Luke 4:22 kjv
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?
Luke 4:22 nkjv
So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
Luke 4:22 niv
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
Luke 4:22 esv
And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"
Luke 4:22 nlt
Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. "How can this be?" they asked. "Isn't this Joseph's son?"
Luke 4 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 45:2 | You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips | Jesus' gracious words and appeal |
| Isa 50:4 | The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. | Jesus speaks with divine wisdom and authority |
| Mt 7:29 | for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. | Jesus' teaching authority |
| Jn 7:46 | The officers answered, "No one ever spoke like this man!" | Unparalleled nature of Jesus' words |
| Lk 21:15 | for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. | Divine wisdom imparted to Jesus |
| Acts 6:10 | But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. | Divine power and wisdom accompanying believers' words (reflection of Christ's) |
| Eph 4:29 | Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. | Speaking words that impart grace |
| Col 4:6 | Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person. | Speech reflecting grace and wisdom |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. | The powerful, piercing nature of God's Word through Jesus |
| Jn 6:42 | They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" | Questioning Jesus' origins and claims (similar to Lk 4:22) |
| Mt 13:55 | "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?" | Jesus' familiar family background |
| Mk 6:3 | "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" | Identifying Jesus by his humble profession and family |
| Jn 1:45-46 | Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" | Initial skepticism about Jesus' origin from Nazareth |
| Lk 2:48-49 | And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" | Jesus' divine identity vs. earthly perception (even by parents) |
| Mt 13:57 | And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household." | Prophecy of rejection in hometown (parallel to Lk 4:24) |
| Mk 6:4 | And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." | Rejection by familiar people (parallel) |
| Jn 4:44 | (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown). | Reinforcement of rejection principle (parallel) |
| Isa 53:2-3 | For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men... | Disregard for Christ based on physical appearance and humble origin |
| Acts 7:51-53 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit... Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered..." | Resisting the Spirit and persecuting God's messengers |
| Heb 1:1-2 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things... | God's ultimate revelation through His Son |
Luke 4 verses
Luke 4 22 Meaning
Luke 4:22 describes the initial, paradoxical reaction of the people in the synagogue at Nazareth to Jesus' inaugural sermon. They "spoke well of him" and "marveled" at the captivating and divinely inspired words emanating from Him, words that carried the very essence of God's favor and truth. Yet, their wonder quickly collided with their familiarity, expressed in the rhetorical question, "Is not this Joseph's son?", a query born of their preconceived notions and an implied challenge to His extraordinary authority given His known humble human origins.
Luke 4 22 Context
Luke 4:22 immediately follows Jesus' pronouncement in the synagogue at Nazareth that the scripture from Isa 61:1-2, about the Spirit of the Lord anointing someone to preach good news to the poor, release captives, and restore sight to the blind, has been fulfilled in their hearing (Lk 4:18-21). This was a bold and direct messianic claim. The preceding verses establish Jesus' identity and power: He has been filled with the Spirit, tempted by Satan, and has returned to Galilee with the Spirit's power, teaching with acclaim in the synagogues. Verse 22 acts as the pivotal point before the narrative takes a sharp turn, from initial admiration to fierce rejection, leading to the townspeople attempting to throw Him off a cliff (Lk 4:28-30). Historically and culturally, synagogue settings were places of instruction, debate, and community, where familiarity with one another's backgrounds was common. The people of Nazareth knew Jesus not as a prophet or Messiah, but as the son of Joseph, the carpenter, a local from a modest family, making His authoritative claims hard to reconcile with their conventional expectations.
Luke 4 22 Word analysis
- And all (Καὶ πάντες - Kai pantes): Indicates the general consensus and initial universal positive reaction from the audience in the Nazareth synagogue. It signifies a widespread initial astonishment and approval.
- spoke well of him (ἐμαρτύρουν αὐτῷ - emartyrroun autō): From martyreō, meaning to bear witness, give testimony, or approve. This implies they acknowledged the truth and excellence of His words. It's a positive testimony to the content and manner of His speech.
