Luke 4:28 kjv

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

Luke 4:28 nkjv

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

Luke 4:28 niv

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.

Luke 4:28 esv

When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.

Luke 4:28 nlt

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.

Luke 4 verses

Luke 4 28 Meaning

Luke 4:28 describes the immediate, intense emotional reaction of the people gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth. Upon hearing Jesus' challenging words, particularly His implications about God's favor extended to Gentiles rather than exclusively to Israelites, their initial admiration turned into overwhelming anger and fierce indignation.

Luke 4 28 Context

Luke 4:28 is a pivotal moment following Jesus' inaugural sermon in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth. He begins by reading from Isaiah 61:1-2, declaring the fulfillment of this prophecy in their hearing (Lk 4:18-21), initially evoking admiration from the crowd (Lk 4:22). However, when Jesus addresses their implicit desire for miracles performed only among them (Lk 4:23) and explicitly states that "no prophet is acceptable in his hometown" (Lk 4:24), the mood begins to shift. The definitive turning point is His use of Old Testament examples—Elijah helping a Gentile widow from Zarephath and Elisha healing Naaman the Syrian leper—both instances where God’s favor extended to Gentiles while Israel faced severe need (Lk 4:25-27). These illustrations deeply offended the congregation, who held an exclusivist view of God's blessing, believing it belonged solely to them as Jews. Their local and national pride was wounded, and their expectation of a Messiah who would exclusively uplift Israel was challenged by the universal implications of Jesus' words. This intense anger then propels them to attempt to violently seize and kill Him in the following verses (Lk 4:29-30).

Luke 4 28 Word analysis

• And all (Καὶ πάντες, Kai pantes):

  • Kai: "and," links to the preceding statement, showing direct consequence.
  • Pantes: "all," "everyone." This signifies the collective and widespread nature of the reaction. It wasn't a vocal minority but seemingly the entire congregation, indicating a deep, shared offense. It emphasizes the complete reversal of their earlier favorable response.

• in the synagogue (ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ, en tē synagogē):

  • En: "in," locational.
  • Tē synagogē: "the synagogue." The Jewish place of assembly, worship, and instruction. The eruption of such intense anger in a sacred setting underscores the severity of their rage and disrespect for Jesus, and for the holy place itself. It reveals the profound spiritual hostility beneath their religious exterior.

• when they heard (ἀκούσαντες, akousantes):

  • A participle from akouo, meaning "to hear," "to perceive," "to understand." They not only perceived the sounds but comprehended the full, challenging implication of Jesus' message—His claims of divine authority, His rejection of their exclusivist mindset, and especially His affirmation of God's universal grace extending beyond Israel.

• these things (ταῦτα, tauta):

  • A neuter plural demonstrative pronoun, referring directly to Jesus' just-spoken words. This points specifically to the examples of Elijah and Elisha (Lk 4:25-27) and the implications that God’s salvation was not confined to Israel and indeed had bypassed Israelites in times of distress in favor of Gentiles, thereby challenging their nationalistic pride and understanding of their favored status.

• were filled with (ἐπλήσθησαν, eplēsthēsan):

  • From pletho, "to fill," "to fulfill," "to complete." This is a strong verb indicating an overwhelming, complete inundation by the emotion. Their hearts were saturated; there was no room for any other feeling or rational thought. It was an uncontrolled, powerful surge.

• wrath (θυμοῦ, thymou):

  • From thymos, meaning "fury," "passion," "anger," often sudden, violent, and hot-tempered, like a sudden flame or burst. This is not mild irritation but fierce indignation, verging on rage, reflecting a passionate, uncontrolled outpouring of hostile emotion. This raw wrath immediately led them to violent intent (Lk 4:29).

• Words-group analysis:

  • "all in the synagogue... were filled with wrath": This phrase highlights the profound, universal negative emotional transformation within a religious assembly. What began as an audience eager to hear the local boy make good turns into a furious mob, indicative of deep-seated resistance to truths that challenged their pre-conceived notions of God's exclusivity and their own spiritual standing. The contrast between the setting (synagogue) and the emotion (wrath) is stark, showing how even a religious environment can be consumed by unholy anger when confronted with truth that exposes hidden prejudices or challenges their privileged status.
  • "when they heard these things": Emphasizes that their anger was not spontaneous but a direct, considered reaction to the content of Jesus' words. They understood what He implied, which provoked their wrath, signifying a theological objection to God's universal grace as preached by Jesus. Their wrath reveals their limited understanding of God's covenant and their nationalistic pride overriding spiritual humility.

Luke 4 28 Bonus section

The intense "wrath" (thymos) described here, which leads immediately to attempted murder (Luke 4:29), stands in stark contrast to the "acceptable year of the Lord" and "gracious words" (Luke 4:19, 22) Jesus had just spoken. This demonstrates the immediate fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy regarding rejection, even as His mission involved declaring liberty. This moment also functions as a powerful literary device, establishing the primary conflict that will characterize Jesus' public ministry: the opposition He faces not only from external forces but from His own people who struggled to accept a Messiah who challenged their pre-conceived notions and demanded a broader, inclusive view of God's covenant and grace. It sets the tone for Jesus often leaving Jewish towns to preach to areas where He might find a more receptive audience, or simply indicating that the gospel would not be limited to Jewish audiences.

Luke 4 28 Commentary

Luke 4:28 marks a sharp turning point in Jesus' Nazareth ministry and provides a potent preview of the wider reception He would face. The swift transition from initial awe and positive remark (Lk 4:22) to collective, overflowing wrath within the synagogue vividly illustrates the human propensity for violent rejection when confronted with divine truth that shatters comfortable prejudices. Their wrath was triggered not by blasphemy, but by Jesus’ insinuation that God’s grace transcended ethnic and national boundaries, evidenced by His referencing Old Testament incidents where Gentiles benefited from God's favor while Israel struggled. This directly challenged their nationalistic and exclusivist pride, exposing their expectation that the Messiah would exclusively elevate Israel. Their intense anger signifies a failure to grasp the universal, inclusive nature of God’s redemptive plan. This incident foreshadows the broader pattern of Israel's rejection of Christ and the subsequent turn towards the Gentiles (Acts 13:46; Rom 10:19-21), demonstrating how deep-seated biases can blind individuals to the truth of God’s Kingdom, even leading to violent opposition against the very source of their salvation.