Luke 4:1-29

The Temptation of Jesus

4:1 Then ¹  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River ²  and was led by the Spirit ³  in ⁴  the wilderness, ⁵  4:2 where for forty days he endured temptations ⁶  from the devil. He ⁷  ate nothing ⁸  during those days, and when they were completed, ⁹  he was famished. 4:3 The devil said to him, “If ¹⁰  you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ¹¹  4:4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man ¹²  does not live by bread alone.’” ¹³ 

4:5 Then ¹⁴  the devil ¹⁵  led him up ¹⁶  to a high place ¹⁷  and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. 4:6 And he ¹⁸  said to him, “To you ¹⁹  I will grant this whole realm ²⁰  – and the glory that goes along with it, ²¹  for it has been relinquished ²²  to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 4:7 So then, if ²³  you will worship ²⁴  me, all this will be ²⁵  yours.” 4:8 Jesus ²⁶  answered him, ²⁷  “It is written, ‘You are to worship ²⁸  the Lord ²⁹  your God and serve only him.’” ³⁰ 

4:9 Then ³¹  the devil ³²  brought him to Jerusalem, ³³  had him stand ³⁴  on the highest point of the temple, ³⁵  and said to him, “If ³⁶  you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 4:10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ ³⁷  4:11 and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” ³⁸  4:12 Jesus ³⁹  answered him, ⁴⁰  “It is said, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.’” ⁴¹  4:13 So ⁴²  when the devil ⁴³  had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time. ⁴⁴ 

The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

4:14 Then ⁴⁵  Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, ⁴⁶  returned to Galilee, and news about him spread ⁴⁷  throughout the surrounding countryside. ⁴⁸  4:15 He ⁴⁹  began to teach ⁵⁰  in their synagogues ⁵¹  and was praised ⁵²  by all.

Rejection at Nazareth

4:16 Now ⁵³  Jesus ⁵⁴  came to Nazareth, ⁵⁵  where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue ⁵⁶  on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. ⁵⁷  He ⁵⁸  stood up to read, ⁵⁹  4:17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He ⁶⁰  unrolled ⁶¹  the scroll and found the place where it was written,

4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed ⁶²  me to proclaim good news ⁶³  to the poor. ⁶⁴ 

He has sent me ⁶⁵  to proclaim release ⁶⁶  to the captives

and the regaining of sight ⁶⁷  to the blind,

to set free ⁶⁸  those who are oppressed, ⁶⁹ 

4:19 to proclaim the year ⁷⁰  of the Lord’s favor.” ⁷¹ 

4:20 Then ⁷²  he rolled up ⁷³  the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on ⁷⁴  him. 4:21 Then ⁷⁵  he began to tell them, “Today ⁷⁶  this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” ⁷⁷  4:22 All ⁷⁸  were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They ⁷⁹  said, “Isn’t this ⁸⁰  Joseph’s son?” 4:23 Jesus ⁸¹  said to them, “No doubt you will quote to me the proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ ⁸²  and say, ‘What we have heard that you did in Capernaum, ⁸³  do here in your hometown too.’” 4:24 And he added, ⁸⁴  “I tell you the truth, ⁸⁵  no prophet is acceptable ⁸⁶  in his hometown. 4:25 But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, ⁸⁷  when the sky ⁸⁸  was shut up three and a half years, and ⁸⁹  there was a great famine over all the land. 4:26 Yet ⁹⁰  Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to a woman who was a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. ⁹¹  4:27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, ⁹²  yet ⁹³  none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” ⁹⁴  4:28 When they heard this, all the people ⁹⁵  in the synagogue were filled with rage. 4:29 They got up, forced ⁹⁶  him out of the town, ⁹⁷  and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that ⁹⁸  they could throw him down the cliff. ⁹⁹ 

[4:1]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate continuity with the previous topic.

[4:1]  ² tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[4:1]  ³ sn The double mention of the Spirit in this verse makes it clear that the temptation was neither the fault of Jesus nor an accident.

