Luke 4:21 kjv

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Luke 4:21 nkjv

And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:21 niv

He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:21 esv

And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:21 nlt

Then he began to speak to them. "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day!"

Luke 4 verses

Luke 4 21 Meaning

Jesus declared the profound truth that the very Scripture He had just read from the prophet Isaiah, concerning the Messiah and His liberating work, was being fulfilled in that precise moment through His presence and actions. This marked the public inauguration of His messianic ministry and the dawn of God's promised redemptive era.

Luke 4 21 Context

Luke 4:21 occurs immediately after Jesus, visiting His hometown synagogue in Nazareth, has read a passage from the prophet Isaiah (Isa 61:1-2a and part of v.2c). This event is situated after Jesus's wilderness temptations (Luke 4:1-13) and His return to Galilee in the Spirit's power (Luke 4:14). His fame has spread through the region (Luke 4:14-15), making His public declaration in Nazareth significant. The custom was for a male visitor to read from the Scripture and then expound on it while sitting. By reading then declaring this pivotal verse, Jesus presented Himself, early in His public ministry, as the prophesied Messiah. The people's initial amazement (Luke 4:22) soon turns to skepticism and hostility as Jesus challenges their preconceived notions of the Messiah, ultimately leading them to reject Him and attempt to harm Him (Luke 4:28-30). This moment sets the tone for Jesus's ministry: powerful revelation met with profound resistance.

Luke 4 21 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ - kai): This conjunction serves to connect Jesus's immediate declaration with the preceding act of reading the prophetic scroll. It signals that what follows is the profound application and direct consequence of the reading.
• he (αὐτὸς - autos): Refers directly and emphatically to Jesus. It highlights that He Himself is making this authoritative pronouncement, linking Himself personally to the prophetic text.
• began (ἤρξατο - ērxato): This Greek perfect tense participle suggests an initial, yet decisive, step or inauguration. It signifies that this statement is not just a casual remark but the formal commencement of a central theme of His ministry and a new phase of divine activity.
• to say (λέγειν - legein): While simply "to say," in context with "began," it carries the weight of an authoritative and declarative utterance.
• to them (πρὸς αὐτούς - pros autous): Specifies the audience—the people of Nazareth, His neighbors and acquaintances—making the declaration incredibly personal and confrontational, as they know Him from His youth.
• 'Today (Σήμερον - sēmeron): This word is of immense theological importance. It emphasizes the immediacy and present reality of fulfillment. It's not a future hope but an current divine act. It denotes the "kairos," God's appointed and opportune time for salvation, urging an immediate response from the hearers.
• this Scripture (ἡ γραφὴ αὕτη - hē graphē hautē): Refers unequivocally to the specific passage from Isaiah 61:1-2 that Jesus just read. "Scripture" here underscores the divine, authoritative written word of God. "This" makes it highly specific and applicable to the precise words just uttered.
• has been fulfilled (τεπλήρωται - peplērōtai):
  • Meaning: "to make full," "to complete," "to accomplish," or "to bring to pass." Here, it signifies the comprehensive realization of the prophecy.
  • Tense (Perfect Passive Indicative):
    • Perfect Tense: Denotes an action completed in the past with ongoing effects in the present. The fulfillment is a finished work, its reality enduring into their present moment.
    • Passive Voice: Implies divine agency; the Scripture "has been fulfilled" by God through Christ, not merely by human effort. God is the one actively bringing His plan to fruition.
  • Significance: It announces the decisive, complete, and irreversible accomplishment of divine prophecy, making God's ancient promises a present-day reality.
• in your hearing (ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ὑμῶν - en tois ōsin hymōn): Literally "in your ears." This highlights the direct, undeniable, and experiential nature of the event for the audience. They are not merely hearing about a distant prophecy, but experiencing its actual fulfillment in real-time, holding them accountable for their response.

Luke 4 21 Bonus section

• Polemics against contemporary beliefs: Jesus's selective reading of Isaiah 61 intentionally omitted the latter part of verse 2 ("and the day of vengeance of our God"). This subtle omission was a powerful reorientation of common messianic expectations, which often focused on a nationalistic, political liberation from Rome and judgment against Israel's enemies. Jesus emphasized spiritual deliverance, good news for the marginalized, and restoration, rather than immediate temporal vengeance, challenging their preconceived notions of the Messiah's primary purpose.
• Programmatic statement: Many scholars identify Luke 4:18-21 as the programmatic declaration of Jesus's ministry. It's not just a single event, but a summary of His life's mission, foreshadowing the miracles, teachings, and confrontations that will follow in Luke's Gospel. Every healing, teaching, and act of mercy will demonstrate the truth of "this Scripture has been fulfilled."
• Audience responsibility: The phrase "in your hearing" not only confirms that they were eyewitnesses but also implicitly places a burden of responsibility upon them to respond to this momentous declaration. Hearing carries a call to believe and obey.
• Connection to "The Anointed One": The Isaiah passage is fundamentally about "the anointed one" (Hebrew: Mashiach, Greek: Christos). By applying this Scripture to Himself, Jesus unequivocally states that He is the Christ, validating His messianic identity based on ancient divine prophecy and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4 21 Commentary

Luke 4:21 stands as Jesus's self-identifying manifesto, providing the interpretative key to His entire earthly ministry as presented in Luke's Gospel. By selectively quoting Isaiah 61 and then declaring "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing," Jesus authoritatively proclaimed Himself to be the long-awaited Anointed One (Messiah/Christ). The striking "Today" signals the commencement of the Messianic era, making a dramatic theological statement about God's salvific purposes culminating in His presence. The use of the perfect tense, "has been fulfilled," underlines the completion and permanence of this divine act, indicating that what God promised through prophets ages ago is now definitively accomplished through Him. This declaration was a profound challenge to His Nazareth audience, forcing them to confront who He claimed to be and calling for immediate recognition and faith in the unprecedented divine reality unfolding before them. It illustrates that the Kingdom of God is not merely future hope but a present reality being inaugurated through Christ’s words and works, offering liberation to humanity.