Father Joseph Knabenbauer's Commentary on Luke 4:16-30

 Author: Joseph Knabenbauer, S.J. (1837–1914), was a prominent Austrian Jesuit biblical scholar. His commentaries (published c. 1879–1890) represent the height of 19th-century Catholic critical exegesis, balancing traditional patristic interpretation with emerging historical-critical methods.

Key Themes in the Commentary:

• Harmonization: Knabenbauer carefully aligns Luke's timeline with John's Gospel regarding the early ministry.

• Messianic Claim: He emphasizes that Jesus' declaration "Today this Scripture is fulfilled" is a direct claim to being the Messiah.

• Universalism: A major focus is the shift from Israel to the Gentiles (typified by the Widow of Zarephath and Naaman), prefiguring the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews and its acceptance by the Gentiles.

• Divine Power: The escape from the cliff is interpreted not as invisibility but as a miraculous suspension of the mob's will, demonstrating Christ's voluntary submission to His passion later.

 

Joseph Knabenbauer's Commentary on Luke 4:16-30

Commentarius in Evangelium secundum Lucam (1879)

[Introduction: The Return to Galilee and the Power of the Spirit]

Lk 4:14–15. What happened immediately after the temptation is not touched upon by the Synoptics, but is supplied, as St. Augustine (De Consensu Evangelistarum 2, 18, 42) and others note, by St. John (1:29–4:3). What John has—"He left Judea and departed again into Galilee"—describes the same journey which Luke mentions, taking from it the beginning of his narration of the public life of Jesus (v. 14): "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee." The Evangelist indicates that Jesus was moved by the Holy Spirit in all things (cf. Matthew) and thus returned so that He no longer lived a private life, but, manifesting and putting forth the power of the Spirit, boldly undertook the work of preaching the Gospel and worked miracles (Luke). Hence, what kind of power of the Spirit was manifested in Him is declared: "And a report went out through all the region concerning Him." So powerfully and effectively did He teach, and confirm His doctrine with miracles. That a longer space of time is comprehended is evident both from the words themselves and from v. 23. Verse 15: "And He taught in their synagogues," namely, of the Galileans, "and was magnified by all." He was celebrated with praises and held in admiration by all. With such a beginning, a happy success seemed promised. But soon another aspect of affairs appeared. The Evangelist does not conceal the causes of this disastrous change.

[Jesus in the Synagogue of Nazareth]

Lk 4:16. Having returned to Galilee, Jesus preached for some time and was held in high esteem by the Galileans, who were witnesses of the things done in Jerusalem. From that time, St. John reports one miracle worked in favor of the nobleman (John 4:46 seq.), while He was in Cana of Galilee; we are taught by the speech of the Nazarenes that many other splendid miracles were worked by Him in Capernaum. The Evangelists were satisfied to hint at these and leave them for us to gather from their words. "And He came to Nazareth, where He was brought up" (2:51, 52). "And He entered, according to His custom, on the Sabbath day into the synagogue." Some think this designates a custom which He had kept from boyhood (cf. Luke, Fillion, Meyer, Godet); but after v. 15 it is only indicated that He was accustomed to teach in the synagogue on Sabbath days. "And He stood up to read." We are taught in Acts 15:21 that something from the Law of Moses was read in the synagogues every Sabbath, and in this place we learn that a reading was also made from the Prophets. (The Jews of later times also kept this custom; but that distribution into paraschas and haphtaras did not yet exist at the time of Christ; it was introduced later and a portion assigned to each Sabbath, cf. Cornely, Introductio I, p. 35, 2nd edit.). Honor is paid to the Sacred Letters such that the one who reads them publicly to the people stands.

Lk 4:17. "And the book of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him." "And when He had unrolled the book" (in Greek, in better codices, aneptixen, but anelyxas expresses the matter well; for the books of the Hebrews were volumes, i.e., they were not bound with distinct leaves, as are our books, but wound around a single round staff and folded into the form of a cylinder, cf. 1530). Jesus therefore unfolded and expanded the parchment (cf. Luke, Calmet); or as Lamy explains: the volumes whose use was in the synagogues were bound with two round staffs, which had handles; holding these, the reader could roll or unroll the book, as was necessary.