[4:1]  ⁴ tc Most mss (A Θ Ξ Ψ 0102 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) read εἰς τὴν ἔρημον (ei" thn erhmon, “into the wilderness”), apparently motivated by the parallel in Matt 4:1. However, the reading behind the translation (ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, en th ejrhmw) is found in overall better witnesses (Ì^4vid,7,75vid א B D L W 579 892 1241 pc it).

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Or “desert.”

[4:2]  ⁶ tn Grk “in the desert, for forty days being tempted.” The participle πειραζόμενος (peirazomeno") has been translated as an adverbial clause in English to avoid a run-on sentence with a second “and.” Here the present participle suggests a period of forty days of testing. Three samples of the end of the testing are given in the following verses.

[4:2]  ⁷ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:2]  ⁸ sn The reference to Jesus eating nothing could well be an idiom meaning that he ate only what the desert provided; see Exod 34:28. A desert fast simply meant eating only what one could obtain in the desert. The parallel in Matt 4:2 speaks only of Jesus fasting.

[4:2]  ⁹ tn The Greek word here is συντελεσθείσων (suntelesqeiswn) from the verb συντελέω (suntelew).

[4:3]  ¹⁰ tn This is a first class condition: “If (and let’s assume that you are) the Son of God…”

[4:3]  ¹¹ tn Grk “say to this stone that it should become bread.”

[4:4]  ¹² tn Or “a person.” The Greek word ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.

[4:4]  ¹³ tc Most mss (A [D] Θ Ψ [0102] Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt) complete the citation with ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι θεοῦ (ajll’ ejpi panti rJhmati qeou, “but by every word from God”), an assimilation to Matt 4:4 (which is a quotation of Deut 8:3). The shorter reading is found in א B L W 1241 pc sa. There is no good reason why scribes would omit the rest of the quotation here. The shorter reading, on both internal and external grounds, should be considered the original wording in Luke.

[4:5]  ¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[4:5]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “he.”

[4:5]  ¹⁶ tc Most mss (א¹ A [D W] Θ Ψ 0102 Ë^1,[13] 33 700 2542 Ï it) refer to Jesus being taken up “to a high mountain” (with many of these also explicitly adding “the devil”) here in parallel with Matt 4:8, but both scribal harmonization to that text and the pedigree of the witnesses for the shorter reading (א* B L 1241 pc) is the reason it should be omitted from Luke.

[4:5]  ¹⁷ tn “A high place” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied for clarity.

[4:6]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “And the devil.”

[4:6]  ¹⁹ sn In Greek, this phrase is in an emphatic position. In effect, the devil is tempting Jesus by saying, “Look what you can have!”

[4:6]  ²⁰ tn Or “authority.” BDAG 353 s.v. ἐξουσία 6 suggests, concerning this passage, that the term means “the sphere in which the power is exercised, domain.” Cf. also Luke 22:53; 23:7; Acts 26:18; Eph 2:2.

[4:6]  ²¹ tn The addendum referring to the glory of the kingdoms of the world forms something of an afterthought, as the following pronoun (“it”) makes clear, for the singular refers to the realm itself.

[4:6]  ²² tn For the translation of παραδέδοται (paradedotai) see L&N 57.77. The devil is erroneously implying that God has given him such authority with the additional capability of sharing the honor.

[4:7]  ²³ tn This is a third class condition: “If you worship me (and I am not saying whether you will or will not)…”

[4:7]  ²⁴ tn Or “will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.

[4:7]  ²⁵ tn One could translate this phrase “it will all be yours.” The sense is the same, but the translation given is a touch more emphatic and more likely to catch the force of the offer.

[4:8]  ²⁶ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:8]  ²⁷ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A Θ Ψ 0102 ˹³ Ï it), have “Get behind me, Satan!” at the beginning of the quotation. This roughly parallels Matt 4:10 (though the Lukan mss add ὀπίσω μου to read ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ [{upage opisw mou, satana]); for this reason the words are suspect as a later addition to make the two accounts agree more precisely. A similar situation occurred in v. 5.

[4:8]  ²⁸ tn Or “You will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.

[4:8]  ²⁹ tc Most later mss (A Θ 0102 Ï) alter the word order by moving the verb forward in the quotation. This alteration removes the emphasis from “the Lord your God” as the one to receive worship (as opposed to Satan) by moving it away from the beginning of the quotation.

