Luke 4:23

εἰς [τὴν] Καφαρναούμ, אBDL, Marcion. The φ is doubtless right as Kaphar means a village.

23. τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην. Παραβολὴ represents the Hebrew mashal, and had a wider meaning than its English equivalent. Thus it is also used for a proverb (Beispiel), 1 Samuel 10:12; 1 Samuel 24:13; Ezekiel 12:22; or a type, Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 11:19. See on Luke 8:5.

ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν. The same taunt was addressed to our Lord on the Cross. Here it seems to have more than one application,—meaning, ‘If you are the Messiah why are you so poor and humble?’ or, ‘Why do you not do something for us, here in your own home?’ (So Theophylact, Euthymius, &c.) It implies radical distrust, like Hic Rhodos, hic salta. There seems to be no exact Hebrew equivalent of the proverb; but something like it (a physician who needs healing) is found in Plut. De Discern. Adul. 32, ἰατρὸς ἄλλων, αὐτὸς ἔλκεσιν βρύων.

ὅσα ἠκούσαμεν γενόμενα εἰς τὴν Καφαρναούμ. All the things we hear of as done at (or to) Capernaum. The ἐν of some MSS. is a correction to an easier construction. See Winer, p. 518. The εἰς can hardly be here explained as a constructio praegnans. St Luke has not before mentioned Capernaum, and this is one of the many indications found in his writings that silence respecting any event is no proof that he was unaware of it. Nor has any other Evangelist mentioned any previous miracle at Capernaum, unless we suppose that the healing of the courtier’s son (John 4:46-54) had preceded this visit to Nazareth. Jesus had, however, performed the first miracle at Cana, and may well have wrought others during the stay of “not many days” mentioned in John 2:12. Capernaum was so completely the head-quarters of His ministry as to be known as “His own city.” (Matthew 4:12-16; Matthew 11:23.) Perhaps, as Meyer says, the Nazarenes here betray the petty jealousy felt by small towns against Capernaum. But there was at Nazareth a moral obstacle also. (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5. Comp. Luke 11:16; Luke 11:29; Luke 23:35.)