[The Prophecy of Isaiah and the Messianic Mission]

Jesus found the place, "and this was of the providence of God" (Origen, Euthymius, Maldonatus, Luke, Fillion); for Christ wished that there should immediately occur to Him where it was written, Verse 18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me" (Isaiah 61:1). From Isaiah 11:9 and 42:1 it is already clear that Isaiah does not say these things concerning himself (as Schegg incorrectly thinks), but introduces the Messiah Himself speaking. "Because He has anointed me." From the Hebrew, it is understood that Yahweh anointed Him, not the Spirit; by unction consecration was made for certain theocratic offices. Kings and priests were anointed with oil; prophets with the Spirit of God. With greater right is the Messiah, King and Priest and Chief of Prophets, who in His humanity and divinity is anointed and full of grace, called "The Anointed" (Christus). And after the visible form of the Spirit of God descended upon Him in baptism, what was more fitting than that He should openly profess Himself to be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord?

And to what He is sent, consecrated, and imbued with divine power, is declared: "He has sent me to preach the Gospel to the poor." Yahweh, namely, from the Hebrew (the word is usually feminine gender; the verb has masculine form). The "poor" (evyonim) are the miserable, afflicted, who nevertheless bear afflictions with patience and meekness (see on Matthew 5:3 blessed are the poor, and on Isaiah 61:1). To those, therefore, who are pressed by miseries and desire salvation, a good and saving message must be brought. "To heal the contrite in heart" (see variant readings), Hebrew: the broken in heart, i.e., the sad, dejected, pusillanimous; accordingly, He is sent to raise up and strengthen sick souls.

Lk 4:19: "To preach deliverance to the captives and sight to the blind" (LXX Isaiah 61:1). To those who are held by the captivity of sin and error, He will bring liberation; He will open eyes closed to heavenly things. For through the Messiah, a light will rise to those sitting in the shadow of death (Isaiah 9:2; cf. 42:1; 59:6; 51:15). "To set at liberty those who are bruised, unto remission." These words, taken from Psalm 98:6, seem to be inserted here by Luke on account of the affinity of the matter; en aphesei, namely, so that those who were miserable may now be placed in happiness and liberty from oppression. The Evangelist wished, as Tostatius says, to distinguish the matter and sense more explicitly and perfectly, or to add these as an explanation of the nearest words (Maldonatus). "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord," i.e., the year of good pleasure, of the benevolence of the Lord (Hebrew). There seems to be an allusion to the Jubilee year (Leviticus 25:10; Ezekiel 56:17); which year is best considered as a type of the Messianic time and the benefits of that time. For in that year, servants asserted into liberty changed their wretched and ignoble condition, and those who had lost their possessions, pressed by debt, recovered them; so in Messianic time, captives are liberated by Christ the Avenger from sins and errors and are restored to the state of grace and the right of heavenly inheritance from which the human race had fallen.

In that same sense, understand what is added in the Vulgate: "and the day of recompense," which member is not had in Greek, and rightly so, since from the Hebrew the day of God's vengeance is designated. For although Christ comes not only for the resurrection but also will be for the ruin of many, nevertheless in this place it is best understood why He read only those things from the prophet which pertain closely to His mission and bring consolation; for "God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" (John 3:17). Moreover, see a fuller explanation of the place of Isaiah in Comment. Is. II, p. 432 seq.

[The Theory of a One-Year Ministry]

