Luke 4:31-41
Came down ( κατηλθεν ). Mr 1:21 has the historical present,they go into ( εισπορευοντα ). Capernaum (Tell Hum) is now the headquarters of the Galilean ministry, since Nazareth has rejected Jesus. Lu 4:31-37 is parallel with Mr 1:21-28 which he manifestly uses. It is the first of Christ's miracles which they give.
Was teaching them ( ην διδασκων αυτους ). Periphrastic imperfect. Mark has εδιδασκεν first and then εν διδασκων. "Them" here means the people present in the synagogue on the sabbath, construction according to sense as in Mr 1:22.
Rest of the sentence as in Mark, which see, except that Luke omits "and not as their scribes" and uses οτ ην instead of ως εχων.
Which had ( εχων ). Mark has εν.
A spirit of an unclean demon ( πνευμα δαιμονιου ακαθαρτου ). Mark has "unclean spirit." Luke's phrase here is unique in this combination. Plummer notes that Matthew has δαιμονιον ten times and ακαθαρτον twice as an epithet of πνευμα; Mark has δαιμονιον thirteen times and ακαθαρτον eleven times as an epithet of πνευμα. Luke's Gospel uses δαιμονιον twenty-two times and ακαθαρτον as an epithet, once of δαιμονιον as here and once of πνευμα. In Mark the man is in ( εν ) the power of the unclean spirit, while here the man "has" a spirit of an unclean demon.
With a loud voice ( φωνη μεγαλη ). Not in Mark. Really a scream caused by the sudden contact of the demon with Jesus.
Ah! ( Εα ). An interjection frequent in the Attic poets, but rare in prose. Apparently second person singular imperative of εαω, to permit. It is expressive of wonder, fear, indignation. Here it amounts to a diabolical screech. For the rest of the verse see discussion on Mr 1:24 and Mt 8:29. The muzzle ( φιμος ) occurs literally in 1Co 9:9, 1Ti 5:18, and metaphorically here and Mr 1:25; 4:39; Mt 22:12.
Had thrown him down in the midst ( ριψαν αυτον εις το μεσον ). First aorist (effective) participle of ριπτω, an old verb with violent meaning, to fling, throw, hurl off or down.
Having done him no hurt ( μηδεν βλαψαν αυτον ). Luke as a physician carefully notes this important detail not in Mark. Βλαπτω, to injure, or hurt, occurs in the N.T. only here and in Mr 16:18, though a very common verb in the old Greek.
Amazement came ( εγενετο θαμβος ). Mark has εθαμβηθησαν.
They spake together one with another ( συνελαλουν προς αλληλους ). Imperfect indicative active and the reciprocal pronoun. Mark has simply the infinitive συνζητειν (question).
For ( οτ ). We have here an ambiguous οτ as in 1:45, which can be either the relative "that" or the casual οτ "because" or "for," as the Revised Version has it. Either makes good sense. Luke adds here δυναμε (with power) to Mark's "authority" ( εξουσιαν ).
And they come out ( εξερχοντα ). So Luke where Mark has "and they obey him" ( κα υπακουουσιν αυτω ).
Went forth a rumour ( εξεπορευετο ηχος ). Imperfect middle, kept on going forth. Our very word εχο in this word. Late Greek form for ηχω in the old Greek. Used for the roar of the waves on the shore. So in Lu 21:25. Vivid picture of the resounding influence of this day's work in the synagogue, in Capernaum.
He rose up ( αναστας ). Second aorist active participle of ανιστημ, a common verb. B. Weiss adds here "from the teacher's seat." Either from his seat or merely leaving the synagogue. This incident of the healing of Peter's mother-in-law is given in Mr 1:29-34 and Mt 8:14-17, which see for details.
Into the house of Simon ( εις την οικιαν Σιμωνος ). "Peter's house" (Mt 8:14). "The house of Simon and Andrew" (Mr 1:29). Paul's reference to Peter's wife (1Co 9:5) is pertinent. They lived together in Capernaum. This house came also to be the Capernaum home of Jesus.
Simon's wife's mother ( πενθερα του Σιμωνος ). The word πενθερα for mother-in-law is old and well established in usage. Besides the parallel passages (Mr 1:30; Mt 8:14; Lu 4:38) it occurs in the N.T. only in Lu 12:53. The corresponding word πενθερος, father-in-law, occurs in Joh 18:13 alone in the N.T.
