Was opened (ἀνεωχθῆναι)

So Matthew, but Mark σχιζομένους, rent.

The Holy Ghost

Better, Spirit. Matthew has the Spirit of God: Mark, the Spirit.

In a bodily shape

Peculiar to Luke.

Thou art my beloved son

Lit., Thou art my son, the beloved. So Mark. But Matthew, This is my son, the beloved.

Began to be about thirty years of age (ἦν ἀρχόμενος ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα)

Peculiar to Luke. A. V. is wrong. It should be as Rev., when he began (to teach) was about thirty years of age.

Was led

So Matthew. Mark says, "The Spirit driveth, (ὲκβάλλει) or thrusteth him forth.

By the Spirit (ἐν τῷ πνεύματι)

The American Revisers render in the spirit, indicating the sphere rather than the impulse of his action.

Into the wilderness

The A. V. has followed the reading εἰς into. The proper reading is ἐν, in. He was not only impelled into the wilderness, but guided in the wilderness by the Spirit.

Forty days

This should be joined with the preceding words, indicating the duration of his stay in the wilderness, not of his temptation, as A. V., being forty days tempted. Read as Rev., in the wilderness during forty days.

The devil

See on Matthew 4:1.

He did eat nothing

Mark does not mention the fast. Matthew uses the word νηστεύσας, having fasted, which, throughout the New Testament, is used of abstinence for religious purposes; a ritual act accompanying seasons of prayer.

This stone

Matthew, these stones.

Bread (ἄρτος)

Lit., a loaf. See on Matthew 4:3. Matthew has the plural loaves.

It is written

See on Matthew 4:4.

By bread ( ἐπ' ἄρτῳ)

Lit., "on bread," implying dependence. Compare, by every word (ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι, Matthew 4:4).

The world

See on Luke 2:1.

In a moment of time (ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου)

Peculiar to Luke. Στιγμή is literally a mark made by a pointed instrument, a dot: hence a point of time. Only here in New Testament. Compare στίγματα, brand-marks, Galatians 6:17. Tynd., in the twinkling of an eye.

Note the emphatic position of the pronouns: "To thee will I give - for to me it hath been delivered: thou, therefore, if thou wilt worship," etc. Luke, in his narrative, enlarges upon Matthew. Compare Matthew 4:9.

Serve

See on Luke 1:74.

He brought (ἤγαγεν)

Rev., led. See on παραλαμβάνει, taketh, Matthew 4:5.

Pinnacle of the temple

See on Matthew 4:5.

Down from hence

Matthew has down only.

To keep (διαφυλάξαι)

Only here in New Testament. Better as Rev., guard. See on 1 Peter 1:4 :. The preposition implies close, careful guarding. The phrase, to guard thee, is wanting in Matthew.

In their hands (ἐπὶ χειρῶν)

Rev., correctly, on. See on Matthew 4:6.

It is said

For Matthew's it is written, Matthew 4:7. Luke omits Matthew's again. See Matthew 4:7.

Had ended all the temptation

Peculiar to Luke. The verb συντελέσας, from σύν, together, and τελέω, to accomplish, means to bring to one end together; hence to bring to an end utterly. Better therefore as Rev., completed. The temptations formed a complete cycle, so that it could afterward be said of Jesus that "he was in all points tried like as we are" (Hebrews 4:15).

All the temptation (πάντα πειρασμὸν)

Incorrect. Rev., rightly, every temptation. So Wyc., Every temptation ended.

For a season (ἄχρι καιροῦ)

Peculiar to Luke. More strictly, until a convenient time; since Satan meant to assail him again, as he did in the person of Peter (Mark 8:33); by the Pharisees (John 8:40 sq.); and at Gethsemane. See Luke 22:53.

He taught (αὐτὸς ἐδίδασκεν)

Lit., "he himself taught," verifying the favorable reports about himself in person. The imperfect tense denotes a course of teaching.

Nazareth

With the article; that Nazareth where he had been brought up.

Stood up

Not as a sign that he wished to expound, but being summoned by the superintendent of the synagogue.

To read (ἀναγνῶναι)

Usually in New Testament of public reading. After the liturgical services which introduced the worship of the synagogue, the "minister" took a roll of the law from the ark, removed its case and wrappings, and then called upon some one to read. On the Sabbaths, at least seven persons were called on successively to read portions of the law, none of them consisting of less than three verses. After the law followed a section from the prophets, which was succeeded immediately by a discourse. It was this section which Jesus read and expounded. See Acts 13:15; Nehemiah 8:5, Nehemiah 8:8. For a detailed account of the synagogue-worship, see Edersheim, "Life and Times of Jesus," i., 4:30 sq.

