Luke 7:17

ὁ λόγος οὗτος, this story. Lk. says it went out; it would spread like wildfire far and wide. ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, in all Judaea. Some (Meyer, Bleek, J. Weiss, Holtzmann) think Judaea means here not the province but the whole of Palestine. But Lk. is looking forward to the next incident (message from John); therefore, while the story would of course spread in all directions, north and south, he lays stress on the southward stream of rumour (carried by the Judaean part of Christ's audience, Luke 6:17) through which it would reach the Baptist at Machaerus. πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ, the district surrounding Judaea, Peraea, i.e., where John was in prison.