Luke 4:18 kjv

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luke 4:18 nkjv

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Luke 4:18 niv

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,

Luke 4:18 esv

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

Luke 4:18 nlt

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,

Luke 4 verses

Luke 4 18 Meaning

Luke 4:18 encapsulates Jesus Christ's mission statement and the declaration of His divine anointing and purpose. It is a direct quote from Isaiah 61:1-2 (with slight modifications as per the Septuagint and Luke's emphasis), read by Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth. This verse announces the arrival of God's redemptive era through Jesus, focusing on a holistic liberation: bringing good news to the economically and spiritually poor, healing the emotionally wounded, releasing those imprisoned by various forms of bondage, restoring spiritual and physical sight, and freeing the oppressed. This is the "acceptable year of the Lord," signifying a time of divine favor, salvation, and reversal of suffering, akin to a spiritual Jubilee.

Luke 4 18 Context

Luke 4:18 is part of Jesus's inaugural sermon in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth, following His temptation in the wilderness and the start of His public ministry in Galilee. After reading from the scroll of Isaiah, Jesus declares that the prophecy has been fulfilled "today in your hearing" (Lk 4:21). This proclamation establishes the programmatic nature of His ministry, presenting His identity as the Messiah anointed by the Holy Spirit, not just to preach, but to embody and bring forth the blessings of God's redemptive reign to humanity, specifically to those suffering various forms of oppression and hardship. The verses immediately following detail the people's initial wonder, followed by rejection due to His claim and humble origins. Historically, the reading from the Prophets was a customary part of synagogue liturgy, but Jesus's application of the text to Himself was extraordinary and challenging.

Luke 4 18 Word analysis

• The Spirit of the Lord (Pneuma Kyriou): Refers to the Holy Spirit, the divine presence and power of God. This indicates divine anointing and authorization. The Spirit is central to Jesus's ministry from conception (Lk 1:35) to baptism (Lk 3:22), wilderness (Lk 4:1), and thereafter, signifying Him as the One empowered by God Himself.
• is upon me (ep' eme): Signifies direct, active indwelling and empowering for a specific mission, not merely a presence. It's a special empowering for unique prophetic and messianic service.
• because He has anointed Me (heneken hou echrisen me): "Anointed" (chrisen) comes from chrio, meaning "to smear" or "to anoint." It is the Greek root for "Christos," meaning "Anointed One" or "Messiah." This declares Jesus's divine appointment and designation for His unique role as Messiah, prophet, priest, and king, set apart by God Himself. This anointing is by the Holy Spirit for ministry.
• to preach the good news (euangelisasthai): From euangelizō, to "evangelize," meaning to bring, announce, or preach good news. It is the central act of the Gospel, not just conveying information but announcing a salvific reality. The "good news" is the coming of God's kingdom through Jesus.
• to the poor (ptōchois): Not just the financially destitute, but the humble, lowly, outcast, and marginalized in society; those dependent on God due to their material or spiritual need. In Isaiah's context, often referring to the poor who were oppressed and exploited.
• He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives (apostelthenai kruexai aichmalōtois aphesin): "Proclaim" (kēryssō) is to declare publicly as a herald. "Liberty" (aphesis) implies release, forgiveness, pardon, or sending away. "Captives" (aichmalōtois) refers to those taken captive in war, literal prisoners, or figuratively, those bound by sin, disease, spiritual forces, fear, and oppression. It echoes Israel's historical exiles and the concept of liberation.
• and recovery of sight to the blind (typhlois anablepsin): "Blind" (typhlos) can refer to physical blindness, but in prophetic literature (e.g., Isa 29:18, 35:5), it often symbolizes spiritual ignorance or lack of understanding, the inability to perceive God's truth or way. Jesus performs both physical healing and brings spiritual enlightenment.
• to set at liberty those who are oppressed (apestilmai tethrausmenous en aphesei): "Set at liberty" (apestilmai - from apostellō means to send out, specifically with authority or a mission). "Oppressed" (tethrausmenous) refers to those who are bruised, crushed, broken, downtrodden, afflicted, suffering under harsh conditions or burdens. "Liberty" (aphesis) repeats the theme of release, implying a complete, active liberation. This could be from physical, emotional, social, or spiritual oppression.
• to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (kruexai eniauton Kyriou dekton): "Acceptable year" (eniautos dekton) means the year of divine favor or acceptance. This alludes to the Old Testament concept of the Jubilee Year (Lev 25:8-12), which occurred every 50 years and involved release of debts, liberation of slaves, and return of ancestral lands. Jesus declares that the time of God's special favor and redemption, prefigured by Jubilee, has now arrived in His person and ministry. It's not a literal year, but the inaugurated era of God's saving activity.

