Luke 4:36

4:36 They were all amazed and began to say to one another, “What’s happening here? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

Luke 9:1

The Sending of the Twelve Apostles

9:1 After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,

Luke 10:17-20

10:17 Then 10  the seventy-two 11  returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to 12  us in your name!” 13  10:18 So 14  he said to them, “I saw 15  Satan fall 16  like lightning 17  from heaven. 10:19 Look, I have given you authority to tread 18  on snakes and scorpions 19  and on the full force of the enemy, 20  and nothing will 21  hurt you. 10:20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that 22  the spirits submit to you, but rejoice 23  that your names stand written 24  in heaven.”


tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

tn Grk “What is this word?” The Greek term λόγος (logos) has a wide range of meaning. Here it seems to mean, “What is this matter?” More idiomatically it would be, “What’s going on here?!”

sn The phrase with authority and power is in an emphatic position in the Greek text. Once again the authority of Jesus is the point, but now it is not just his teaching that is emphasized, but his ministry. Jesus combined word and deed into a powerful testimony in Capernaum.

tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

tn An aorist participle preceding an aorist main verb may indicate either contemporaneous (simultaneous) action (“When he called… he gave”) or antecedent (prior) action (“After he called… he gave”). The participle συγκαλεσάμενος (sunkalesameno") has been translated here as indicating antecedent action.

tc Some mss add ἀποστόλους (apostolou", “apostles”; א C* L Θ Ψ 070 0291 Ë13 33 579 892 1241 1424 2542 pc lat) or μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ (maqhta" autou, “his disciples”; C3 al it) here, but such clarifying notes are clearly secondary.

sn Note how Luke distinguishes between exorcisms (authority over all demons) and diseases here.

10 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

11 tc See the tc note on the number “seventy-two” in Luke 10:1.

12 tn Or “the demons obey”; see L&N 36.18.

13 tn The prepositional phrase “in your name” indicates the sphere of authority for the messengers’ work of exorcism.

14 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ reply in vv. 18-20 follows from the positive report of the messengers in v. 17.

15 tn This is an imperfect tense verb.

16 tn In Greek, this is a participle and comes at the end of the verse, making it somewhat emphatic.

17 tn This is probably best taken as allusion to Isa 14:12; the phrase in common is ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (ek tou ouranou). These exorcisms in Jesus’ name are a picture of Satan’s greater defeat at Jesus’ hands (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1006-7).

18 tn Or perhaps, “trample on” (which emphasizes the impact of the feet on the snakes). See L&N 15.226.

19 sn Snakes and scorpions are examples of the hostility in the creation that is defeated by Jesus. The use of battle imagery shows who the kingdom fights against. See Acts 28:3-6.

20 tn Or “I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and [authority] over the full force of the enemy.” The second prepositional phrase can be taken either as modifying the infinitive πατεῖν (patein, “to tread”) or the noun ἐξουσίαν (exousian, “power”). The former is to be preferred and has been represented in the translation.

21 tn This is an emphatic double negative in the Greek text.

22 tn Grk “do not rejoice in this, that.” This is awkward in contemporary English and has been simplified to “do not rejoice that.”

23 tn The verb here is a present imperative, so the call is to an attitude of rejoicing.

24 tn The verb here, a perfect tense, stresses a present reality of that which was a completed action, that is, their names were etched in the heavenly stone, as it were.