The book (βιβλίον)

A diminutive of βίβλος, the inner bark of the papyrus, used for writing. Hence a roll. The word is also used to denote a division of a work, and is therefore appropriate here to mark the writings of a single prophet as related to the whole body of the prophetic writings.

Opened (ἀναπτύξας)

Lit., unrolled. Both this and the simple verb πτύσσω, to close (Luke 4:20), occur only once in the New Testament. The former word was used in medical language of the opening out of various parts of the body, and the latter of the rolling up of bandages. The use of these terms by Luke the physician is the more significant from the fact that elsewhere in the New Testament ἀνοίγω is used for the opening of a book (Revelation 5:2-5; Revelation 10:2, Revelation 10:8; Revelation 20:12); and εἰλίσσω, for rolling it up (Revelation 6:14).

Found

As if by chance: reading at the place where the roll opened of itself, and trusting to divine guidance.

Was written (ἦν γεγραμμένον)

Lit., was having been written; i.e., stood written.

Anointed

See on Christ, Matthew 1:1.

To preach good tidings

See on Gospel, Superscription of Matthew.

To the poor (πτωχοῖς)

See on Matthew 5:3.

To heal the broken-hearted

The best texts omit. So Rev.

To preach (κηρύξαι)

Better as Rev., proclaim, as a herald. See on 2 Peter 2:5.

To the captives (αἰχμαλώτοις)

From αἰχμή, a spear-point, and ἁλίσκομαι, to be taken or conquered. Hence, properly, of prisoners of war. Compare Isaiah 42:7 : "To bring out captives from the prison, and those who sit in darkness from the house of restraint." The allusion is to Israel, both as captive exiles and as prisoners of Satan in spiritual bondage. Wyc. has caytifs, which formerly signified captives.

To set at liberty (ἀποστεῖλαι)

Lit., to send away in discharge. Inserted from the Sept. of Isaiah 58:6. See on Luke 3:3, and James 5:15.

continued...

To preach (Rev., proclaim) the acceptable year of the Lord

As on the first day of the year of Jubilee, when the priests went through the land proclaiming, with sound of trumpet, the blessings of the opening year (Leviticus 25:8-17). Note Leviticus 4:10, where liberty is to be proclaimed to all in that year. Wyc., the year of the Lord pleasant. A literal interpretation of the word year gave rise among some of the Christian fathers to the theory that our Lord's ministry lasted but a single year.

He closed (πτύξας)

See on Luke 4:17.

Minister (ὑπηρέτῃ)

See on Matthew 5:25. Lit., as Rev., attendant. Minister is likely to be misunderstood as referring to the president of the congregation, who, as the teaching elder, would have addressed the people if Jesus had not done so. It means the attendant who had charge of the sacred rolls. He was a salaried officer, a kind of chapel-clerk.

Sat down

As about to teach; that being the habitual position of a Jewish teacher.

Were fastened (ἦσαν ἀτενίζοντες)

The participle and finite verb denoting continuous, steadfast attention. The verb, from τείνω, to stretch, denotes fixed attention. Indeed, the word attention itself, etymologically considered, conveys the same idea.

He began

Not necessarily denoting his first words, but indicating a solemn and weighty opening.

Bare him witness

Compare Luke 4:14. They confirmed the reports which had been circulated about him. Note the imperfect tense. There was a continuous stream of admiring comment. Similarly, were wondering.

At the gracious words (λόγοις τῆς χάριτος)

Literally and correctly, as Rev., words of grace. See on Luke 1:30.

Is not (οὐχὶ)

Expecting an affirmative answer.

Surely (πάντως)

Lit., by all means. Rev., doubtless,

Proverb (παραβολὴν)

Rev., parable. See on Matthew 13:3. Wyc., likeness.

Physician, heal thyself

A saying which Luke alone records, and which would forcibly appeal to him as a physician. Galen speaks of a physician who should have cured himself before he attempted to attend patients. The same appeal was addressed to Christ on the cross (Matthew 27:40, Matthew 27:42).

A great famine was throughout all the land (ἐγένετο λιμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν)

More literally and correctly, as Rev., there came (or arose) a great famine over all the land.

Lepers

Wyc. renders meselis, the middle-English word for a leper, and derived from misellus, a diminutive of the Latin miser, wretched.