Luke 4

Luke 4

The big picture

Luke 4 opens in verse 1 with “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 22 with “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his…”, and closes in verse 44 with “And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” Repeated or prominent terms include devil, Jesus, synagogue, city, days. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Luke · King James Version · 44

Luke 4:1-8

1–8: Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by…

Luke 4:1–8 opens with “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the…” and reaches “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum, with particular weight carried by devil, Jesus, bread.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into…” By verse 4, the text has turned to “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but…” It lands on “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 4 verses with a speech marker, 1 stated contrast, 3 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

What Jesus says and does, how each person responds, and how the scene advances toward the cross and resurrection give the passage its shape. Words such as devil, Jesus, bread, days, worship, written tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Jesus, All, Being, Get, Ghost. Its number language includes forty. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 4: “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: devil, Jesus, bread, days, worship, written

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Luke 4:1

    “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” Naming Ghost and Holy keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Luke 4:2

    “Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward…” The number forty makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

  3. Luke 4:3

    “And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.” Naming Son keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Luke 4:4

    “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  5. Luke 4:5

    “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” The line’s distinctive content terms include devil, high, kingdoms. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Luke 4:6

    “And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me…” Naming All keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  7. Luke 4:7

    “If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  8. Luke 4:8

    “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy…” Naming Get keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Luke 4:1-8

King James Version

1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6And 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.

7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8And 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.

Luke 4:9-16

9–16: He brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple…

Luke 4:9–16 opens with “And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If…” and reaches “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum, with particular weight carried by Jesus, angels, answering.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him…” By verse 12, the text has turned to “And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” It lands on “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 2 verses with a speech marker, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

What Jesus says and does, how each person responds, and how the scene advances toward the cross and resurrection give the passage its shape. Words such as Jesus, angels, answering, bear, charge, custom tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include God, Jesus, Galilee, Jerusalem, Lord, Nazareth. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 12: “And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: Jesus, angels, answering, bear, charge, custom

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Luke 4:9

    “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…” Naming Jerusalem keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Luke 4:10

    “For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

  3. Luke 4:11

    “And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. Luke 4:12

    “And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Naming Jesus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Luke 4:13

    “And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.” The line’s distinctive content terms include departed, devil, ended. Its relationship to verses 12 and 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Luke 4:14

    “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region…” Naming Galilee and Jesus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  7. Luke 4:15

    “And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.” The line’s distinctive content terms include glorified, synagogues, taught. Its relationship to verses 14 and 16 shows what work it does in this passage.

  8. Luke 4:16

    “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the…” Naming Nazareth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Luke 4:9-16

King James Version

9And 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:

10For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16And 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.

Luke 4:17-24

17–24: There was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he…

Luke 4:17–24 opens with “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the…” and reaches “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum, with particular weight carried by book, preach, country.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the…” By verse 20, the text has turned to “And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of…” It lands on “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 3 verses with a speech marker, 1 question, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

What Jesus says and does, how each person responds, and how the scene advances toward the cross and resurrection give the passage its shape. Words such as book, preach, country, heal, Lord, prophet tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Lord, Capernaum, Esaias, Joseph, Physician, Spirit. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 22: “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…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: book, preach, country, heal, Lord, prophet

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Luke 4:17

    “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place…” Naming Esaias keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Luke 4:18

    “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…” The verse names Lord and Spirit rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  3. Luke 4:19

    “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  4. Luke 4:20

    “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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include book, closed, eyes. Its relationship to verses 19 and 21 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Luke 4:21

    “And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” The line’s distinctive content terms include began, ears, fulfilled. Its relationship to verses 20 and 22 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Luke 4:22

    “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  7. Luke 4:23

    “And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done…” Naming Capernaum and Physician keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  8. Luke 4:24

    “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.” Naming Verily keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Luke 4:17-24

King James Version

17And 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,

18The 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,

19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20And 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.

21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

22And 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?

23And 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.

