Dalman rejects this (Words of Jesus, p. 64). Wellhausen replies in the note on the passage in his commentary. It should be added that he takes Aramæ an not in its strict sense, but as a general term for heathen, just as Greek (Hellen) is often used for Gentile. He thinks that the reference to the fact that she was a widow is superfluous, as it would be understood. A. S. P.]

Related Commentaries of Luke 4:14

Luke 4:14-30

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them,This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

23 And he said unto them,Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

24 And he said,Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the browb of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,