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Matt. ii. 23: Acts xiii. 14:

xiii. 54.

vii. 2.

i Galilee; and there went out a fame of him through all i Acts x. 37. the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, 1he went into the synagogue on the sabbath 1 day, and stood up for to read. 17 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, 18 m The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he [a hath] anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he

a omit.

had been residing long in Capernaum. Compare too its introduction here without any notification, with its description as a city of Galilee in ver. 31, and the separateness of the two pieces will be apparent: see further remarks in the notes below. Here however is omitted an important cycle of our Lord's sayings and doings, both in Galilee and Jerusalem; viz. that contained in John i. 29-iv. 54 included. This will be shewn by comparing Matt. iv. 12, where it is stated that our Lord's return to Galilee was after the casting of John into prison, with John iii. 24, where, on occasion of the Lord and the disciples baptizing in Judæa, it is said, John was not yet cast into prison: see note on Matt. iv. 12. a fame] The report, namely, of His miracles in Capernaum, wrought in the power of the Spirit, and possibly of what He had done and taught at Jerusalem at the feast. 15.] Olshausen well remarks that this verse, containing a general undefined notice of our Lord's synagogue teaching, quite takes from what follows any chronological character. Indeed we find throughout the early part of this Gospel the same fragmentary stamp. Compare "on the sabbath days," ver. 31-"as the people pressed on him," ch. v. 1-"when he was in a certain city," ch. v. 12—“ on a certain day," ch. v. 17; viii. 22-" on another sabbath," ch. vi. 6-" in these days," ch. vi. 12, &c. &c. 16.] where he had been brought up is expressed by "in thy country," ver. 23: see John iv. 44 and note. as his custom was refers to the whole of what He did-it is not merely that he had been in the habit of attending the synagogues, but of teaching in them: see ver. 15. It was apparently the first time He had ever so taught in the synagogue at Nazareth.

stood up for to read] The rising up was probably to shew His wish to explain

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m Isa. lxi. 1.

the Scripture; for so the word rendered "read" imports. Ezra is called a reader of the divine law, Joseph. Antt. xi. 5. 1. The ordinary way was, for the ruler of the synagogue to call upon persons of any learning or note to read and explain. That the demand of the Lord was so readily complied with, is sufficiently accounted for by vv. 14, 15. See reff. 17.] It is doubtful whether the Rabbinical cycle of Sabbath readings, or lessons from the law and prophets, were as yet in use: but some regular plan was adopted; and according to that plan, after the reading of the law, which always preceded, the portion from the prophets came to be read (see Acts xiii. 15), which, for that sabbath, fell in the prophet Isaiah. The roll containing that book (probably, that alone) was given to the Lord. But it does not appear that He read any part of the lesson for the day; but when He had uurolled the scroll, found (the fortuitous, i. e. providential, finding is the most likely interpretation, not the searching for and finding) the passage which follows. inference can be drawn as to the time of the year from this narrative: partly on account of the uncertainty above mentioned, and partly because it is not quite clear whether the roll contained only Isaiah, or other books also. 18-20.]

No

The quotation agrees mainly with the LXX:-the words to set at liberty them that are bruised are inserted from the LXX of Isa. lviii. 6. The meaning of this prophetic citation may be better seen, when we remember that it stands in the middle of the third great division of the book of Isaiah (ch. xlix.-lxvi.), that, viz., which comprises the prophecies of the Person, office, sufferings, triumph, and Church of the Messiah; and thus by implication announces the fulfilment of all that went before, in Him who then addressed them.

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, 19 c to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 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 synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bare him witness, and "wondered at the d gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself; whatsoever we have heard done in P Capernaum, do also here in q Matt. xiii. 54. 4 thy country. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, 54.4

n Matt. xiii. 54.

ch. ii. 47.

o John vi. 42.

p Matt. iv. 13: xi. 23.

r Matt. xiii. 57.

е

John iv. 44. No prophet is accepted in his own country.

81 Kings xvii. 9: xviii. 1. James v. 17.

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25 But I

tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the

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18. The Spirit of the Lord] See Isa. xi. 2; xlii. 1. deliverance to the captives] See ch. xiii. 12, 16. recovering of sight to the blind] See John ix. 39. The Hebrew words thus rendered by the LXX, signify, 'to those who are bound, the opening of prison:' so that we have here the LXX and literal rendering both included, and the latter expressed in the LXX words of Isa. lviii. 6. 19. the acceptable year of the Lord] See Levit. xxv. 8-17, where in ver. 10 we find that liberty was proclaimed to all in the land in the year of jubilee. No countenance is given by this expression to the extraordinary inference from it of some of the Fathers (Clement of Alexandria, Origen), that the Lord's public ministry lasted only a year, and something over. Compare John ii. 13; vi. 4; xiii. 1.