From the fact that the prophet and Jesus, reading the prophet, announces the "acceptable year of the Lord," a sentiment arose among some of the ancients that Christ truly preached for only one year. So writes Clement of Alexandria: "And that it was necessary for Him to preach for one year only, this also is so written: 'to preach the acceptable year of the Lord He has sent me'; this both the prophet said and the Gospel" (Stromata 1; Migne 8, 885). Similarly, Philastrius and Gaudentius put forth the same opinion, appealing to the same text. And the former indeed has this: "The prophet Isaiah spoke of that year of the Savior Lord, in which He taught until the passion and ascension into heaven, just as the most blessed have handed down"; indeed, he reports the contrary opinion among heresies (Haer. 106; Migne 12, 1220). Gaudentius, however, opens his opinion supported by a double reason: that the paschal lamb ought to be a yearling (and Christ was a yearling, because after baptism until the passion the time of one year is fulfilled) and that He preached the acceptable year of the Lord (Tractate 3; Migne 20, 866). Others also from the ancients assign only one year to the public life of the Lord, as is done in Clement's Homily 17, 19 (Migne 2, 401), in Lactantius, Instit. Div. 4, 10 (Migne 6, 474), and in Hilarianus (De Die Paschae n. 15; Migne 13, 1114), but it is not clear whether they established that opinion for themselves from this text or from the manner of narrating of the Synoptics. Tertullian (Adv. Jud. 8), Origen (De Princ. 4, 5; Migne 11, 349), and Augustine (De Civ. D. 18, 54; Migne 41, 619) also seem to affirm one year; but in other places they establish another and better opinion (cf. Patritius, Diss. 19, p. 189, 198, 216).

From among more recent scholars, Wieseler thinks that Christ read these things in Nazareth on the Sabbath after the feast of Purim, on the 26th day of the month of March in the year 782 A.U.C., and that truly until His death (on the 7th of April 783) a full year flowed (Synopse p. 272). But that whole computation of his is fallacious, and when Jesus visited His homeland cannot be accurately determined. Much less can anything be gathered from the "acceptable year"; for just as it is said that He was sent to preach the acceptable year, so in the same way it is immediately added: "and to preach the day of recompense."

[The Sermon and the Reaction of the Nazarenes]

Witness Philo, whoever was learned and skilled could, after the reading was done in the synagogue, propose an explanation or exhortation to the rest (cf. De Septenario 6; Schürer l.c. V p. 376). The Nazarenes certainly expected that Jesus, whose fame had now greatly prevailed, would speak words after the reading was finished; for otherwise we read that Paul and Barnard also, who had arrived from abroad, were invited by the rulers of the synagogue to hold a speech (Acts 13:15).

Lk 4:20. Jesus therefore, "when He had closed the book" (ptixas; when He had rolled it up), "gave it back to the minister" (among the rabbis called the hazzan, minister of the synagogue and of sacred things, cf. Buxtorf, Lexicon Chald. Talm. p. 730), "and sat down," namely, to speak words concerning the place of Isaiah. "And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him." His fame aroused the expectation of all, and since previously in common life they had seen nothing in Jesus which departed from the ordinary condition of a carpenter, their zeal and desire to hear what finally He could accomplish was kindled all the more.

Lk 4:21. "And He began to say to them: 'Because today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.'" I.e., that which you have heard read is today fulfilled; this oracle of the prophet is now fulfilled. This, therefore, was the argument of the Lord's sermon, by which He showed that in Himself, in His mission, in His work, all those things which the prophet had consigned to letters were now being effected and perfected. The Evangelist reports only the sum of the matter to us; "in your ears" is a Hebraism, cf. Genesis 50:4 to speak in the ears of Pharaoh, 1 Kings 18:23, Baruch 1:3 to read to the ears (etc. Schanz). Clearly and distinctly, therefore, Jesus announces that the Messianic time is at hand and that He is the Messiah, the savior of the afflicted and the teacher and consoler of all. And indeed in those words of Isaiah the office of the Messiah and His character are excellently described, so that it is necessary that the minds of all be affected with desire and love for Him. Would that we had those words by which Jesus Himself explained that excellent oracle!

