a went 16 And he came to Nazareth, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is where he had been brought up: upon me, because he hath anointed and, as his custom was, he me to preach the gospel to the poor; into the synagogue on the sabbath- he hath sent me to heal the brokenday, and stood up for to read. hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, f 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, a Mat.2.23. b Mat.13.54. Jno.18.20. Ac. 13.14. 17.2. c Is.61.1. d 19 To preach the acceptable year 5 of the Lord. 15. 20 g d2 Ch.34.27. Ps.34.18. 51.17. 147.3. Is.57 e Ps. 145.8. Is.29.18. f Is.42.3. Mat.12. g Is.61.2. €3.4. 16. And as his custom was, he went, were fixed on him, as he deliberately look&c. From this it appears that our Lorded out a place, and as the people were evregularly attended the service of the syn-idently surprised at what he did, it seems agogue. In that service the scriptures of to be intimated that he selected a lesson the Old Testament were read, prayers which was not the regular one for that day. were offered, and the word of God was 17. There was delivered unto him. explained. See note, Mat. vi. 23. There By the minister of the synagogue, or the was great corruption in doctrine and prac-keeper of the sacred books. They were tice at that time, but Christ did not, on kept in an ark or chest, not far from the that account, keep away from the place pulpit, and the minister gave them to of public worship. From this we may whomsoever he chose, to read them publearn: 1st. That it is our duty regularly licly. The book. The volume conto attend public worship. 2d. That it is taining the prophecy of Isaiah. It would better to attend a place which is not en- seem, from this, that the books were kept tirely pure, or where just such doctrines separate, and not united into one as with are not delivered as we would wish, than us. When he had opened the book. not to attend at all. It is of vast impor- Literally, when he had unrolled the buk. tance that the public worship of God The books, among the ancients, were should be maintained; and it is our duty written on parchments, or vellum-i. e., to assist in maintaining it, to show by our skins of beasts-and were rolled togethexample that we love it, and to win others er on two rollers, beginning at each end; also to love it. See Heb. x. 25. At the so that while reading they roll off from same time this remark cannot be constru- one to the other. Different forms of books ed as enjoining it as our duty to attend a were indeed used, but this was the most place where the true God is not worship- common. The place where it is writped, or where he is worshipped by Pagan ten. Isa. Ixi. 1, 2. rites and Pagan prayers. If, therefore, 18, 19. The spirit of the Lord is upon the Unitarian does not worship the true me. Or, I speak by divine appointinent. God, and if the Roman Catholic worships I am divinely inspired to speak. There God in a manner forbidden, and offers can be no doubt that the passage in Isaiah homage to the creatures of God also, had a principal reference to the Messiah. thus being guilty of idolatry, it cannot be Our Saviour directly applies it to himself, the duty of a man to attend on such a place and it is not easily applicable to any other of worship. The synagogue. See prophet. Its first application might have Stood up for to read. been to the restoration of the Jews from The books of Moses were so divided that Babylon; but the language of prophecy is they could be read through in the syna- often applicable to two similar events, and gogues once in a year. To these were the secondary event is often the most strikadded portions out of the prophets, so that ing and important. In this case the no small part of them was read also once prophet uses most striking poetic images in a year. It is not known whether our to depict the return from Babylon, but the Saviour read the lesson which was the same images also describe the appropriate regular one for that day, though it may work of the Son of God. T Hath anseem probable he would not depart from ointed me. Anciently kings and prophthe usual custom. Yet, as the eyes of allets, and the high priest, were set apart to Mat. iv. 23. 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 syna gogue were fastened on him. fulness. Deliverance to the captives. their work by anointing with oil. 1 Kings xix. 15, 16. Ex. xxix. 7. 1 Sam. ix. 16, &c. This oil or ointment was made of various substances, and it was forbidden to imitate it. Ex. xxx. 34-38. Hence those who were set apart to the work of God as king, or prophet, or priest, were called the Lord's anointed. 1 Sam. xvi. 6. Ps. lxxxiv. 9. Isa. xlv. 1. Hence the Son of God is called the Messiah, a Hebrew word signifying the Anointed; or the Christ, a Greek word signifying the same thing. And by his being an-prisoner, and it will finally open all prisointed is not meant that he was literally anointed; for he was never set apart in that manner: but that God had set him apart for this work, that he had const:tuted or appointed him to be the prophet, priest, and king, of his people. To preach the gospel to the poor. The gospel means good news, the good news of salvation. By the poor are meant all those who are destitute of the comforts of this life, and who, therefore, may be more readily disposed to seek treasures in heaven; all those who are sensible of their sins, or are poor in spirit (Mat. v. 3); and all the miserable and the afflicted. Isa. Iviii. 