- and marveled (καὶ ἐθαύμαζον - kai ethaumazon): From thaumazō, meaning to wonder, be amazed, or marvel. Their reaction goes beyond simple approval; it is one of profound astonishment, likely due to the profound truth, grace, and authority with which Jesus spoke, which was entirely unexpected from someone they knew.
- at the gracious words (ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις τῆς χάριτος - epi tois logois tēs charitos):
- λόγοις (logois - words): Not just any words, but deeply significant pronouncements.
- τῆς χάριτος (tēs charitos - of grace): From charis, which means grace, favor, charm, goodwill, or graciousness. These were "words of grace" because they proclaimed God's saving favor and brought spiritual blessings. They were appealing and persuasive, carrying inherent spiritual beauty and divine power. They offered hope, forgiveness, and transformation, aligning with the good news Jesus just proclaimed.
- that were coming (τοῖς ἐκπορευομένοις - tois ekporeuomenois): The imperfect tense or present participle implies a continuous flow or emanation, indicating a living stream of divine truth consistently flowing from Jesus' mouth, not a singular utterance.
- from his mouth (ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ - ek tou stomatos autou): This phrase emphasizes the direct origin of the words from Jesus himself, highlighting His personal authority and the immediate source of divine revelation.
- And they said (Καὶ ἔλεγον - Kai elegon): Introduces the crucial shift in their reaction, from universal positive wonder to collective skepticism. The imperfect tense again suggests an ongoing discussion or question.
- Is not this Joseph's son? (Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ; - Ouch houtos estin ho huios Iōsēph?):
- Οὐχ (Ouch - Is not?): A rhetorical question expecting a positive answer, "Yes, he is." It signifies a collective recognition but simultaneously expresses a deep sense of incongruity and doubt.
- οὗτός ἐστιν (houtos estin - this is): Points to His known, human identity.
- ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ (ho huios Iōsēph - Joseph's son): Their designation for Jesus, rooted in their familiar knowledge of His earthly family. This identity clashed severely with the extraordinary divine power and claims He had just demonstrated and declared. It subtly discounts His divine authority by reducing Him to merely a local carpenter's son.
Luke 4 22 Bonus section
The seemingly positive initial response in Luke 4:22 quickly turns sour, making it an excellent example of the fickleness of human admiration without true spiritual understanding or commitment. The phrase "words of grace" (logois tēs charitos) could be understood in a dual sense: both the inherent attractiveness and wisdom of Jesus' teaching, and the very content of His message—the message of God's favor and salvation (grace). This is the last point in the narrative where Jesus' home synagogue audience holds any form of admiration; from here, the situation escalates into outright murderous intent, triggered by Jesus challenging their nationalistic expectations and self-righteousness. This dramatic shift highlights the danger of marveling at Jesus' gifts without accepting His full identity and challenging message. The Nazarenes chose familiarity over the divine revelation standing before them.
Luke 4 22 Commentary
Luke 4:22 captures the stunning paradox of human reaction to divine truth. Initially, the Nazareth congregation experiences a moment of profound revelation, swept away by the unparalleled "gracious words" of Jesus. These weren't merely eloquent or charismatic speeches; they were words pregnant with God's very being, authority, and saving favor, echoing Psalms 45:2 and Isaiah 50:4. The people genuinely "marveled," a strong indication of deep impression. However, this immediate wonder quickly collided with their worldly perspective. The question, "Is not this Joseph's son?" is not an inquiry seeking information but a rhetorical expression of their profound familiarity. It reveals how their intimate knowledge of Jesus' earthly origins became a stumbling block to recognizing His divine nature and Messianic claims. They struggled to reconcile the profound spiritual power flowing from Him with the mundane, human background they knew. This dissonance immediately sets the stage for Jesus' subsequent teaching about a prophet being without honor in his own country (Lk 4:24), leading to the explosive rejection that defines the rest of the narrative. This verse exemplifies the human tendency to limit God based on our pre-existing frameworks and biases.