Lk 4:22. With what eloquence, heavenly unction, and sweetness Jesus spoke, the Evangelist hints to us by describing with what admiration the Nazarenes at first pursued His words. "And all bore witness to Him," namely, to His wisdom, erudition, doctrine; they testified that what had been brought to them by report concerning Jesus and His power and grace of teaching rested plainly on truth (cf. Luke; similarly Tostatius, Jansenius, Lamy). "And they marveled at the words of grace," at words full of grace and sweetness, "which proceeded from His mouth." They were held by admiration at with what sweetness, power, and eloquence He discoursed, with what art He persuaded, moved, and pleased (Calmet); cf. John 7:56 "Never did man speak like this." And their admiration was the greater because they had known Him from a boy, "and they said: 'Is not this the son of Joseph?'" But that which ought to have provoked their faith, namely, that heavenly wisdom which showed the son of Joseph was truly sent and taught by God and far surpassed His humble origin as they thought, became for them a stumbling block and scandal. They are offended and their pride is wounded because He whom they had known as a fellow-citizen of humble origin now exhibits Himself to them as Savior and Messiah; Him, as Bede says, "on account of known lineage, on account of familiarity with lineage, they despise." Whence, denying faith to Him, they resolve this among themselves: that if He wishes to attribute any authority to Himself and demand any honor, let Him prove beforehand by works plainly miraculous and magnificent and stupendous that He merits to affect a more sublime condition.

[The Proverb and the Rejection of the Prophet]

Lk 4:23. Jesus, perceiving those feelings of mind, openly upbraids them: "And He said to them: 'You will surely say to me this likeness'" (panto; altogether, certainly; parabolēn, Euthymius explains well paroimian, this proverb, cf. 5:36). "Physician, heal thyself." Wetstein shows that this proverb was common among Jews, Greeks, and Romans. They say therefore: "If you wish to be held as sent by God, the Savior of all, first remove from yourself the evil with which you labor, lacking namely authority and dignity." Accordingly, they wish that by facts altogether wonderful He conciliate for Himself what is still lacking to Him. And in what sense that proverb is put forth is explained (as Alb., Cai., Jans., Mald., Tol., Ipr. note well): "Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum" (eis; cf. Acts 28:6 eis auton cheiras), which you did toward Capernaum, for strangers, do also here in your own country. In that you work miracles here, you help yourself (cf. Alb., Luke); wherefore meritly that proverb "Physician, heal thyself" can be explained with most commentators concerning the miracles which the Nazarenes demand for themselves, i.e., "Physician, heal your fellow-citizens" (cf. Cyril, Theophylact, Euthymius, Cat., Cr., Bon., Alb., Cai., Schegg, Schanz, Fillion). Nor does it stand in the way what Weiss objects, that seauton ought to designate one and the same with iatre. For by the fact that he heals others, he commends himself in authority and dignity among his own.

Lk 4:24. But why He does not find faith among his own and therefore does not work miracles (for to these He always demands faith and bestows His benefits on believers), He adduces a general reason: "But He said." Since this is interposed, some think a longer disputation followed after v. 23 and, that finished, the words of the Lord are taken up again. But that is not necessary. For thus with some emphasis the response is introduced to the objection made in v. 23 (cf. Schanz); or it could also be said that the Evangelist wishes to set forth this from the many words of Jesus above the rest: "Amen, I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country." Cf. John 4:44. Origen already mentions the example of Jeremiah (11:21 and 12:6) and St. Cyril says rightly: "He who is familiar and always before the eyes, to him also due honor is denied by his own acquaintances." For easily acquaintances are inflamed with envy (St. Ambrose), if anyone seems to them to desire greater things, especially since men are accustomed to admire foreign and rare things, but despise common and familiar ones (Theophylact). For familiarity, as it is said, breeds contempt: for everyone considers a familiar person his equal; whence he bears it with difficulty if that one wishes to rise to higher things; for he considers the glory of a familiar and equal his own confusion (cf. Luke), "and it is almost natural for citizens always to envy citizens" (Jansenius).

[The Examples of Elijah and Elisha]

Then He shows that the divine gift is by no means deferred by right of nature (St. Ambrose). For the Nazarenes had thought that because Jesus was educated among them, He ought, if He could do anything, to make His own country glorious and enrich it with His benefits and miracles, and now they had borne it with difficulty that, His own country passed over, they had heard Him rather to have been beneficial and powerful toward Capernaum, just as Jesus lays open their minds and thoughts in v. 23. Wherefore, by examples adduced, He shows that divine benefits are by no means owed to them as if by some proper right.

