184 Jesus comes to Nazareth, and preaches there. there went out a SECT. guidance and in the power of the Spirit, for power of the Spirit XXXII as a mighty impulse on his own mind deter- into Galilee, and mined him to undertake the journey, so an fame of him through Luke amazing Divine energy attended his progress all the region round through it; and his renown was spread abroad about. IV.14 as soon as he arrived in Galilee, and went 15 through all the neighbouring region. And, 15 And he taught ready to embrace all opportunities that offered in their synagogues, to instruct the people, he went from place to being glorified of allplace, and taught in their synagogues with uni 16 17 versal admiration and applause.b And having thus prepared his way, he came 16 And he came at length to Nazareth, where it has been observ- to Nazareth, where ed before (Mat. ii. 23, and Luke ii. 51,) that he had been brought he was educated; and according to his custom, tom was, he went up: and, as his cuswhich he constantly observed there and else- into the synagogue where, he entered into the synagogue on the on the sabbath day, sabbath day; and out of regard to the high rep- read. and stood up for to utation he had lately gained, being desired by the ruler of it to officiate, he stood up to read the scriptures, which made a constant part of delivered unto him their public worship; (see Acts xv. 21.) 17 And there was the book of the prophet Esaias: And the book of Isaiah the prophet was deliv- And when he had ered to him, a paragraph of the law having been opened the book, read before; and unrolling the volume of the he found the place book, he found that place of it (Isa. xli. 1, 2, 3) where it was writ 18 where it was written to this effect; "The 18 The Spirit of a In the power of the Spirit.] It seems a very wild thought of Mr. Fleming's that this intimates Christ was transported through the air hither, after his temptation in the wilderness; see Flem. Christol. Vol. II. p. 315. b With universal applause doμrvos uno avlev.] Our translation, which has rendered it being glorified of all, is indeed more literal: but to glorify a preacher is an uncommon phrase in English; and that have used is so plainly equivalent to the other in signification, that I hope it may be allowed as very just. I Being desired by the ruler of it to officiate.] One cannot but be amazed at the ignorance of Suidas, in arguing from hence that Christ was a priest. It is well known that any man of gravity and reputation might, at the request of the ruler, officiate on such occasions; compare Acts xiii. 15. d Unrolling the volume of the book.] So avalugas properly signifies; and I chuse to retain it, that the form of the books then ten, used may thus be recollected: they were, as the copies of the Old Testament in the Jewish synagogues now are, long scrolls of parchment, that were rolled upon two sticks. The reader may see an excellent account of them in Mr. Jer. Jones's Vindication of St. Matthew's Gospel, chap. xv. p. 151-170. And this form of their books shews, in the most convincing manner, how improbable such transpositions are as those learned harmonizers, Mr. Whiston and Mr. Manne, make the foundation of their respective hypothesis. e It was written to this effect.] It is evident that the quotation, as it stands here, does neither exactly agree with the Hebrew nor the Septuagint. The many old copies in which that clause, dat τις συντετριμμενος την καρδίαν, to heal the broken hearted, is wanting, has inclined many learned critics, with Grotius, to suppose it added from the Hebrew; but one would rather conclude that Christ read the passage as it was, and that these words He reads a passage of Isaiah to them. 185 the Lord is upon me, Spirit of the Lord is upon me in an abundant SECT. 20 And he closed And having rolled up the book, which was a 20 the book, and he long scroll of parchment, he delivered it to the gave it again to the servant of the synagogue whose proper office it minister, and sat down; and the eyes was to take care of it; and then, according to of all them that the custom of the Jewish rabbies, sat down to were in the syna- preach (see Mat. v. 1; xxiii. 2, 3; xxvi. 55; gogue were fasten- and John viii. 2,) and the eyes of all in the synhog Brodar agogue were attentively fixed upon him, as they were very curious to know what he would say might accidentally be dropped by some early transcriber. For the purpose to which he hath anointed me: & eveRev Exgio Me.] It is very difficult to explain the connection of the two clauses in this passage, if we render & either because, or therefore; and I cannot recollect that it ever signifies because. But the translation I propose seems to remove the difficulty; see Acts xix. 32. 