.ng. 13. Departed for a season. For a time. From this it appears that our Saviour was afterwards subjected to temptations by Satan. But no particular temptations are recorded after this. From John xiv. 30, it seems that the devil tried him about the time of his agony in Gethsemane, but in what particular way we are not told. It is more than probable, also, that Satan did much to excite the Pharisees and Sadducees to endeavor to entangle him, and the priests and rulers to oppose him. Yet, out of all his temptations, God delivered him; and so he will make a way to escape for all that are tempted, and will not suffer them to be tempted above that which they are able to bear. Cor. x. 13. 1 14. In the power of the Spirit. By the influence or direction of the Spirit. A fame. A report. See Matt. iv. 24. 15. Glorified of all. Praised by all; or, all were pleased with his instructions and admired his wisdom. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 2 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hards they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus, answering, said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the f temptation, he departed from him for a season. 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee : and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, d Ps.91.11. e De.6.16. f He.4.15. 4.43. Ac.10.37. h Matt.2.23. A g Jno, See 16. And as his custom was, he went, &c. From this it appears that the Sa viour regularly attended the service of the synagogue. In that service the scriptures of the Old Testament were read, prayers were offered, and the word of God was explained. Note, Matt. iv. 23. There was great corruption in doctrine and practice at that time, but Christ did not, on that account, keep away from the place of public worship. From this we may learn: 1st. That it is our duty regularly to attend public worship. 2d. That it is better to attend a place which is not entirely pure, or where just such doctrines are not delivered as we would wish, than not attend at all. It is of vast importance that the public wor ship of God should be maintained; and it is our duty to assist in maintaining it, to show by our example that we love it, and to win others also to love it See Heb. x. 25. At the same time, this remark should not be construed as en joining it as our duty to attend a place where the true God is not worshipped, or where he is worshipped by Pagan where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, a Matt.13.54. Jno.18.20. Ac.13.14. 17.2. le.81.1. The ites and Pagan prayers. If, therefore, he Unitarian does not worship the true God; and if the Roman Catholic worships God in a manner forbidden, and offers homage to the creatures of God also, thus being guilty of idolatry, it cannot be the duty of a man to attend on such a place of worship. synagogue. See Matt. iv. 23. ¶ Stood up for to read. The books of Moses were so divided that they could be read through in the synagogues once in a year. To these were added portions out of the prophets, so that no small part of them was read also once a year. It is not known whether our Saviour read the lesson which was the regular one for that day, though it may seem probable he would not depart from the usual custom. Yet, as the eyes of all were fixed on him, as he deliberately looked out a place; and as the people were evidently surprised at what he did, it seems to be intimated that he selected a lesson which was not the regular one for that day. 17. There was delivered unto him. By the minister of the synagogue, or the keeper of the sacred books. They were kept in an ark or chest, not far from the pulpit, and the minister gave them to whomsoever he chose, to read them publicly. The book. The volume containing the prophecy of Isaiah. It would seem, from this, that the books were kept separate, and not united into one as with us. ¶ When he had opened the book. Literally, when he had unrolled the book. Books, among the ancients, were written on parchments, or vellum-i. e., skins of beasts-and were rolled together on two rollers, beginning at each end; so that while reading they rolled off from one to the other. Different forms of books were indeed used, but this was the most common. When used, the reader unrolled the MS as far as the place which he wished to find, and kept the captives, and recovering " of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, b a Ps.146.8 Is.29.18. b Is.42.3. Matt.12.20. me. Or, I speak by divine appointment. I am divinely inspired to speak. There can be no doubt that the passage in Isaiah had a principal reference to the Messiah. Our Saviour directly applies it to himself, and it is not easily applicable to any other prophet. Its first applcation might have been to the restoration of the Jews from Babylon; but the language of prophecy is ofter applicable to two similar events, and the secondary event is often the most important. In this case the prophet uses most striking poetic images to depict the return from Babylon, but the same images also describe the appropriate work of the Son of God. Hath anointed me. Anciently kings and prophets, and the high priest, were set apart to 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 wor signifying the Anointed; or the Christ, a Greek word signifying the same thing. And by his being anointed is not meant that he was literally ancinted-for he was never set apart in tha manner but that God had set him apart for this work; that he had constituted 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 (Matt. v. 3); and all the miserable and the afflicted. Isa. lviii 7. Our Saviour gave it as one proof that he was the Messiah, or was from God, that he preached to the poor. Matt. xi. 5. The Pharisees and Sadducees 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 gospel 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 blessings 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. 