Lk 4:25–26. "In truth I say to you: many widows were in the days of Elijah in Israel, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine was made in all the earth." Verse 26: "And to none of them was Elijah sent, but into Sarepta of Sidon to a widow woman." By that proem: "Truly I say to you," Jesus does not so much wish to assert the thing truly happened thus, but rather to warn that they consider well the doctrine contained in that deed done and not think such things are consigned to Sacred Letters in vain. For no one called into doubt that the thing truly happened; whence it was not so necessary to affirm it so explicitly; cf. 3 Kings 17:9 seq. When rains rush upon the earth, the cataracts of heaven are said to be opened (Genesis 7:11); but when rain is denied to the earth, heaven is said to be closed; cf. 2 Paralipomena 6:26; 7:13. That in that time they labored under droughts for three years and six months is also said in James 5:17. Wherefore 3 Kings 18:1, understand "in the third year" concerning the dwelling of Elijah in Sarepta, before which he had stayed at the torrent of Carith, until that was dried up (3 Kings 17:5–7). Whence, drought having been indicted, first he stayed at the torrent Carith; that having dried up, he was ordered to go into Sarepta of the Sidonians, and why he stayed there in the third year he received the mandate: "Go and show yourself to Achab, that I may give rain upon the face of the earth." Easily, therefore, three years and six months are completed (cf. Jans., Luke, Calmet, Reischl, Schegg, Schanz, Färber, Sp.). Others also appeal to Jewish tradition (Jalkut Schimoni ad 1 Reg. 16; cf. Weiss) according to which for an unlucky matter the number 3½ (half of the sacred number seven!) was accustomed to be used; but that reason and explanation is very uncertain. Others think a longer space of time flowed between the mandate 3 Reg. 18:1 and Elijah's approach to Achab and the cessation of drought (Fillion), which seems little probable. Nor is it probable what Lightfoot and Wetstein have at this place: rain was accustomed to fall in Judea only twice a year, the first in the month of October, the second in April; if therefore God withheld it at the instant time of rain for three years, six months preceding in which it had not rained are added to the triennium.

Sarepta is a town of Phoenicia situated between Tyre and Sidon; today a village Sarfand is visited, distant 35 km south from Sidon (cf. Zeitschrift d. Palästina Vereins VIII p. 25); see on Obadiah v. 20. A Gentile widow, therefore, God preferred to all Israelitic widows, Elijah being sent to this one rather than to any of those, that by a miracle published He might help and honor her. Why? Scarcely only because Elijah might lie safe in Phoenicia, but because even at that time He wished to show Gentiles were not excluded from divine benefits. Tol., Luke also adduce this reason: because God knew that no widow in Israel would make so much of the prophet as that one. "And certainly she made much of the prophet, who as soon as he asked, expended for his food and drink whatever she had left of water, oil, flour, exposing herself and her son to danger of death thereafter, unless she believed the word of the prophet that flour and oil would not fail; which thing as it was of itself difficult to believe, indeed exceeding all reason of nature, so it became more difficult because she could think this with herself: 'How will he provide for me for sustenance who does not provide for himself?' So great therefore faith joined with singular charity when God did not find in Israel, Israelites being passed over, He sent the prophet to the Sidonian widow; so much does the mind have of weight with God more than lineage; nor does God grant His gifts to a nation, but to faith; nor to fleshly proximity, but to promptness of spirit" (Luke).

Lk 4:27. That divine benefits are not owed to them because they are fellow-tribesmen, He proves by another example: "And many lepers were in Israel under Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian." See 4 Kings 5:9 seq. Many, therefore, from His chosen people God permitted to miserably waste away with this horrendous disease; Elisha healed no one; to one alien who up to that time had been an idolater, health was restored by miracle. God is free in the distribution of graces, and who can say to the Almighty: "Why do You do thus?" (Job 9:12)? But the Nazarenes cast the blame why miracles were not done among them not upon themselves—their own incredulity, envy, pride—but they blazed with impotent fury against Jesus.