7. Our Saviour gave it as one proof that he was the Messiah, or was from God, that he preached to the poor. Mat. xi 5. The Pharisees and Saddu cees despised the poor. Ancient philosophers neglected them. But the gospel seeks to bless them, to give comfort where it is felt to be needed, and where it will be received with gratitude. Riches fill the mind with pride, with self-complacency, and with a feeling that the gopel is not needed. The poor feel their need of some sources of comfort that the world cannot give, and accordingly our Saviour met with his greatest success among the poor; and there also, since, the gospel has shed its richest Llessings and its purest joys. It is also one proof that the gospel is true. If it had been of men, it would have sought the rich and mighty. But it pours contempt on all human greatness, and seeks, like God, to do good to those whom the world overlooks or despises. T To heal the broken-hearted. To console those who are deeply afflicted, or whose hearts are broken by external calamities, or by a deep sense of their sin. on doors, and by preventing crime prevent also the sufferings that are the consequence of crime. Sight to the blind. This was often literally fulfilled. Mat. xi. 5. John ix. 11. Mat. ix. 30, &c. ¶ To set at liberty them that are bruised. The word bruised, here, evidently has the same general signification as the broken-hearted or the contrite. It means those who are pressed down by great calamity, or whose hearts are pressed or bruised by affliction or sin. To set them at liberty is the same as to free them from this pressure, or to give them consolation. The acceptable year of the Lord. The time when God is willing to accept of men, or to receive sinners coming to him. The gospel assures us that the guilty may return, and that God will graciously receive them. There is, perhaps, here, an allusion to the year of Jubilee the fiftieth year, when the trumpet was blown, and through the whole land proclamation was made of the liberty of Hebrew slaves, of the remission of debts, and the restoration of possessions to their original families. Lev. xxv. 8--13. ¶ Tha acceptable year. The grateful, or pleas ant, or agreeable time, appointed by God. 20. Were fastened on him. Were intently fixed on him, waiting to see what explanation he would give of the words. 21. This scripture. This writing, or this part of the scriptures. ¶ Fulfilled. It is coming to pass; the thing originally intended by it is about to be accomplished. In your ears. In your hearing; or you hear, in my preaching, the fulfilment of this prophecy. It is probable that he said much more than is here recorded, but Luke has presented only the substance of his discourse. This 22 And all bare him witness, and | Capernaum, do also here in thy wondered at the gracious" words country. which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? was the amount of his sermon, or his explanation of the passage, that it was now receiving its accomplishment. 22. All bare him witness. All were witnesses of the power and truth of what he said. Their reason and conscience approved of it, and they were constrained to admit the force and propriety of it; and on this account they wondered. They wondered. They were struck with the truth and force of his words, with what was so unusual in their syna gogues, and especially when they reniembered that he was a native of their own place, and that they had been long acquainted with him, and that he should now claim to be the Messiah, and give so much evidence that he was the Christ. The gracious words. The words of grace or favor; the kind, affectionate, and tender exposition of the words, and explanation of the design of his coming, and the nature of the plan of redemption. It was so different from the harsh and unfeeling mode of the Pharisees; so different from all their expectations respecting the Messiah, who, they expected, would be a prince and a bloody conqueror; that they were filled with astonishment and awe. 23 Physician, heal thyself. This proverb was probably in common use at that time. Suppose a man should attempt to heal another when he was himself disensed in the same manner. It would be natural to ask him first to heal or cure himself, and thus show that he was worthy of confidence. The connexion of this proverb, here, is this: "You profess to be the Messiah. You have wrought miracles at Capernaum. You profess to be able to deliver us from our maladies, our sins, our afflictions, &c. Show that you have the power, that you are worthy of our confidence, by working miracles here, as you profess to have done at CapernaIt does not refer, therefore, to any VOL.II.-4 um. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 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 and six d Mat.13.57. Jno c Mat.4.13. 11.23,&c. 4.44. e 1Ki.17.9. f Ja.5.17. purification of his own character, or im ply any reflection on him for setting up to teach them. It was only a demand that he would show the proper evidence by miracles why they should trust in them, and he proceeds to show them why he would not give them this evidence. ¶ Whatsoever we have heard done. Whatsoever we have heard that thou hast done. It would seem, from this, that Christ had before this wrought miracles in Capernaum, though the evangelist has not recorded them. ¶ In Capernaum.` Capernaum was on the northwest corner of the sea of Tiberias, and was not far from Nazareth. It is not improbable that some of those who then heard him might have been present, and witnessed some of his miracles at Capernaum. 24. No prophet is accepted. Has honor, or is acknowledged as a prophet. See note, Mat. xiii. 57. 25. Of a truth. Truly, and therefore worthy of your credit. He calls attention to two cases where acknowledged prophets had so little honor in their own nation that they bestowed their favors on foreigners. So, says he, such is the want of faith in my own country, that I shall work no miracles here, but shall give the evidence of my divine mission to others. ¶ In Israel. In the land of Israel, or Judea. It was therefore the more remarkable, since there were so many in his own country whom he might have helped, that he should have gone to a Heathen city, and aided a poor wid w there. T The days of Elias. The days of Elijah. See the account of this in 1 Kings xvii. 8-24. T Three years. and six months. From 1 Kings xvi' 1, 45, it would seem that the rain fell on the third year. That is, at the end of the third year after rain had ceased to fall at the usual time. There were two seasons of the year when rains fell in Judea, in October and April, called the ear months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And a many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. a 2 Ki.5.14. 