Luke 4

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

What does Luke 4:37 mean?

Explanation

Luke 4:37 delivers a succinct description of Jesus' burgeoning reputation in the ancient Near Eastern regions surrounding the location of his activities.

The verse follows a series of events in which Jesus demonstrates his authority by teaching with power and performing miracles, such as casting out an unclean devil (Luke 4:33-36). The spreading of Jesus' fame signifies the impact of these miraculous signs and his teachings on the populace.

It suggests a sense of amazement and the rapid viral transmission of news about Jesus' works throughout the surrounding locales, hinting at the growing acknowledgment of his unique role and divine authority.

While it is a straightforward declaration of Jesus' growing recognition, it also subtly foreshadows the future spread of the Gospel message.

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

The verse is set in the socio-religious context of 1st-century Judea and the surrounding regions, where news would travel primarily by word of mouth.

It follows Jesus' visit to Capernaum, a town located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus' acts of teachings in the synagogues and healing the possessed were extraordinary events to the people who witnessed them.

In a time and culture where reputation and honor were important, the spreading of Jesus' fame indicated that he was gaining honor and recognition as an authoritative teacher, and possibly as a prophet, or even the awaited Messiah among the people.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse can be interpreted in several ways:

Divine Mission: It signifies the unfolding of Jesus' divine mission as he begins to fulfill Old Testament prophecies regarding the coming of a savior or messiah figure.
Revelation of Authority: It highlights the distinctive authority of Jesus in contrast to other teachers and exorcists of the time.
Spiritual Warfare: For some theologians, the exorcisms represent Jesus' power over the forces of evil, hence pointing to a spiritual warfare theme.
Spread of the Gospel: It is also seen as an early indicator of the spread of the Gospel that Jesus initiates during his earthly ministry.

Practical Applications

The spread of Jesus' fame can inspire believers to:

Share one's faith with others, recognizing the power and influence of personal testimony to impact communities.
Trust in the power of God to work through individual actions and messages, leading to unexpected and far-reaching effects.
Reflect on how personal changes and growth in spirituality can contribute positively to the surrounding environment.

Cross-References

Mark 1:28 - "And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee."
Matthew 9:26 - "And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land."
Acts 10:37 - "That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;"

Language Study

In the original Greek text, the key word used is "ἐξεπορεύετο" (exeporeueto) from "ἐκπορεύομαι" (ekporeuomai), which means "to go out" or "to proceed". The tense used here (imperfect) suggests a continuous action in the past, indicating that Jesus' fame kept on spreading.

It wasn't an isolated incident but a growing trend.

The word used for "fame" is "ἤχος" (ēchos), which can mean "report," "sound," or "echo," indicating that the news of Jesus is reverberating through the regions.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In the broader ancient Near Eastern culture, the spreading of fame or reputation of a figure often signified the recognition of their power or divine favor.

Comparatively, in ancient myths, heroes or semi-divine beings would perform great feats that would establish their reputation, much as the stories of Hercules or Gilgamesh spread far and wide, signifying their superhuman status.

Similarly, the spreading of Jesus' fame could be juxtaposed to suggest his divine and messianic identity.

Scientific Perspectives

While this verse does not directly intersect with scientific concepts, the spreading of information and how it affects human behavior is a subject of study in sociology and psychology.

The spread of Jesus' fame can be related to the modern understanding of how fame, influence, and information dissemination work in societies, including concepts like social proof and the ripple effect of influence.

commentaries

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary (1706) suggests that the report of Christ's teaching and the miracles he performed contributed to his growing fame, reinforcing the significance of these acts.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary (1871) emphasizes the swift spread of Jesus' fame throughout the region, indicating the powerful impression his works made on the people.
The MacArthur Study Bible notes that Jesus' authority over demons and his teaching were so different and superior to the scribes that his reputation spread rapidly.
The ESV Study Bible explains that the amazement at his authority in word and deed led to Jesus' increasing fame.

It also notes that this growing recognition likely contributed to the crowds that would follow him in his ministry.

Luke 4

Luke 4

What does Luke 4:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 4:37 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?