Was holden with a great fever ( ην συνεχομενη πυρετω μεγαλω ). Periphrastic imperfect passive, the analytical tense accenting the continuous fever, perhaps chronic and certainly severe. Luke employs this verb nine times and only three others in the N.T. (Mt 4:24 passive with diseases here; 2Co 5:14 active; Php 1:23 passive). In Ac 28:8 the passive "with dysentery" is like the construction here and is a common one in Greek medical writers as in Greek literature generally. Luke uses the passive with "fear," Lu 8:37, the active for holding the hands over the ears (Ac 7:57) and for pressing one or holding together (Lu 8:45; 19:43; 22:63), the direct middle for holding oneself to preaching (Ac 18:5). It is followed here by the instrumental case. Hobart (Medical Language of Luke, p. 3) quotes Galen as dividing fevers into "great" ( μεγαλο ) and "small" ( σμικρο ).
He stood over her ( επιστας επανω αυτης ). Second aorist active participle. Only in Luke. Surely we are not to take Luke to mean that Jesus here took the exorcist's position and was rebuking a malignant personality. The attitude of Jesus is precisely that of any kindly sympathetic physician. Mr 1:31; Mt 8:15 mention the touch of her hand rather than the tender look over her head.
Rebuked ( επετιμησεν ). Only in Luke. Jesus bade the fever leave her as he spoke to the wind and the waves and Luke uses this same verb (8:24).
Rose up and ministered ( αναστασα διηκονε ). Second aorist active participle as in verse 38, but inchoative imperfect tense διηκονε, from διακονεω (note augment of compound verb). She rose up immediately, though a long high fever usually leaves one very weak. The cure was instantaneous and complete. She began to minister at once and kept it up.
When the sun was setting ( δυνοντος του ηλιου ). Genitive absolute and present participle ( δυνω, late form of δυω ) picturing the sunset scene. Even Mr 1:32 has here the aorist indicative εδυσεν (punctiliar active). It was not only cooler, but it was the end of the sabbath when it was not regarded as work (Vincent) to carry a sick person (Joh 5:10). And also by now the news of the cure of the demoniac of Peter's mother-in-law had spread all over the town.
Had ( ειχον ). Imperfect tense including all the chronic cases.
With divers diseases ( νοσοις ποικιλαις ). Instrumental case. For "divers" say "many coloured" or "variegated." See on Mt 4:24; Mr 1:34.
Brought ( ηγαγον ). Constative summary second aorist active indicative like Mt 8:16, προσενεγκαν, where Mr 1:32 has the imperfect εφερον, brought one after another.
He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them ( ο δε εν εκαστω αυτων τας χειρας επιτιθεις εθεραπευεν αυτους ). Note the present active participle επιτιθεις and the imperfect active εθεραπευεν, picturing the healing one by one with the tender touch upon each one. Luke alone gives this graphic detail which was more than a mere ceremonial laying on of hands. Clearly the cures of Jesus reached the physical, mental, and spiritual planes of human nature. He is Lord of life and acted here as Master of each case as it came.
Came out ( εξÂηρχετο, singular, or εξÂηρχοντο, plural). Imperfect tense, repetition, from one after another.
Thou art the Son of God ( Συ ε ο υιος του θεου ). More definite statement of the deity of Jesus than the witness of the demoniac in the synagogue (Lu 4:34; Mr 1:24), like the words of the Father (Lu 3:22) and more so than the condition of the devil (Lu 4:3, 9). In the Canterbury Revision "devils" should always be "demons" ( δαιμονια ) as here.
Suffered them not to speak ( ουκ εια αυτα λαλειν ). Imperfect third singular active of εαω, very old and common verb with syllabic augment ε. The tense accents the continued refusal of Jesus to receive testimony to his person and work from demons. Cf. Mt 8:4 to the lepers.
Because they knew ( οτ ηιδεισαν ). Causal, not declarative, οτ. Past perfect of the second perfect οιδα.
That he was the Christ ( τον Χριστον αυτον εινα ). Infinitive in indirect assertion with the accusative of general reference. Τον Χριστον =
the Anointed, the Messiah.
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