1 or, edge. ly and latter rain. Consequently, there was an interval between them of six months. To the three years, therefore, when rain was withheld at the usual times, are to be added the previous six months, when no rain fell as a matter of course; and consequently three years and six months elapsed without rain. TA great famine. A great want of food, from long continued and distressing drought. 26. Save unto Sarepta. Sarepta was a town between Tyre and Sidon, near the Mediterranean sea. It was not a Jewish city, but a Sidonian, and therefore a Gentile town. The word "save" in this verse does not express the meaning of the original. It would seem to imply that the city was Jewish. The meaning of the verse is this. He was sent to none of the widows in Israel. He was not sent except to Sarepta, to a woman that was a Sidonian. 27. Many lepers. For an account of the leprosy, see note on Mat. viii. 1. T Time of Eliseus. Time of Elisha. The word Eliseus is the Greek way of writing the word Elisha; as Elias is of Elijah. T Saving Naaman the Syrian. The account of his cure is contained in 2 Kings v. 14. 28. Filled with wrath. They were enraged, probably, for the following reabons: 1st. They saw the application of the cases to themselves, and that they would not receive the miraculous evidences of his mission. 2d. That he would direct his attention to others, and not to them. 3d. That the Gentiles were objects of compassion with God, and that God often showed more favor to a single Gentile than to multitudes of Jews in the same circumstances, 4th. That they might be worse than the Gentiles. And, 5th. That it was a part of his design to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, and ot confine his labors to them only. On 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 brow1 of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. b с 30 But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way; 31 And came down to Caperna b Ps.37.14,32,33. c Jno.8.59. 10.39. these accounts their favor was soon turned to wrath; and the whole transaction shows us: 1st. That popular applause is of little value. 2d. That the slightest circumstances may soon turn the warmest professed friendship to hatred. And, 3d. That men are exceedingly unreasonable in being unwilling to hear the truth, and profit by it. 29. The brow of the hill, on which, &c. The region in which Nazareth was, is hilly, though Nazareth was situated between two hills, or in a vale among mountains. The place to which they led the Saviour is still shown, and is called the mount of Precipitation. It is at a short distance to the south of Nazareth. Cast him down. This was the effect of a popular tumult. They had no legal right to take life on any occasion, and least of all in this furious and irregular manner. The whole transaction shows: 1st. That the character given of the Galileans elsewhere as being peculiarly wicked, was a just one. 2d. It shows to what extremities the wickedness of the heart will lead men when it is acted out. And, 3d. That men are opposed to the truth; that they hate the Lord Jesus; and that they would do any thing, if not restrained, to manifest their opposition. 30. Passing through the midst of them, went his way. This escape was very remarkable. That he should escape out of their hands when the very object was to destroy him; that he should escape in so peaceful a manner, without violence or conflict. A similar case is recorded in John viii. 59. There are but two ways of accounting for this: 1st. That other Nazarenes, who had not been present in the synagogue, heard what was doing, and came to rescue him, and in the contest which rose between the two parties, Jesus silently escaped. 2d. More probably Jesus by divine pow um, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath-days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with" power. 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 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. с d 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, 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. 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 every one of them, and healed them. 41 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. 2 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 am I sent. h 38 And he arose out of the syna-A gogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. a Je.23.29. Mat.7.28,29. Tit.2.15. He.4.12. b Mar.1.23. 1 or, away. c Ja.2.19. d ver. 41. e Ps.16.10. Da.9.24. c.1.35. Ac.3.14. 2 And saw two ships standing f 1Pe,3.22. g Mat.8.14,&c. Mar.1.29,&c 2 or, to say that they knew him to be Christ. h Mar.1.38. i Mat.4.18,&c. Mar.1.16,&c. er, by the force of a word, or look, still-lowers. Indeed it is not possible to tell ed their passions, arrested their purposes, and passed silently through them. That he had such a power over the spirits of men, we learn from the occurrence in Gethsemane, when Jesus said, "I am he, and they went backward, and fell to the ground." John xviii. 6. 31-44. See this explained in the notes on Mark i. 21-39. what might have been his success, had not the proud Pharisees and scribes, those who were rich, and those who were in office, opposed him, and taken measures to draw the people away from his ministry: for the common people heard him gladly. The lake of Gennesaret. Called also the sea of Galilee, and the sea of Tiberias. This was the region of the early toils of our Redeemer. Here he per1. The people pressed upon him. formed some of his first and most amazing Multitudes came to hear. There was a miracles; here he selected his disciples; glorious prospect of a revival of religion. and here, on the shores of this little and There were times in the life of our Sa-retired lake, among people of poverty, viour when thousands were anxious to hear him, and when many, as we have no reason to doubt, became his true fol CHAPTER V. and inured to the privations of fishermen, he laid the foundation of a religion which is yet to spread through all the world, |