Luke 4 · KJV
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Luke 4

The temptation in the wilderness

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Full of the Spirit, Jesus is led into the wilderness, where he eats nothing for forty days and is tested by the devil. The devil tempts him to turn a stone into bread, to worship him in exchange for the kingdoms of the world, and to throw himself down from the temple; each time Jesus answers with Scripture. The devil leaves him until another time.

What does this mean?

"Devil" comes from the Greek for "slanderer"; "Satan" is Hebrew for "adversary." "Tempted" also means tested. The "pinnacle" was a high point of the temple complex.

Historical context

Jesus' replies come from Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13 and 6:16, where Moses recalls Israel's forty years of testing in the wilderness; the devil quotes Psalm 91:11–12. Moses and Elijah also each went forty days without food (Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8).

Why does it matter?

Many interpreters read the scene as Jesus remaining faithful where Israel failed in the wilderness. The devil's departure "for a season" (KJV) anticipates his return at the passion, when Satan enters Judas (22:3).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in three Gospels

How Luke tells it

Luke reverses Matthew's order of the second and third temptations, so the sequence ends at the Jerusalem temple, where his story reaches its climax. Only Luke has the devil claim that the world's authority has been handed to him, and he ends with the devil leaving "until another time" rather than with angels serving Jesus. Mark gives no details.

Jesus is rejected at Nazareth

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Jesus returns to Galilee and teaches in the synagogues. In his hometown, Nazareth, he reads from Isaiah on the Sabbath and declares that the passage is fulfilled that day. Admiration turns to fury when he points out that Elijah and Elisha were sent to foreigners, and the townspeople try to throw him off a cliff, but he walks away through the crowd.

  • Scripture connection · Quotation · presented as fulfilled

    Luke 4:18–19 quotes Isaiah 61:1–2

    The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
    Isaiah 61:1–2 · KJV

    Jesus reads Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue and stops before the next phrase, 'the day of vengeance of our God'. Luke's wording follows the Greek and includes a line from Isaiah 58:6.

What does this mean?

"Physician, heal yourself" is a proverb: prove yourself at home first. Jesus "sat down" because teachers taught seated.

Historical context

A synagogue was a local Jewish assembly for prayer and the reading of Scripture; Acts 13:15 describes readings from the Law and the Prophets followed by a talk. Elijah was sent to a widow of Zarephath near Sidon (1 Kings 17) and Elisha healed Naaman, a Syrian army commander (2 Kings 5), both non-Israelites.

Why does it matter?

Luke places this scene at the start of Jesus' ministry, while Mark and Matthew tell of a rejection at Nazareth later (Mark 6:1–6). It works as a programme for the whole Gospel: good news for the poor and for outsiders, and rejection by his own. The "acceptable year of the Lord" is often linked with the jubilee year of release (Leviticus 25). The reading from Isaiah is discussed under Scripture connections.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Jesus drives out a demon at Capernaum

And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

In the synagogue at Capernaum, a man possessed by an unclean demon cries out that Jesus is "the Holy One of God." Jesus silences the demon and orders it out, and it leaves the man unharmed. The people are amazed at the authority of his word, and news of him spreads.

What does this mean?

An "unclean spirit" or "unclean demon" (KJV "devil") is an evil spiritual being; "unclean" sets it against God's holiness. "What have we to do with thee?" is an idiom meaning "Leave us alone."

Historical context

Capernaum was a fishing town on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee and became the base of Jesus' work in Galilee. The limestone synagogue visible there today was built centuries later, possibly over an earlier one. Belief that demons caused illness and madness was widespread among both Jews and Gentiles.

Why does it matter?

This is the first miracle Luke narrates. It acts out the "deliverance to the captives" (KJV) announced at Nazareth, and shows the spirit world recognising Jesus before people do.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Peter's mother-in-law is healed

And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

Leaving the synagogue, Jesus goes into Simon's house, where Simon's mother-in-law has a high fever. Jesus stands over her and rebukes the fever; it leaves her, and she gets up at once and serves them.

What does this mean?

"Rebuked" is the same word used for Jesus' command to the demon (4:35), treating the fever almost as a hostile power. "Ministered" (KJV) or "served" (WEB) means she provided hospitality, probably a meal.

Historical context

Extended families often lived together in rooms grouped around a courtyard. At Capernaum, excavators found a house venerated as Peter's from early centuries and later built over by a church; whether it was really his cannot be proved.

Why does it matter?

Simon, later called Peter, appears here before Luke tells of his call (5:1–11), so readers first meet him as Jesus' host. His mother-in-law shows that he was married (compare 1 Corinthians 9:5).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in three Gospels

How Luke tells it

Only Luke calls it a "great" fever and says Jesus stood over her and rebuked it; in Mark and Matthew he takes or touches her hand. Luke mentions no other disciples present, and he tells the story before Simon's call, whereas Mark places it after.

Healings at sunset and a preaching tour

Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

At sunset people bring all their sick to Jesus, and he lays his hands on each one and heals them; demons come out shouting that he is the Son of God, but he silences them. At daybreak he withdraws to a lonely place, and when the crowds try to keep him, he tells them he must proclaim the kingdom of God in other towns too.

What does this mean?

"The kingdom of God" means God's reign, his rule breaking into the world, rather than a territory; it is the main subject of Jesus' preaching. "Christ" means Messiah, the anointed king.

Historical context

The Sabbath ended at sunset, after which carrying the sick was permitted, which explains the evening crowd. Many early manuscripts read "synagogues of Judea" in verse 44, where the KJV and WEB read "Galilee"; if "Judea" is original, Luke may mean the Jewish homeland generally.

Why does it matter?

Jesus will not be held by one town; his mission is to "the other cities also." Interpreters often explain his silencing of demons who know who he is as a wish to avoid misunderstanding about what kind of Messiah he was.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Translation

KJVTraditional biblical languageWEBContemporary English

Chapters

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24

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Reading

Translation

KJVTraditional biblical languageWEBContemporary English

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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