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 sinful. ness. Deliverance to the captives This is a figure originally applicable to those in captivity in Babylon. They were miserable. To grant deliverance to them, and restore them to their coun. try; to grant deliverance to those who are in prison, and restore them to their family; to give liberty to the slave, and restore him to freedom; was to confer the highest benefit, and impart the richest favor. So the gospel im parts favor. It does not literally open the doors of prisons, but it releases the mind, captive under sin; it gives com. fort to the prisoner, and it will finally open all prison doors, and break off all the chains of slavery, and by prevent ing crime prevent also the sufferings that are the consequence of crime. Sight to the blind. This was often literally fulfilled. Matt. xi. 5. John ix. 11. Matt. ix. 30, &c. To set at liberty them that are bruised. The word bruised, here, evidently has the same general signification as 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 thi pressure, or to give them consolation 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 synagogue, were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say urto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. a Ps.45.2. Is.50.4. Matt.13.54. Mar.6.2. c.2.47. 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 ef 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 of the restoration of possessions to their original families. Lev. xxv. 8-13. The acceptable year. The grateful, or pleasant, 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 was the amount or sum of his sermon, or his explanation of the passage, that it was now receiving its accomplish ment. 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; and especially when they remembered 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 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son ? 23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: what b Jno.6.42. 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. This 23. Physician, heal thyself. proverb was probably in common use at that time. Suppose a man should attempt to heal another when he was himself diseased in the same manner. It would be natural to ask him first to cure himself, and thus to render it manifest that he was worthy of confi dence. 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 mala. dies, 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 Capernaum.' It does not refer, therefore, to any purification of his own or imply 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 him, 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. 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 In then heard him might have been present, and witnessed some of his miracles at Capernaum. See Note on Matt. iv. 13. 24. No prophet is accepted. Has honor, or is acknowledged as a prophet. See Note, Matt. xiii. 57. 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 many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. e 2 Ki.5.14. 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 Matt. viii. 1. Time of Eliseus. Time of Elisha. The word Eliseus is the Greek way of writing the word Elisha; as Elias is of Elijah. Saving Naaman the Syrian. The account of his cure is contained in 2 Kings v. 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 28. Filled with wrath. They were have gone to a Heathen city, and aided enraged, probably, for the following a poor widow there. The days of reasons: 1st. They saw that the cases Elias. The days of Elijah. See the applied to themselves, and that they account of this in 1 Kings xvii. 8-24. would not receive the miraculous eviThree years and six months. From dences of his mission. 2d. That he 1 Kings xviii. 1, 45, it would seem that would direct his attention to others, and the rain fell on the third year. That is, not to them. 3d. That the Gentiles at the end of the third year after the were objects of compassion with God rain had ceased to fall at the usual time. and that God often showed more favo. There were two seasons of the year to a single Gentile than to multitudes when rains fell in Judea, in October of Jews in the same circumstances. and April, called the early and latter 4th. That they might be worse than the rain. Consequently, there was an in- Gentiles. And, 5th. That it was a part terval between them of six months. of his design to preach the gospel to the To the three years, therefore, when Gentiles, and not confine his labors to rain was withheld at the usual times, them only. On these accounts their are to be added the previous six months, favor was soon turned to wrath; and when no rain fell as a matter of course; the whole transaction shows us: 1st. and consequently three years and six That popular applause is of little value. months elapsed without rain. A great 2d. That the slightest circumstances famine. A great want of food from may soon turn the warmest professed ong-continued and distressing drought. I friendship to hatred. And, 3d. That |