[The Attempt on Jesus' Life]

Lk 4:28. "And all in the synagogue were filled with wrath, hearing these things." For they thought they were mocked and ridiculed by the examples adduced, that Jesus said all things ought to be given to aliens, that He wished to concede nothing to His own. For that which they demanded: "Do also here in your own country," seemed to them Jesus by the examples adduced not only to have denied altogether, but with the insult of His own and sharp reproof to have decreed that He wished to spend and transfer whatever He could for the advantage and glory of others. Whence thinking themselves despised and mocked by Him whom up to then they had held as their equal, they were kindled into indignation. And because they held Jesus as the carpenter's son nor had conceived faith in Him from the fame of miracles, they drew even greater fury against Him from this, because He had explained the oracle of Isaiah concerning Himself and openly proposed Himself as Messiah.

Lk 4:29. Blind and raving with rage, "they rose up and cast Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill," upon which, to which, near which their city was built; houses today also are situated in the lower part of the slope or on the declivity of the mountain. "That they might cast Him down headlong." Perhaps in that place where today the church of the Maronites is and a precipice sufficiently high (50–60 feet) is seen; for the mountain of precipitation which is said to be is almost an hour's journey from the town; but that they led Jesus to a place so distant is not probable already before their rage, especially since various precipices exist near the town toward the west. Moreover, that tradition concerning the mountain of precipitation is not ancient, since the first mention of it is made in the twelfth century (cf. Ritter, Erdkunde, XVI p. 754; Sepp, das hl. Land II p. 88; Schegg, Schanz, Fillion). Concerning a similar kind of death see 2 Paralipomena 25:12. They attempted to kill Jesus tumultuously, just as afterwards St. Stephen was killed tumultuously and James the brother of the Lord and others were killed (cf. Acts 7:57; Josephus, Ant. 20, 9, 1; Eusebius H.E. 2, 23). Bede writes meritly: "O inheritance of the disciples, worse than the Master! The devil tempts the Lord with words, the Jews with deed; he says: 'Cast Yourself down,' these ones endeavor that they cast Him down."

Lk 4:30. How weak are the attempts of men! Jesus shows to them in a distinguished manner that all forces and rage against Him can effect nothing. "But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way." The words signify that He proceeded secure, without any flight, without any haste, through the midst of the enemies with a grave and slow step and, leaving those ones, went away (Maldonatus); for it is to be joined: "when He had passed through the midst of them, He went away" (Jans.), He set out where He wished (Luke). That some think Jesus rendered Himself invisible (Cai., Mald., Calmet), is by no means indicated by the words. Others think Christ diverted their eyes and mind, or stupefied them and held their hands and feet by His command, so that as if struck with stupor they could not apprehend Him (cf. Lap.). We know this one thing: Jesus by His divine power rendered their fury and impious attempts void, similarly as John 7:30 "they sought to apprehend Him and no one laid hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come," 10:39 "they sought to apprehend Him and He went out of their hands." He went away, as St. Cyril says, not because He avoided suffering; for He came into the world for the sake of that thing; but because He awaited a suitable time. At the same time we are taught that when He suffered He suffered because He wished; "for when He wishes He is captured, when He wishes He slips away; when He wishes He is suspended, when He wishes He is not held; and here He had ascended to the brow of the mountain to be cast down, and behold through the midst of them the mind of the raging ones suddenly changed or stupefied, He descended; for not yet had the hour of passion come; indeed He even preferred still to heal the Jews than to destroy them, so that by the ineffective exit of fury they might cease to wish what they could not fulfill. You see here it is of divinity what He worked, and there it is of will that He was captured" (St. Ambrose, similarly Cyril).

The miracle which the Nazarenes demanded that they might acknowledge the authority of Jesus (v. 23) is now presented to them: He whom they wish to cast down headlong goes secure and full of majesty through the midst of the raging crowd and no one is able to lay hands on Him. Why suddenly do the hands of all become as if stupefied? It is a miracle not unlike that by which in the temple no one dared to resist the Messiah scourging the sellers (John 2:15). Were the Nazarenes led to faith by that sign? As little as the Jews in the temple. His own did not receive Him. Just as Matthew in the adoration of the Magi and in the flight of Jesus already indicates by a certain presage that the Kingdom of the Messiah, repulsed by the Jews, will be transferred to the Gentiles, so Luke admonishes us of the same thing soon from the beginning of the public life of Christ.

CONTINUE