24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

Luke 4:25-32

25–32: I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias…

Luke 4:25–32 opens with “But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was…” and reaches “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum, with particular weight carried by city, days, Elias.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven…” By verse 28, the text has turned to “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,” It lands on “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 3 stated contrasts. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

What Jesus says and does, how each person responds, and how the scene advances toward the cross and resurrection give the passage its shape. Words such as city, days, Elias, Israel, astonished, brow tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Elias, Israel, Capernaum, Eliseus, Galilee, Naaman. Its number language includes three, six. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 26: “But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: city, days, Elias, Israel, astonished, brow

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Luke 4:25

    “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…” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

  2. Luke 4:26

    “But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.” Naming Elias and Sarepta keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  3. Luke 4:27

    “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the…” Naming Eliseus and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Luke 4:28

    “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,” The line’s distinctive content terms include filled, synagogue, wrath. Its relationship to verses 27 and 29 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Luke 4:29

    “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…” The line’s distinctive content terms include city, brow, built. Its relationship to verses 28 and 30 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Luke 4:30

    “But he passing through the midst of them went his way,” The line’s distinctive content terms include midst, passing. Its relationship to verses 29 and 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

  7. Luke 4:31

    “And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.” Naming Capernaum and Galilee keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  8. Luke 4:32

    “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.” The line’s distinctive content terms include astonished, doctrine, power. Its relationship to verses 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

Luke 4:25-32

King James Version

25But 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;

26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

29And 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.

30But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

31And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

32And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Luke 4:33-40

33–40: In the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean…

Luke 4:33–40 opens with “And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with…” and reaches “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum, with particular weight carried by arose, devil, fever.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out…” By verse 36, the text has turned to “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with…” It lands on “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 2 verses with a speech marker, 1 question, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

What Jesus says and does, how each person responds, and how the scene advances toward the cross and resurrection give the passage its shape. Words such as arose, devil, fever, Jesus, rebuked, Simon’s tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Jesus, Simon, God, Hold, Holy, Nazareth. Its number language includes one. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 34: “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…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: arose, devil, fever, Jesus, rebuked, Simon’s

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Luke 4:33

    “And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,” The line’s distinctive content terms include cried, devil, loud. Its relationship to verses 34 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Luke 4:34

    “Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

  3. Luke 4:35

    “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he…” Naming Hold and Jesus keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Luke 4:36

    “And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he…” The line’s distinctive content terms include amazed, authority, commandeth. Its relationship to verses 35 and 37 shows what work it does in this passage.

  5. Luke 4:37

    “And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.” The line’s distinctive content terms include country, fame, place. Its relationship to verses 36 and 38 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Luke 4:38

    “And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great…” Naming Simon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  7. Luke 4:39

    “And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.” The line’s distinctive content terms include arose, fever, immediately. Its relationship to verses 38 and 40 shows what work it does in this passage.

  8. Luke 4:40

    “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

Luke 4:33-40

King James Version

33And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

34Saying, 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.

35And 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.

36And 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.

37And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

38And 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.

39And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

40Now 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.

Luke 4:41-44

41–44: Devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ…

Luke 4:41–44 opens with “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he…” and reaches “And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum, with particular weight carried by Christ, cities, crying.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God…” By verse 42, the text has turned to “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him…” It lands on “And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

What Jesus says and does, how each person responds, and how the scene advances toward the cross and resurrection give the passage its shape. Words such as Christ, cities, crying, depart, departed, desert tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Christ, God, Galilee, Son, Thou. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 42: “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…” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: Christ, cities, crying, depart, departed, desert

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Luke 4:41

    “And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them…” Naming Christ keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Luke 4:42

    “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and…” The line’s distinctive content terms include depart, departed, desert. Its relationship to verses 41 and 43 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Luke 4:43

    “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. Luke 4:44

    “And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.” Naming Galilee keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Luke 4:41-44

King James Version

41And 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.

42And 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.

43And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

44And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Watch what Jesus says and does, and how people respond.
  2. Trace kingdom, discipleship, opposition, cross, and resurrection in the evangelist’s own sequence.
  3. Let later doctrine clarify the scene without erasing its immediate setting.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Luke 4?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Luke 4 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Jesus reading Isaiah at Nazareth, facing rejection, and healing with authority in Capernaum?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?