• "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me": This phrase establishes Jesus's messianic identity and divine commissioning. His authority and power come directly from the Holy Spirit. This anointing equips Him not for political conquest but for a ministry of spiritual and social liberation.
• "to preach the good news to the poor": This is foundational. Jesus's primary audience and beneficiaries are the marginalized. The "good news" for them is that God cares for them, will intervene on their behalf, and has inaugurated a kingdom that prioritizes them. This is a reversal of conventional worldly values.
• "to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind": These twin phrases emphasize liberation from bondage and restoration of perception. "Captives" includes those literal prisoners (perhaps held unjustly or for debt) but extends to those enslaved by sin, fear, or evil forces. "Blindness" can be physical but fundamentally represents spiritual darkness, unbelief, or inability to grasp divine truth, and Jesus offers enlightenment.
• "to set at liberty those who are oppressed": This further elaborates on comprehensive liberation. "Oppressed" covers those physically or psychologically crushed by life's hardships, illness, social injustice, or demonic forces. Jesus's mission is to bring tangible release and healing from these burdens.
• "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord": This phrase defines the nature and duration of Jesus's mission—it is a divinely appointed period of grace and salvation. By quoting Isaiah, Jesus announces that the eschatological era of God's promised deliverance, long awaited, has dawned in His ministry, initiating a spiritual Jubilee where the downtrodden find favor and freedom. This sets the stage for the Kingdom of God.

Luke 4 18 Bonus section

This declaration by Jesus was potentially polemical, subtly challenging contemporary expectations of the Messiah primarily as a military or political deliverer who would liberate Israel from Roman occupation. Instead, Jesus presented a mission focused on internal, spiritual, and social transformation, beginning with the individual and working outwards. This broad interpretation of "captives," "blind," and "oppressed" beyond mere physical or political realities broadened the scope of God's redemptive work beyond a narrow nationalistic vision. Furthermore, His selective reading, stopping before Isaiah's mention of "the day of vengeance of our God" (Isa 61:2), signifies that His first advent inaugurated the "year of favor," delaying the "day of vengeance" until His second coming, marking two distinct phases of the Messianic era.

Luke 4 18 Commentary

Luke 4:18-19 forms the core programmatic statement of Jesus's earthly ministry. By selecting and reading this passage from Isaiah and then declaring its immediate fulfillment in His presence, Jesus identifies Himself as the long-awaited Messiah whose primary mission is to bring holistic liberation to humanity. His anointing by the Spirit signifies divine authority and power for this task. The focus is emphatically on the marginalized and suffering—the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed. This underscores the character of God's Kingdom as one of radical compassion, justice, and restoration.

Jesus's work encompasses spiritual, social, and physical dimensions: He brings salvation and hope (good news), releases from sin's bondage and oppressive forces (liberty for captives/oppressed), and restores full perception and understanding (recovery of sight). The "acceptable year of the Lord" declares a decisive and transformative period of divine favor, much like the Old Testament Jubilee, but enacted on an eternal, spiritual scale. This is not merely an announcement of future blessings but a declaration of the present reality of God's redemptive power active through Him. His ministry embodies this announcement through teaching, healing, exorcism, and offering true freedom in Himself. It demonstrates that true religion involves actively caring for the vulnerable and broken.

For instance, a person trapped by addiction is a "captive" needing "liberty." One suffering deep grief or despair might be "brokenhearted." A person blinded by prejudice or materialism requires "recovery of sight." Jesus offers spiritual freedom and renewal in these and all forms of bondage.