Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

504 Matthew XIII. 53-58 ; Luke IV. 16-19.
(lorn of Jesus was unfolded in the parable here recorded, and tho
relation in which those around him stood to it, is shewn in the following
nairative.. They knew it well, but took ofience at his imme-
diate earthly connexions, and despised on this account the blessing
which Jesus had come to bring to them. Luke, on theother hand,
relates the occurrence for its own sake, and is doubtless more accurate
in the chronology, although the vagueness of the formulae (Luke
iv. 14, 15), does not admit an exact determination of the time ; it is
more than probable, however, that the occurrence belongs to the
commencement of our Lord's ministry. Him, therefore, we shall fol-
low mainly in our exposition, adding at the end the particulars
given by Matthew and Mark.
Luke iv. 16, 17, represents most graj)hically Christ's entry into
the synagogue at Nazareth. According to the usage of the ancient
synagogue, men who were deemed trustworthy, even though not
rabbis, might -deliver there doctrinal addresses. They usually stood
up while reading God's Word {dveoTrj dvayvcovai^ ver. 16*), the
servant of the synagogue (vnrjpsrrjg, ver. 20) handed the roll, and the
teacher, after reading the section, sitting down delivered his dis-
course (ver. 20). After a section from the books of Moses, there
followed a passage from the prophets. The account given in this
narrative corresponds closely to the usual practice, the only doubtful
point being whether the Kedeemer read the passage from the
prophets set down for that Sabbath or not. To me the latter view
seems probable. Otherwise we must assume that first an extract
from the law, and next this passage from Isaiah, was read, but in
this way the deep impression of these prophetic words must have
been greatly weakened. Besides, the very language dvarrTv^ag rb
3tj3A,Lov evge k. t. A,, unfolding the hook he found, etc., points to a
selection—not indeed consciously designed, but under the guidance
of the Spirit—of the precise passage which predicted the appearance
of the Messiah.
Ver. 17.—The [iifiXiov is to be conceived of- as a roll, so that
dvaTTTvaou) retains its literal sense of unfolding or unrolling. The
person who presented it was undoubtedly the "ijh, the v-nrjpE-rig, ver.
20 (comp. Buxt. lex., p. 730).
Ver. 18, 19.—The passage Isaiah Ixi. 1, is quoted by Luke freely,
and therefore with some variations, from the LXX. Many changes,
however, have been adopted from the translation into our text, as
* In reference to this custom quotations are given by Lightfoot on the passage. In
the first it is said—Non legunt in lege nisi stantes. Imo non licet legenti, alicui rei innitL
Tjnde autcm tenetur legens stare ? Quia Scriptura dicit : tu autem mecum sta. The
reader in the prophets was called "i^CSt?, i- e., according to Buxt. Lex. Talm. p. 1719,
dimitiens, he who read last and dismissed the people. According to this, one may sup-
pose that the reading of the passage from the law was already completed, and that Jesus,
as maphtir, now concluded the service of God.