8 Poor and afflicted.] Grotius well observes that it is probable some copies might read HHANJIM, the poor, instead of HHANAWIM, the meek, which is the word made use of in Isaiah. And as to that clause of restoring sight to the blind, which is omitted in Isaiah, I am not able to determine whether our lord in his discourse borrowed this clause from Isa. xlii. 7, by way of illustration; or whether (as Dr. Prideaux supposes in his Connection, Vol. II. p. 547) it was taken from some Chaldee Targum which is now lost. h Sight to them that are blind, and to set those at liberty who are bruised.] It is beautifully observed by the judicious Mr. Cra dock in his excellent book on the Evangel ists, that the former clause seems an allusion to the wretched state of those prisoners who, according to the inhuman custom still retained in the eastern countries, had their eyes put out and with regard to such as these, this Great Deliverer is represented as restoring them, a work far beyond all human power. See Cradock's Harm. p. 69. I take them to be the same with those who are spoken of in the next clause as bruised with the weight of their fetters; for it is plain that even blind captives were sometimes loaded with them; as was the case with Samson, Judges xvi. 21; and with Zedekiah, 2 Kings xxv. 7. i That welcome year of the Lord.] It is strange that any ancient or modern writers should argue from hence that Christ's ministry lasted but one year, or a little more. One might as well plead, from 2 Cor. vi. 2, that the day of salvation included but one natural day. Here is a plain allusion to the Jubilee; compare Lev. xxv. 9, 10; and Psal. lxxxix. 15. 186 He shows that passage to be now fulfilled in him. Luke 22 21 And he began And he began to speak at large from this excellent and suitable passage; and the main ten- to say unto them, dency and purport of his discourse was to say scripture fulfilled in This day is this to them, To day this scripture I have now been your ears. reading is remarkably fulfilled in your hearing; for I am the person foretold under this charac ter, and sent with such ample powers to fulfil these purposes of the Divine mercy. wondered at the gra. seph's son ? And, strong as their prejudices were against 22 And all bare him, they all (by their very countenances (see him witness, and Job xxix. 11) bore their testimony to him as a cious words which most excellent preacher, and were astonished at proceeded out of his those graceful as well as comfortable words, mouth. And they which proceeded out of his mouth; so that they said, Is not this Jocould not forbear saying to each other, even while he spoke, Is not this he that was brought up among us, the son of Joseph the carpenter? And if it be, how is it possible that a man of so mean an education should be able to discourse 23 thus excellently well? And he said to them farther, You will undoubtedly say to me in the words unto them, Ye will of that common proverb, Physician, cure thyself; this proverb, Physisurely say unto me [and] for the satisfaction of thy own relations cian, heal thyself; and neighbours, if thou art really so extraordi- whatsoever we have nary a person, do also here at home, in thine own heard done in Cacountry, those miraculous works which, as we have here in thy country. pernaum, do also 24 heard, were done at Capernaum, and elsewhere.m 23 And he said take notice of the majesty and grace with which he spoke, so it must naturally fill them with astonishment, considering the meanness of his birth and education; see Elsner, in loc. kA scripture which seemed so plainly the matter of it: and as they could not but to refer to the Messiah.] Though many commentators of note apply Isa. Ixi. 1, to the good news of the dismission of the Jews from Babylon, I refer it to the impartial reader to judge whether it be not much more probable that ver. 4, 5, 6, (where At Capernaum, and elsewhere.] It is the prophet speaks of repairing the waste strange that Dr. Clarke and many others cities, planting vineyards, &c.) may be either should lay so much stress as they do on meant in a spiritual sense, or literally pre- this, as an argument to prove that this visit dict the temporal prosperity of the church af- to Nazareth was made after that to Cater the conversion of the Jews, than that pernaum, in which those miracles were Christ should mistake the true sense of the wrought which are recorded Mark i. 21text, or build his argument on a mere al- 34; and Luke iv. 33-41, (sect. xxxv. lusion; see Dr. Sykes's Vindication of Chris- xxxvi.) when Luke himself so plainly says tianity, p. 259, and Jeffery's True Grounds, that he came down from Nazareth to CaperP. 120. miracles (Luke iv. 30, & seq.) and Matnaum, and then gives an account of those thew also introduces the history of them with saying (Mat. iv. 13,) that leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt at Capernaum. We are expressly told by John that Jesus 1 Astonished at those graceful words.] The phrase in the original aoyous Tns xagir, literally signifies words of grace; which, it is probable, may refer to the agreeable manner of Christ's discourse, as well as to country. He is rejected by his own countrymen: 187 Luke IV.24 24 And he said, But to expose the vanity of this suggestion, he se cT. Verily, I say unto went on, and said, Verily I say unto you, that xxxII you, No prophet is accepted in his own no prophet is acceptable in his own country (compare John iv. 44, page 180,) and therefore I know that you who have been acquainted with me from my infancy will, through envy and prejudice, refuse me an opportunity of working such miracles, and would indeed be still as obstinate and unbelieving as before, if you should 25 But I tell you of see them. But let it be remembered by you 25 a truth, Many wid, that God sometimes punishes men for this unin the days of Elias, reasonable temper, by directing his prophets when the heaven to confer those favours on strangers, of which was shut up three their countrymen and neighbours have rendyears and six ered themselves so unworthy. For thus I tell months, when great famine was through. you as a certain truth, which well deserves your consideration, That there were many poor widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was, ows were in Israel out all the land: as it were, shut up for three years 26 But unto none