THE TEMPTATION. See on Matthew 14:1-11. The _second_ temptation in Matthew's account is placed last by Luke. The order of Matthew is correct, because Matthew uses _phrases_ (Luke 4:5; Luke 4:8) which indicate direct succession, and Luke does not. The same is true of the closing verses of the two acc... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:1. FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, which came upon Him at His baptism. ‘Full of the Holy Spirit,' He throughout this conflict wields victoriously ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.' IN THE SPIRIT. Not quite the same as ‘by the Spirit;' the idea of His abiding in the Spirit as the... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:2. DURING FORTY DAYS, BEING TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. ‘During forty days' may be joined either to what precedes or what follows. The former seems preferable, though ‘being tempted' indicates a continued trial, which culminated in the assaults detailed by Matthew and Luke. The temptation continued... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:3. THIS STONE. Some particular one. More graphic than Matthew's account.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:4. The quotation from Deuteronomy 7:3, is given more fully by Matthew. The clause we omit is not found in the oldest manuscripts.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:5. AND HE LED HIM UP. No definite mark of time, hence we think this temptation was the _third_ (as in Matthew). The words: ‘into' a high mountain, are to be omitted. IN A MOMENT OF TIME, at once. A supernatural extension of vision is possibly implied.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:6. IT HATH BEEN DELIVERED UNTO ME. Satan is represented in the Scriptures as the god of this world, so that an element of truth is here contained (see on Matthew 4:8).... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:8. The words: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan,' should be omitted.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:13. HAD COMPLETED EVERY TEMPTATION. Not so definite as Matthew, who shows how the third temptation (second here) ended in the withdrawal of Satan. UNTIL A SEASON, an opportunity, a convenient season. Probably referring more particularly to the closing scenes of our Lord's life, when the age... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:14. RETURNED, from Judea. See Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14. The return was after John had been put in prison, and (according to Andrews) after he had been opposed in Judea (see John 5). IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT. With the victory over Satan new spiritual power is contrasted. A FAME, etc. In c... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRONOLOGY. A number of events occurred in Judea before the ministry in Galilee spoken of in Luke 4:14-15, according to Andrews the whole of the first year. (See notes on Matthew 4:12; comp. John 1:35 to John 3:36.) We hold that this rejection at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), is in its proper chronologic... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:15. AND HE TAUGHT. Such teaching is alluded to in Luke 4:16. According to Robinson, the second miracle at Cana (the healing of the nobleman's son; John 4:46-54) occurred during the period here referred to and immediately before the first rejection at Nazareth. Andrews places it and the second... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:16. NAZARETH, WHERE HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP. Comp. chap. Luke 2:40; Luke 2:51-52. AS HIS CUSTOM WAS. This refers only to His going into the synagogue; probably in this case the place of worship He had attended as a youth. Even though it were His custom to stand up and read, Luke's words do n... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:17. AND THERE WAS DELIVERED TO HIM, by the attendant of the synagogue. A ROLL OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. probably containing that book alone. The reading of the Law had already taken place, and that from the Prophets was to begin (comp. Acts 13:15). The passage for the day was from Isaiah. But... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:18. THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD, etc. Quoted freely from the Greek version of Isaiah 61:1-2. The words” to heal the broken hearted,” were inserted by the early transcribers, to conform to the original passage. TO SET AT LIBERTY THEM THAT ARE BRUISED. Found in Isaiah 58:6, not in Isaiah 61:1. Our... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:19. THE ACCEPTABLE year OF THE LORD. The year, or definite appointed period, when the Lord is gracious, not without a reference to the year of jubilee, which also pointed to the Messiah's coming and kingdom. It proves nothing as to the length of our Lord's ministry.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:20. AND HE CLOSED THE ROLL, or, ‘rolling up the roll.' How much he read is not known; the usual lesson from the prophets is said to have comprised twenty-one verses. TO THE ATTENDANT, whose duty it would be to put the roll back in its place. AND SAT DOWN, to explain what He had read, that... