16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and according to his custom he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. [4:17] And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, and having unrolled the scroll he found the place where it was written: [4:18] "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the destitute; he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth the broken in release, [4:19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [4:20] And having rolled up the scroll, he gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [4:21] And he began to say to them: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." [4:22] And all were speaking well of him and marveling at the words of grace coming out of his mouth; and they were saying: "Is this not the son of Joseph?" [4:23] And he said to them: "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself — do here also in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.'" [4:24] And he said: "Truly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. [4:25] But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months, when there was a great famine over all the land; [4:26] and to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath in Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. [4:27] And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian." [4:28] And all in the synagogue were filled with rage when they heard these things, [4:29] and they rose up and drove him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, in order to throw him down headlong. [4:30] But he, passing through their midst, went on his way.
LUK 4:16-30
The Rejection at Nazareth
In the world it was spoken into
In first-century Nazareth, the synagogue was the center of Jewish communal and religious life, where Torah and prophetic readings were customary on the Sabbath. Jesus’ reading from Isaiah 61:1-2 would have resonated deeply, as it spoke of liberation, healing, and the Jubilee year—a time of debt forgiveness and land restoration. The mention of the 'poor' would evoke not just economic hardship but also societal marginalization, as the destitute relied entirely on communal charity. The 'year of the Lord’s favor' likely recalled the Jubilee, a radical economic reset rooted in Israel’s covenant. However, Jesus’ claim that this prophecy was fulfilled in Him challenged local expectations. Nazareth, a small, rural village, likely held Messianic hopes tied to national liberation from Roman oppression. Jesus’ rebuke of their skepticism and His reference to Gentiles receiving God’s favor (Elijah and Elisha’s miracles for non-Israelites) would have provoked intense —a sudden, passionate rage—as it undermined their sense of ethnic and religious privilege.
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How other translations render this
LUK 4:16
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read,
- Koinōnos
- And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and according to his custom he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
LUK 4:17
- KJV
- 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,
- BSB
- the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written:
- Koinōnos
- And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him, and having unrolled the scroll he found the place where it was written:
LUK 4:18
- KJV
- 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,
- BSB
- “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
- Koinōnos
- The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the destitute; he has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth the broken in release,
LUK 4:19
- KJV
- To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
- BSB
- to proclaim the year of the Lordʼs favor.”
- Koinōnos
- to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
LUK 4:20
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him,
- Koinōnos
- And having rolled up the scroll, he gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
LUK 4:21
- KJV
- And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
- BSB
- and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
- Koinōnos
- And he began to say to them: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
LUK 4:22
- KJV
- 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?
- BSB
- All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isnʼt this the son of Joseph?” they asked.
- Koinōnos
- And all were speaking well of him and marveling at the words of grace coming out of his mouth; and they were saying: "Is this not the son of Joseph?
LUK 4:23
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’”
- Koinōnos
- And he said to them: "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself — do here also in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.'
LUK 4:24
- KJV
- And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
- BSB
- Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
- Koinōnos
- And he said: "Truly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
LUK 4:25
- KJV
- 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;
- BSB
- But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.
- Koinōnos
- But in truth I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months, when there was a great famine over all the land;
LUK 4:26
- KJV
- But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
- BSB
- Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon.
- Koinōnos
- and to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath in Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
LUK 4:27
- KJV
- And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
- BSB
- And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
- Koinōnos
- And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.
LUK 4:28
- KJV
- And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
- BSB
- On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged.
- Koinōnos
- And all in the synagogue were filled with rage when they heard these things,
LUK 4:29
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff.
- Koinōnos
- and they rose up and drove him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, in order to throw him down headlong.
LUK 4:30
- KJV
- But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
- BSB
- But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.
- Koinōnos
- But he, passing through their midst, went on his way.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
LUK 4:18
- to [the] poor,:The word translated 'poor' here refers to those who are utterly destitute, often beggars, completely dependent on others for their survival, not simply those with low income.
- bruised:The term used here, translated as 'bruised' in some contexts, more broadly means a release or setting free, often implying forgiveness or liberation from bondage.
LUK 4:22
- grace:The word translated 'grace' carried a sense of favor, goodwill, or a gift freely given, often implying a pleasing quality or charm that inspires gratitude.
LUK 4:28
- with anger:The word translated 'with anger' describes a passionate, intense outburst of wrath or indignation, often sudden and boiling, rather than a slow-burning resentment.