and six months," so that there was no rain, and of them was Elias a great famine prevailed in all the land: And yet 26 sent, save unto Sa- Elijah was sent to none of them with a miracurepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that lous supply of meal and oil, but to a widow woman at Sarepta, [a city] of the Gentiles, in was a widow. ed by the credible report of what he had done in the neighbourhood, and by the knowledge they had of his early piety and exemplary behaviour. after the miracle which he wrought sonableness of which was greatly aggravatat Cana in Galilee, went with his mother and his brethren and disciples to Capernaum, and continued some time, though not very long there (John ii. 12, sect. xxiv;) and it is very possible he might visit it again in his passing through Galilee (John iv. 43, 44, sect. xxxi,) which if he did after the cure wrought on the nobleman's sonthere (which undoubtedly preceded this visit to Nazareth,) he would certainly meet with some extraordinary regard, as the cure was performed at a distance, and many other miracles might then be wrought there: so that this passage may refer to these and other miracles not particularly recorded by Luke; as we have seen before that John refers to others (John ii. 23; and iii. 2) which neither he himself had mentioned, nor indeed any of the rest of the evangelists. If it be asked why Christ did not perform such miracles here as elsewhere we answer, that this whole discourse is intended to prove that God might dispense these extraordinary favours as he pleased; and they do not appear to have brought their sick to him, and seem to have suspected his power (compare Mat. xiii. 58; and Mark vi. 5, sect. lxxiii;) a suspicion, the unrea, n The heaven was shut up for three years and six months.] This is again asserted by the apostle James (chap. v. 17,) either as grounded on our Lord's authority here, or as a circumstance established by tradition; for in both places it is spoken of as a thing well known: nor can we doubt but the account is very exact, though the particular time is not determined in the Old Testament, nor is it certainly deducible from it. Lightfoot and others have observed that there is some what here remarkable in this circumstance of time, as it agrees with the continuance of Christ's public ministry; that as Elijah shut up heaven by his prayers, so that it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months, so from the baptism to the death of Christ the heavens were opened for the like space of time, and his doctrine dropped as the rain, and his speech distilled as the dew. (Deut. xxxii. 2.) See Lightfoot's Harmony, and Grotius, in loc. 188 Luke IV.27 And miraculously escapes from their fury. SECT. the country of Sidon. (1 Kings xvii. 9.) And 27 And many lep XXXII there were also many lepers in Israel in the time ers were in Israel in of Elisha the prophet; yet none of them was mi- the time of Eliseus raculously cleansed, but that singular favour was none of them was the prophet; and bestowed on Naaman the Syrian, a Gentile, cleansed, saving and one of a hostile nation. (2 Kings v. 14.) Naaman the Syrian.Presume not therefore on your being my countrymen and neighbours, so as on that account to reject my message, lest you provoke God to send those blessings to strangers, and even to Gentiles, of which such infidelity and ingratitude would render you unworthy. 28 28 And all they Nothing could be more disagreeable to them than such an intimation, and all that were in the in the synagogue, when they heard synagogue, when they heard these things, were these things, were 29 filled with the most outrageous fury: And filled with wrath, rising up at once, in a tumultuous manner, 29 And rose up, without any reverence to the place or day, or and thrust him out any sense of justice or common humanity, they him unto the brow of the city, and led violently cast him out of the synagogue, and out of the hill (whereon of the city too; and brought him to the very brow their city was built,) of the mountain on which their city was built, him down headlong. that they might cast that they might cast him down headlong, and 30 dash him to pieces. But Jesus, when he had 30 But he passing permitted their madness to go thus far, con- through the midst of them, went his way. founded their sight in such a miraculous manner, that he passed through the midst of them unknown, and went away to the neighbouring city of Capernaum, where he abode for some time. Verse IMPROVEMENT. WE see that it was the custom of our blessed Saviour to fre16 quent the synagogues every sabbath day: how well therefore does it become his servants to be constant in their attendance on public ordinances, especially since those of the gospel are in many respects so much nobler than any which the Mosaic institution would admit! 17 In the synagogues the scriptures were constantly read; and it is matter of pleasing reflection that, in all ages of the Christian 。 None of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian] Of the force of the particle sta here, and in some other remarkable places, see the note on John xvii. 12. Vol. 11. sect. clxxix. P Passed through the midst of them, unknown. Whether the miracle lay in rend ering himself entirely invisible, or in putting on some other form, or in affecting their eyes or minds in such a manner that they should not know him, we cannot certainly determine; but it seems evident that there was something miraculous in the case. Compare John viii. 59; Luke xxiv. 16, and 2 Kings vi. 18—20. |