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:21. AND HE BEGAN TO SAY. This was both the actual beginning of His discourse, and its theme and substance. That He explained the passage at some length seems probable from the next verse. TODAY HATH THIS SCRIPTURE BEEN FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS. By the presence of Jesus the Messiah speaking to... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:22. AND ALL BORE WITNESS, _i.e._, favorable witness. WORDS OF GRACE. He had evidently spoken at some length. ‘Grace' here refers to the beauty of His discourse, and not to its _moral_ quality. They liked His ‘manner,' and as this was all, so soon as the ‘matter,' began to affect them unplea... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:23. DOUBTLESS YE WILL SAY. This reply is based upon something deeper than the question of Luke 4:22. The tone throughout is that of reproof. THIS PARABLE. A proverb, according to our use of terms, but a proverb is usually a condensed parable, see p. 117. PHYSICIAN. Luke, the physician, pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:24. NO PROPHET IS ACCEPTABLE, etc. Hence the proverb, ‘Physician, heal thyself,' could not be fulfilled, _i.e._, He could not work here as in Capernaum. The similarity of thought with the saying in Matthew and Mark is an argument for the identity of the visits, the great difference of form is... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:25. BUT OF A TRUTH I SAY UNTO YOU. God had enabled the two greatest prophets in Israel to grant the greatest blessings to foreigners. Our Lord places Himself beside these prophets. His hearers would regard this as presumptuous. He implies that His course was also ordered by God, and thus give... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:26. ZAREPHATH. The Hebrew form (1 Kings 17:9). Now called ‘Surafend' a large inland village half-way between Tyre and Sidon. The ancient city was probably on the coast (which has greatly changed), and belonged to the territory of Sidon, hence, IN THE LAND OF SIDON (or, ‘Sidonia'), according t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:27. MANY LEPERS. In 2 Kings 7:3, four are spoken of, IN THE TIME OF ELISHA THE PROPHET. Naaman the Syrian, see 2 Kings 5:1-19. The miracles wrought by Elijah and Elisha in the cases referred to ‘have a close parallelism with those of the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:26) and the ruler's son... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:28. FILLED WITH WRATH. The wrath was sinful, but natural. They were angry at the rebuke, but their conduct only proved its justice. We restore the more graphic order of the original.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:29. AND THEY ROSE UP, tumultuously from their seats in the synagogue. CAST HIM FORTH. Forced Him out, expelled Him. LED HIM. That He was in their custody is evident UNTO THE BROW OF THE HILL WHEREON THEIR CITY WAS BUILT. Nazareth still answers to this description. The precipice was prob... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:30. BUT HE PASSING THROUGH THE MIDST OF THEM. As the Nazarenes had Him in custody there was something miraculous in this escape. That they were struck blind, or that He became invisible, is not in accordance with the expression, ‘passing through the midst of them.' By allowing ‘His personal m... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:31. CAME DOWN TO CAPERNAUM, which was situated on the lake, Nazareth being higher on the hills. A CITY OF GALILEE. This explanation made by Luke, and the close connection with the occurrence at Nazareth, lead us to maintain the usual view, that this was the transfer from Nazareth to Caperna... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:32. AT HIS TEACHING. Not simply at the manner, as in Nazareth. FOR HIS WORD WAS WITH AUTHORITY. The same idea is expressed in Matthew 7:28-29. The comparison with the astonishment in Nazareth suggests, that they felt more than the _tone_ of authority; they must have felt the authority itsel... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:33-37. THE HEALING OF A DEMONIAC in the synagogue at Capernaum. See on Mark 1:23-28. A SPIRIT OF AN UNCLEAN DEMON (Luke 4:33). Mark: ‘in unclean spirit' ‘Spirit' is defined by ‘unclean demon;' the word ‘unclean' being inserted, either because in Greek ‘demon' might be either good or bad, an... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRONOLOGY. This section corresponds exactly in its details with Mark 1:21-39 (Matthew 8:14-17 is the parallel to Luke 4:38-42). Mark is more exact in placing these occurrences _after_ the calling of the first four Apostles. Luke 4:38 implies a previous intimacy with Simon Peter. Mark 1:21-22, corre... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:38-41. HEALING OF SIMON'S WIFE'S MOTHER, ETC. See on Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34. The definite language of Mark 1:29, as well as that of Luke 4:38, show that this miracle occurred immediately after the one last recorded. (The deviation from the chronological order in Matthew's account can b... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 4:42-44. RETIREMENT AND SUBSEQUENT PREACHING. Mark (Mark 1:35-39) is much fuller. The difference in the _words_ of the two accounts is remarkable. BRING THE GOOD TIDINGS. Lit., ‘evangelize.' The word does not occur in Matthew and Mark. FOR THEREFORE WAS I SENT (Luke 4:43). ‘For to this end... [ Continue Reading ]