Luke 4:24 kjv
And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
Luke 4:24 nkjv
Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.
Luke 4:24 niv
"Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
Luke 4:24 esv
And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
Luke 4:24 nlt
But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.
Luke 4 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 13:57 | And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and in his own household.” | Direct parallel of Jesus' statement, emphasizing His rejection. |
| Mark 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.” | Another direct parallel, highlighting specific groups of familial rejection. |
| John 4:44 | (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) | Explicit commentary from John on this very principle concerning Jesus. |
| Jn 1:11 | He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. | Broader statement of Jesus' rejection by His own nation. |
| Lk 13:34 | “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together...” | Lament over Jerusalem's rejection of prophets and Jesus Himself. |
| Matt 23:37 | “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!...” | Parallel lament over Jerusalem's consistent rejection of God's messengers. |
| Acts 7:52 | Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One... | Stephen's sermon indicting Israel for historically rejecting prophets and Jesus. |
| Heb 11:36-38 | Some suffered mocking and flogging... imprisoned... were stoned... persecuted, destitute, afflicted, mistreated... | General testament to the historical suffering and rejection of faithful servants of God, including prophets. |
| Jer 11:21 | Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life, and say, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, or you will die by our hand...” | Example of a prophet (Jeremiah) being rejected and threatened by his own town. |
| Amos 7:10-13 | Amaziah... sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.” | Amos rejected and sent away by the religious and political establishment in Israel. |
| Neh 9:26 | “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.” | Acknowledgment of Israel's historical pattern of killing prophets. |
| 1 Kgs 19:10 | “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” | Elijah's lament over widespread rejection and persecution of prophets. |
| 2 Chr 36:15-16 | The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers... But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people... | Israel's repeated rejection of God's messengers leading to judgment. |
| Matt 13:58 | And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. | Illustrates how unbelief in His hometown limited the display of His power. |
| Mark 6:5-6 | And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. | Directly links the Nazareth audience's unbelief to a restriction of Jesus' miraculous works. |
| Isa 6:9-10 | “Go, and say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull...” | God's foreknowledge and sometimes active role in hardening hearts against His message. |
| Matt 13:14-15 | Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.’” | Jesus citing Isaiah, explaining why some are not receptive to divine truth. |
| Lk 4:25 | “But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months...” | Immediately follows Lk 4:24, providing biblical examples of God sending help outside Israel when His own people rejected His prophets. |
| Lk 4:26 | “and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.” | Specific example of God's grace extended to a Gentile, bypassing unbelieving Israelites. |
| Lk 4:27 | “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” | Another specific example of God's grace extended to a Gentile. |
| Jer 1:19 | They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you. | God promises protection to His rejected prophet Jeremiah. |
| Phil 2:7 | but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. | Reminds of Jesus' humility, which made Him familiar and "unremarkable" to His own town. |
| 1 Cor 1:22-23 | For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles... | Highlights why Christ (the ultimate "prophet") was rejected by His own. |
Luke 4 verses
Luke 4 24 Meaning
Luke 4:24 reveals a profound spiritual principle stated by Jesus: no divine messenger, particularly a prophet, receives true acceptance or honor in their familiar local environment. This declaration came as Jesus ministered in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth, immediately after the crowd's initial marvel at His gracious words shifted to questioning His humble origin. The verse highlights the human tendency for familiarity to breed contempt or skepticism, especially concerning a person who suddenly demonstrates profound spiritual authority. It signifies that recognition of God's work is often harder among those who feel they know the messenger's mundane background too well, preventing them from acknowledging their divine commission and message.
Luke 4 24 Context
This verse is situated within a crucial moment in Jesus' public ministry in Luke's Gospel. Chapters 3 and 4 describe John the Baptist's ministry, Jesus' baptism, temptation, and the beginning of His Galilean ministry. Luke 4:16-30 details Jesus' visit to His hometown, Nazareth, and His sermon in the synagogue. There, He reads from Isa 61:1-2, proclaiming His messianic anointing and mission to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. Initially, the people were impressed by His "gracious words" (Lk 4:22). However, this admiration quickly turned to skepticism and resentment as they recalled His familiar upbringing, saying, "Is not this Joseph's son?" (Lk 4:22). They expected Him to perform mighty works, like those heard about in Capernaum, in their presence. Jesus, understanding their unspoken demands and unbelief, responds with this profound, timeless truth about prophets in their hometowns. This confrontation escalates to the point where they attempt to throw Him off a cliff, but Jesus passes through their midst. The entire episode serves as a powerful illustration of Jesus' rejection by His own people and a foreshadowing of His wider ministry to those outside Israel who would be more receptive.