20.

sat down] It was the custom in the synagogues to stand while reading the law, and sit down to explain it. Our Lord on other occasions taught sitting, e. g. Matt. v. 1: Mark iv. 1; xiii. 3. The minister was the officer whose duty it was to keep the sacred books. 21.] he began to say,-implying that the following words are merely the substance of a more expanded discourse, which our Lord uttered to that effect: see another occasion in Matt. xi. 4, 5, where the same truth was declared by a series of gracious acts of mercy. fulfilled in your ears, viz. by My proclaiming it, and My course of minis

c better here, to proclaim.
e literally, parable.

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try.
22.] bare him witness: i. e.
bare witness to him (that it was so).
The words of grace must be the discourse
of which ver. 21 is a compendium.
they said, viz. the "all" mentioned above,
not merely some of them. While acknow-
ledging the truth of what He said, and
the power with which He said it, they
wondered, and were jealous of Him, as
being the son of Joseph-asking "Whence
hath this man these things?" see Mark vi.
2-4. Between this verse and the next,
the taking offence at Him is implied, for
that is in a tone of reproof. 23.] heal
thyself-not, raise thyself from thy ob-
scure station,' but, exert thy powers of
healing in thine own country, as presently
interpreted; the Physician being repre-
sented as an inhabitant of Nazareth, and
thyself including His own citizens in it.
Stier remarks, that the reproach was re-
peated under the Cross. Then, with a
strictly individual application. On the
miracles previously wrought in Capernaum,
see note on ver. 14. That in John iv.
47-53 was one such. 24.] See John
iv. 44 and note. And (or, but) he
said] A formula usual with St. Luke; and
indicating, if I mistake not, the passing to
a different source of information, or at
least a break in the record, if from the
25.] Our Lord brings
forward instances where the two greatest
prophets in Israel were not directed to act
in accordance with the proverb, 'Physician,

same source.

days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26f but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta [, a city] of Sidon, unto a woman that was a

g

widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time t2 Kings v. 14. of i Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 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 they might cast him down headlong. 30 But

u

X. 39.

he passing through the midst of them went his way, u John viii. 59: 31 and came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and

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heal thyself:' but their miraculous powers exerted on those who were strangers to God's inheritance. three years and six months] So also in James v. 17;-but in 1 Kings xviii. 1 we find that it was in the third year that the Lord commanded Elijah to shew himself to Ahab, for He would send rain on the earth. But it does not appear from what time this third year is reckoned, or at what time of the year, with reference to the usual former and latter rains, the drought caused by Elijah's prayer began [it apparently had begun some time before the prophet was sent to be miraculously sustained, as this very fact implies failure of the ordinary means of sustenance]; and thus, without forming any further hypothesis, we have latitude enough given for the three and a half years, which seems to have been the exact time. This period is one often recurring in Jewish record and in prophecy: see Daniel vii. 25; xii. 7: Rev. xi. 2, 3; xii. 6, 14; xiii. 5. Lightfoot produces more instances from the Rabbinical writers. "The period of three years and a half, = 42 months or 1260 days, had an ominous sound in the ears of an Israclite, being the time of this famine, and of the duration of the desolation of the temple under Antiochus." Wordsw. 26.] Sarepta, now Surafend, —a large village, inland, halfway between Tyre and Sidon:-the ancient city seems to have been on the coast. 27.] Stier remarks, that these two examples have a close parallelism with those of the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark vii. 26) and the ruler's son at Capernaum (John iv. 46).

28-30. The same sort of rage possessed the Jews, Acts xxii. 22, on a

gomit: not in the original. i that is, Elisha.

similar truth being announced to them. This whole occurrence, whenever it happened in our Lord's ministry, was but a foreshadowing of His treatment afterwards from the nation of the Jews-a foretaste of "He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John i. 11). The modern Nazareth is at a distance of about two English miles from what is called the Mount of Precipitation; nor is it built literally on the brow of that mount or hill. But (1) neither does the narrative preclude a considerable distance having been traversed, during which they had our Lord in their custody, and were hurrying with him to the edge of the ravine; nor (2) is it at all necessary to suppose the city built on the brow, but only on the mountain, or range of hills, of which the brow forms a part-which it is. Our Lord's passing through the midst of them is evidently miraculous: the circumstances were different from those in John viii. 60, where the expression is "He hid himself and went out of the temple:" see note there. Here, the Nazarenes had Him actually in their custody.

