Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Luke 4:16

Ναζαρέτ. The reading of אB, Ti[91] W.H[92] is Ναζαρά.

[91] Ti. Tischendorf.
[92] W.H. Westcott and Hort.

16. καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρέτ. This is probably the visit related in unchronological order in Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6, since after so violent and decisive a rejection as St Luke describes, it is unlikely that He should have preached at Nazareth again. If so, we learn from the other Evangelists (1) that His disciples were with Him; (2) that He healed a few of the sick, being prevented from further activity by their unbelief. The Nazarenes were unfavourably disposed to Him (John 4:43-45).

κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς αὐτῷ. This seems to refer to what had been the habit of the life of Jesus while He had lived at Nazareth. Hitherto however He had been, in all probability, a silent worshipper.

ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων. Observe the divine sanction thus given to the ordinance of weekly public worship.

εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν. The article shews that the little village only possessed a single synagogue. Synagogues had sprung up throughout Judaea since the return from the exile. (Psalms 74:8.) They were rooms of which the end pointed towards Jerusalem (the Kibleh, or consecrated direction, of Jewish worship (Daniel 6:10), as Mecca is of Mohammedan). The men sat on one side, the veiled women behind a lattice on the other. The chief furniture was the Ark (tebhah) of painted wood, generally shrouded by a curtain, and containing the Thorah (Pentateuch), and rolls (megilloth) of the Prophets. On one side was a bema (in answer to an ignorant criticism, I may observe that the Jews borrowed the Greek name) for the reader and preacher, and there were “chief seats” (Mark 12:39) for the Ruler of the Synagogue, and the elders (zekanim). The servants of the synagogue were the clerk (chazzan), verger (sheliach) and deacons (parnasim, ‘shepherds’). I give the Jewish terms because they are technical, and the English equivalents cannot exactly represent them.

ἀνέστη�. The custom was to read the Scriptures standing. There was no recognised or ordained ministry for the synagogues. The functions of Priests and Levites were confined to the Temple; the various officers of the synagogue were more like our churchwardens. Hence it was the custom of the Ruler or Elders to invite any one to read or preach who was known to them as a distinguished or competent person (Acts 13:15).

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Luke 4:16

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