[4:8]  ³⁰ sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.

[4:9]  ³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[4:9]  ³² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the devil) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:9]  ³³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:9]  ³⁴ tn Grk “and stood him.”

[4:9]  ³⁵ sn The reference to the highest point of the temple probably refers to the one point on the temple’s southeast corner where the site looms directly over a cliff some 450 feet (135 m) high. However, some have suggested the reference could be to the temple’s high gate.

[4:9]  ³⁶ tn This is another first class condition, as in v. 3.

[4:10]  ³⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 91:11 by the devil. This was not so much an incorrect citation as a use in a wrong context (a misapplication of the passage).

[4:11]  ³⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 91:12.

[4:12]  ³⁹ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:12]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “Jesus, answering, said to him.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified to “Jesus answered him.”

[4:12]  ⁴¹ sn A quotation from Deut 6:16 used by Jesus in reply to the devil. The point is that God’s faithfulness should not be put to the test, but is rather a given.

[4:13]  ⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a summary.

[4:13]  ⁴³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the devil) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “until a favorable time.”

[4:14]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[4:14]  ⁴⁶ sn Once again Jesus is directed by the Spirit. Luke makes a point about Jesus’ association with the Spirit early in his ministry (3:22, 4:1 [2x]; 4:18).

[4:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “went out.”

[4:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “all the surrounding region.”

[4:15]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:15]  ⁵⁰ tn The imperfect verb has been translated ingressively.

[4:15]  ⁵¹ sn The next incident in Luke 4:16-30 is probably to be seen as an example of this ministry of teaching in their synagogues in Galilee. Synagogues were places for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).

[4:15]  ⁵² tn Grk “being glorified.” The participle δοξαζόμενος (doxazomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This is the only place Luke uses the verb δοξάζω (doxazw) of Jesus.

[4:16]  ⁵³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[4:16]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:16]  ⁵⁵ sn Nazareth was Jesus’ hometown (which is why he is known as Jesus of Nazareth) about 20 miles (30 km) southwest from Capernaum.

[4:16]  ⁵⁶ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:15.

[4:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “according to his custom.”

[4:16]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:16]  ⁵⁹ sn In normative Judaism of the period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present. See the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2. First came the law, then the prophets, then someone was asked to speak on the texts. Normally one stood up to read out of respect for the scriptures, and then sat down (v. 20) to expound them.

[4:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “And unrolling the scroll he found.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead a new sentence has been started in the translation.

[4:17]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “opening,” but a scroll of this period would have to be unrolled. The participle ἀναπτύξας (anaptuxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:18]  ⁶² sn The phrase he has anointed me is an allusion back to Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:21-22.

[4:18]  ⁶³ tn Grk “to evangelize,” “to preach the gospel.”

[4:18]  ⁶⁴ sn The poor is a key term in Luke. It refers to the pious poor and indicates Jesus’ desire to reach out to those the world tends to forget or mistreat. It is like 1:52 in force and also will be echoed in 6:20 (also 1 Pet 2:11-25). Jesus is commissioned to do this.

[4:18]  ⁶⁵ tc The majority of mss, especially the later Byzantines, include the phrase “to heal the brokenhearted” at this point (A Θ Ψ 0102 ˹ Ï). The phrase is lacking in several weighty mss (א B D L W Ξ Ë¹³ 33 579 700 892* pc lat sy^s co), including representatives from both the Alexandrian and Western texttypes. From the standpoint of external evidence, the omission of the phrase is more likely original. When internal evidence is considered, the shorter reading becomes almost certain. Scribes would be much more prone to add the phrase here to align the text with Isa 61:1, the source of the quotation, than to remove it from the original.

[4:18]  ⁶⁶ sn The release in view here is comprehensive, both at a physical level and a spiritual one, as the entire ministry of Jesus makes clear (Luke 1:77-79; 7:47; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43).