31 f.] Mark

i. 21, 22. The view maintained with regard to the foregoing occurrence in the preceding notes, of course precludes the notion that it was the reason of our Lord's change of habitation to Capernaum. In fact that change, as remarked on ver. 14, had been made some time before and it is hardly possibly that such an expression as "He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up," should be used, if He still resided there. The words a city of Galilee come in unnaturally after the mention of Capernaum in ver. 23, and evidently shew

taught them on the sabbath days. 32 And they were

v Matt. vii. 28, astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

29. Tit. ii.

15.

w ver. 41.

x Ps. xvi. 10.

Dan. ix. 24. ch. i. 35.

jomit.

W

33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 [j saying,] Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? kart thou come to destroy us? "I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 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 came out of him, and hurt him not. 36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, 1 What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 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 fever; and they besought him for her. 39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40 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

k more probably, thou art come to destroy us. 1 render, What word is this, that with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out?

m render, a report concerning him.

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33-37.] HEALING OF A DÆMONIAC IN THE SYNAGOGUE AT CAPERNAUM. Mark i. 23-28, where see notes. The two accounts are very closely cognate-being the same narrative, only slightly deflected; not more, certainly, than might have arisen from oral repetition by two persons, at some interval of time, of what they had received in the same words. 35.] hurt him not is here only. St. Mark's expression, rendered "torn," may mean 'having convulsed him'-and our text, without doing him bodily injury.'

38-41.] HEALING OF SIMON'S WIFE'S MOTHER, AND MANY OTHERS. Matt. viii. 14-17. Mark i. 29-34. Our account has only a slight additional detail, which is interesting however as giving another side of an eye-witness's evidence-it is, he stood over her. Now this is implied in laying hold of her hand, as she was in bed; which particulars are both mentioned by St. Matthew and St. Mark:-this being one of those many cases where the alteration of the one expression into the other is utterly inconceivable. 38. a great fever] An epithet used by St. Luke, as a physician; for, as Galen observes, physicians divided fevers into great and small. Bleek doubts this, and understands it only of the intensity of the fever.

40.] he laid his

hands on every one of them, is a detail peculiar to Luke, and I believe indicating the same as above: as also the crying out and saying, implied in the other Evangelists, but not expressed.

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every one of them, and healed them. 41 And devils also y Mark iii. 11. came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art [Christ] the Son of God. And he rebuking them z ver 34, 35. suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ. 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 he should not depart from them. 43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore Pam I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of r Galilee.

V. And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake

n omit.

P read, was.

render, multitudes.

a render, continued preaching.

I most of the ancient authorities read, Judæa.

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many ancient authorities read, and heard.

42-44.] JESUS, BEING SOUGHT OUT IN HIS RETIREMENT, PREACHES THROUGHOUT JUDEA. Mark i. 35-39. The dissimilitude in wording of these two accounts is one of the most striking instances in the Gospels, of variety found in the same narration. While the matter related (with one remarkable exception, see below) is nearly identical, the only words common to the two are into a desert (or solitary, the word is the same) place. 42.] the multitudes are "Simon and they that were with him" in Mark. The great number of sick which were brought to the Lord on the evening before, and this morning, is accounted for by some from His departure having been fixed on and known beforehand; but it is perhaps more simple to view it as the natural result of the effect of the healing of the dæmoniac in the synagogue, on the popular mind.

44.] See Matt. iv. 23-25 and notes. This verse is a formal close to this section of the narrative, and chronologically separates it from what follows.

The reading Judæa must, on any intelligible critical principles, be adopted. So far, however, being plain, I confess that all attempts to explain the fact seem to me futile. The three Evangelists relate no ministry in Judæa, with this single exception. And our narrative is thus brought into the most startling discrepancy with that of St. Mark, in which unquestionably the same portion of the sacred history is related. Still, these are considerations which must not weigh in the least degree VOL. I.

with the critic. It is his province simply to track out what is the sacred text, not what, in his own feeble and partial judg ment, it ought to have been.

CHAP. V. 1-11.] THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. CALL OF PETER AND THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE. The question at once meets us, whether this account, in its form here peculiar to Luke, is identical in its subject-matter with Matt. iv. 18-22, and Mark i. 16-20. With regard to this, we may notice the following particulars. (1) Some suppose this to be the first meeting of our Lord with Simon Peter. But it must be, I think, the inference of most readers, that a previous and close relation had subsisted between them before. Peter calls Him Master and Lord: evidently (ver. 5, end) expects a miracle; and follows Him, with his partners, without any present express command so to do. Still all this

might be, and yet the account might be identical with the others. For our Lord had known Peter before this, John i. 41 ff., and, in all probability, as one of His disciples. And although there is here no express command to follow, yet the words in ver. 10 may be, and are probably intended to be, equivalent to one. (2) That the Evangelist evidently intends this as the first apostolic calling of Peter and his companions. The expressions in ver. 11 could not otherwise have been used. (3) That there is yet the supposition, that the accounts in Matthew and Mark may be a shorter way of recounting this by per

Y

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