Luke 4 24 Word analysis
- And he said (Καὶ εἶπεν - Kai eipen): "And" (Καὶ) functions as a connective, linking Jesus' statement directly to the crowd's unspoken thoughts and questions, indicating His response to their inward skepticism about His origin and expected miracles. "He said" is a simple declaration.
- Truly (Ἀμήν - Amēn): This Aramaic word, frequently translated as "Verily," "Amen," or "Truly," is uniquely used by Jesus in the Gospels to introduce His most solemn and authoritative pronouncements. Unlike prophets who typically said "Thus says the Lord," Jesus used "Amen" to assert His inherent divine authority, underscoring the absolute truth and certainty of His subsequent words, stemming directly from His own knowledge and nature, not from revelation external to Him.
- I tell you (λέγω ὑμῖν - legō hymin): "I tell" signifies a direct declaration. "You" (ὑμῖν) is plural, addressing the entire synagogue audience in Nazareth. It is an immediate and personal address to those who are rejecting Him.
- no prophet (οὐδεὶς προφήτης - oudeis prophētēs): "No" (οὐδεὶς) is an absolute negation, leaving no room for exception. "Prophet" (προφήτης) refers to a messenger of God, one who speaks forth God's word and often performs acts affirming their divine commission. Jesus implicitly places Himself within this prophetic tradition, yet His unique "Amen" places Him above it. It highlights that the problem isn't the prophet, but the audience's reception.
- is acceptable (δεκτός ἐστιν - dektos estin): "Is" (ἐστιν) confirms the state of being. "Acceptable" (δεκτός) implies being welcome, honored, or favorably received in person and in message. It's about genuine reception of the messenger's authority and teaching, not merely tolerance of their presence. The implication is a lack of belief and recognition.
- in his hometown (ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ - en tē patridi autou): "In" (ἐν) indicates location. "His hometown" (τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ) literally means "his fatherland" or "one's native country," here specifically referring to Nazareth. It underscores the familiarity with the prophet's personal background, which, ironically, often hinders the recognition of their divine call and authority.
Words-group analysis
- "Truly, I tell you": This phrase asserts Jesus' supreme, non-delegated authority. He is speaking ultimate truth, directly from Himself. It prepares the hearers for a difficult, unvarnished reality that holds true for God's messengers.
- "no prophet is acceptable": This establishes a universal spiritual principle regarding the general human resistance to divine truth when it comes to them from familiar sources. It highlights the difficulty faced by God's chosen vessels in receiving honor from their contemporaries.
- "in his hometown": This specific setting points to the psychological barrier created by familiarity. People are less likely to acknowledge a prophet from their midst because they perceive themselves to "know" him, dismissing any extraordinary claim based on ordinary acquaintance. It suggests that perceived personal knowledge often eclipses recognition of divine power and authority.
Luke 4 24 Bonus section
- The paradox of intimacy: The people of Nazareth had the most intimate access to Jesus' earthly life, yet they were the least receptive to His divine identity and ministry. Their physical closeness led to spiritual distance.
- Foreshadowing of broader rejection: The specific rejection in Nazareth serves as a microcosm and a preview of the wider rejection Jesus would face from His own people throughout His ministry, ultimately leading to His crucifixion.
- Emphasis on spiritual readiness: This verse underscores that spiritual blessings and truth are contingent not on geographical proximity or acquaintance, but on the receptive heart and humble faith of the hearer.
- Christ's authority validated: Even in stating this principle, Jesus speaks with "Amen," emphasizing His authority as the one who states undeniable spiritual truths, even when they expose human failings.
Luke 4 24 Commentary
Luke 4:24 encapsulates a deep insight into human nature and the challenging path of divine revelation. Jesus states a general truth not as a complaint, but as a sober observation. He is a prophet, yes, but also far more—the very embodiment of God's Word. Yet, His own townspeople could not move beyond their preconceived notions based on His humble upbringing. Their familiarity ("Is not this Joseph's son?") bred contempt and skepticism, blinding them to His divine identity and preventing them from receiving the power and truth He offered. This rejection wasn't about Jesus' inability to perform miracles, but about their spiritual inability and unwillingness to believe due to hardened hearts and a demand for signs rather than repentance and faith. This crucial incident sets the stage for Jesus' ministry shifting its focus to other regions and eventually, through His disciples, to the Gentiles, demonstrating that God's grace and truth are offered to those who, regardless of origin, are humble enough to receive them. The lesson applies to all who speak God's truth; often, the message is most powerfully received where it is least expected and rejected where familiarity has bred presumption.