[4:18]  ⁶⁷ sn Again, as with the previous phrase, regaining of sight may well mean more than simply miraculously restoring physical sight, which itself pictures a deeper reality (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

[4:18]  ⁶⁸ sn The essence of Jesus’ messianic work is expressed in the phrase to set free. This line from Isa 58 says that Jesus will do what the nation had failed to do. It makes the proclamation messianic, not merely prophetic, because Jesus doesn’t just proclaim the message – he brings the deliverance. The word translated set free is the same Greek word (ἄφεσις, afesi") translated release earlier in the verse.

[4:18]  ⁶⁹ sn Again, as with the previous phrases, oppressed may well mean more than simply political or economic oppression, but a deeper reality of oppression by sin (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

[4:19]  ⁷⁰ sn The year of the Lord’s favor (Grk “the acceptable year of the Lord”) is a description of the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:10). The year of the total forgiveness of debt is now turned into a metaphor for salvation. Jesus had come to proclaim that God was ready to forgive sin totally.

[4:19]  ⁷¹ sn A quotation from Isa 61:1-2a. Within the citation is a line from Isa 58:6, with its reference to setting the oppressed free.

[4:20]  ⁷² tn Grk “And closing.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[4:20]  ⁷³ tn Grk “closing,” but a scroll of this period would have to be rolled up. The participle πτύξας (ptuxas) has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:20]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “gazing at,” “staring at.”

[4:21]  ⁷⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[4:21]  ⁷⁶ sn See the note on today in 2:11.

[4:21]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “in your hearing.”

[4:22]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:22]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:22]  ⁸⁰ sn The form of the question assumes a positive reply. It really amounts to an objection, as Jesus’ response in the next verses shows. Jesus spoke smoothly and impressively. He made a wonderful declaration, but could a local carpenter’s son make such an offer? That was their real question.

[4:23]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:23]  ⁸² sn The proverb Physician, heal yourself! means that Jesus should prove his claims. It is a “Prove it to us!” mentality that Jesus says the people have.

[4:23]  ⁸³ sn The remark “What we have heard that you did at Capernaum” makes many suspect that Luke has moved this event forward in sequence to typify what Jesus’ ministry was like, since the ministry in Capernaum follows in vv. 31-44. The location of this event in the parallel of Mark 6:1-6 also suggests this transposition.

[4:24]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “said,” but since this is a continuation of previous remarks, “added” is used here.

[4:24]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[4:24]  ⁸⁶ sn Jesus argues that he will get no respect in his own hometown. There is a wordplay here on the word acceptable (δεκτός, dektos), which also occurs in v. 19: Jesus has declared the “acceptable” year of the Lord (here translated year of the Lord’s favor), but he is not “accepted” by the people of his own hometown.

[4:25]  ⁸⁷ sn Elijah’s days. Jesus, by discussing Elijah and Elisha, pictures one of the lowest periods in Israel’s history. These examples, along with v. 24, also show that Jesus is making prophetic claims as well as messianic ones. See 1 Kgs 17-18.

[4:25]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. Since the context here refers to a drought (which produced the famine), “sky” is preferable.

[4:25]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “as.” The particle ὡς can also function temporally (see BDAG 1105-6 s.v. 8).

[4:26]  ⁹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.

[4:26]  ⁹¹ sn Zarephath in Sidon was Gentile territory (see 1 Kgs 17:9-24). Jesus’ point was that he would be forced to minister elsewhere, and the implication is that this ministry would ultimately extend (through the work of his followers) to those outside the nation.

[4:27]  ⁹² sn On Elisha see 2 Kgs 5:1-14.

[4:27]  ⁹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.

[4:27]  ⁹⁴ sn The reference to Naaman the Syrian (see 2 Kgs 5:1-24) is another example where an outsider and Gentile was blessed. The stress in the example is the missed opportunity of the people to experience God’s work, but it will still go on without them.

[4:28]  ⁹⁵ tn The words “the people” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied.

[4:29]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “cast.”

[4:29]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “city.”

[4:29]  ⁹⁸ tn The Greek conjunction ὥστε (Jwste) here indicates their purpose.

[4:29]  ⁹⁹ sn The attempt to throw him down the cliff looks like “lynch law,” but it may really be an indication that Jesus was regarded as a false prophet who was worthy of death (Deut 13:5). Such a sentence meant being thrown into a pit and then stoned.