Luke 4:19
in Luke 4to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
KJV
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
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This verse in Luke 4
Commentary
17 notes on this verseWhat does preaching the acceptable year of the Lord mean? It signifies the joyful tidings of his own advent, that the time of the Lord—yes, the Son—had arrived. For that was the acceptable year in which Christ was crucified on our behalf, because we then were made acceptable to God the Father as the fruit borne by him. That is why the Lord said, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself." Truly he returned to life the third day, having trampled on the power of death.
This site's exposition
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
on Luke 4:18-19
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Isaiah 61:1-2 read aloud in his own synagogue, anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, give recovery of sight to the blind, set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and Jesus stops there, mid verse, before Isaiah's next clause, the day of vengeance of our God. The bench treats the stopping point as deliberate and significant, the first coming announcing grace while the day of vengeance waits for a later reading at a second coming, the same half quoted verse the church has used ever since to hold the two advents apart. The acceptable year recalls the Jubilee of Leviticus 25, release of debts and captives and land, and Jesus reads his own ministry as the reality that year only pictured.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
You see the Trinity coeternal and perfect. The Scripture speaks of Jesus as both God and man, complete in both aspects: it speaks of God as the Father and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is shown to be a cooperator when, in the form of a dove, he descended upon Christ; when the Son of God was baptized in the river, the Father spoke from heaven. Therefore, what greater testimony do we seek than the fact that the one who spoke in the Prophets, signed it with his own voice?
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaHOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 32.4-5 · Written before 253.
proposed
He says, "He sent me to preach the gospel to the poor." The "poor" stand for the Gentiles, for they are indeed poor. They possess nothing at all: neither God, nor the law, nor the prophets, nor justice and the rest of the virtues. For what reason did God send him to preach to the poor? "To preach release to captives." We were the captives. For many years Satan had bound us and held us captive and subject to himself. Jesus has come "to proclaim release to captives and sight to the blind." By his word and the proclamation of his teaching the blind see. Therefore his "proclamation" should be understood not only of the "captives" but also of the "blind.""To send broken men forth into freedom …" What being was so broken and crushed as man, whom Jesus healed and sent away? "To preach an acceptable year to the Lord." … But all of this has been proclaimed so that we may come to "the acceptable year of the Lord," when we see after blindness, when we are free from our chains, and when we have been healed of our wounds.
But all these things were mentioned first, in order that after the recovery of sight from blindness, after deliverance from captivity, after being healed of divers wounds, we might come to the acceptable year of the Lord. As it follows, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Some say that, according to the simple meaning of the word, the Saviour preached the Gospel throughout Judæa in one year, and that this is what is meant by preaching the acceptable year of the Lord. Or, the acceptable year of the Lord is the whole time of the Church, during which while present in the body, it is absent from the Lord.
Our Savior, after reading this prophecy through in the synagogue one day to a multitude of Jews, shut the book and said, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." He began his own teaching from that point. He began to preach the gospel to the poor, putting in the forefront of his blessings: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Yes, he proclaimed forgiveness to those who were hampered by evil spirits and bound for a long time like slaves by demons. He invited all to be free and to escape from the bonds of sin, when he said, "Come to me, all you that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you."9To the blind he gave sight, giving the power of seeing to those whose bodily vision was destroyed. He showered those in ancient times who were blind in their minds to the truth with the vision of the light of true religion. The prophecy before us shows it to be essential that Christ himself should be the originator and leader of the gospel activity. The same prophet foretells that after him his own disciples should be ministers of the same system: "How beautiful are the feet of them that bring good tidings of good things, and of those that bring good tidings of peace." Here he says very particularly that it is the feet of those who publish the good news of Christ that are beautiful. For how could they not be beautiful, which in so small, so short a time have run over the whole earth and filled every place with the holy teaching about the Savior of the world?
Or, by the acceptable year of the Lord, he means this day extended through endless ages, which knows of no return to a world of labour, and grants to men everlasting reward and rest. It follows, And he closed the book, and he gave it again.
10 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
For not only was that year acceptable in which our Lord preached, but that also in which the Apostle preaches, saying, Behold, now is the accepted time. (2 Cor. 6:2.) After the acceptable year of the Lord, he adds, And the day of retribution; that is, the final retribution, when the Lord shall give to every one according to his work.
Finally, the rewarder is indicated through the judgment of retribution, in which there is made a universal conferral of good upon the good. On account of which he says: To preach the acceptable year of the Lord, namely to the good, concerning which in the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
This text gives a full account of Christ's undertaking, and the work he came into the world to do. Observe, First, How he was qualified for the work: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit were conferred upon him, not by measure, as upon other prophets, but without measure, John iii.
6 , where it is made the duty of the acceptable year to let the oppressed go free, where the phrase the LXX. uses is the same with this here. (4.) Here is Christ's application of this text to himself (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
To peach the acceptable year of the Lord - The time when God is willing to accept of people, or to receive sinners coming to him. The gospel assures us that the guilty “may” return, and that God will graciously receive them. There is, perhaps, here, an allusion to the year of jubilee - the fiftieth year, when the trumpet was blown, and through the whole land proclamation was made of the liberty of Hebrew slaves, of the remission of debts, and of the restoration of possessions to their original families, Lev 25:8-
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The first words, "THE SPIRIT of the LORD is upon ME," have been noted since the days of the Church Fathers, as an illustrious example of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost being exhibited as in distinct yet harmonious action in the scheme of salvation.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
These verses relate events which are only recorded in the Gospel of Luke. They describe the first visit which our Lord paid — after entering on His public ministry — to the city of Nazareth, where He had been brought up. Taken together with the two verses which immediately follow, they furnish an solemnly striking proof that "the carnal mind is enmity against God." (Romans 8:7.) We should observe, in these verses — what marked honor our Lord Jesus Christ gave to public means of grace.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
These verses relate events which are only recorded in the Gospel of Luke. They describe the first visit which our Lord paid — after entering on His public ministry — to the city of Nazareth, where He had been brought up. Taken together with the two verses which immediately follow, they furnish an solemnly striking proof that "the carnal mind is enmity against God." (Romans 8:7.) We should observe, in these verses — what marked honor our Lord Jesus Christ gave to public means of grace. We are told that "He went into the synagogue of Nazareth on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read" the Scriptures. In the days when our Lord was on earth, the Scribes and Pharisees were the chief teachers of the Jews. We can hardly suppose that a Jewish synagogue enjoyed much of the Spirit's presence and blessing under such teaching. Yet even then we find our Lord visiting a synagogue, and reading and preaching in it. It was the place where His Father's day and word were publicly recognized — and, as such, He thought it good to do it honor. We need not doubt that there is a practical lesson for us in this part of our Lord's conduct. He would have us know that we are not lightly to forsake any assembly of worshipers which professes to respect the name, the day, and the book of God. There may be many things in such an assembly which might be done better. There may be a deficiency of fullness, clearness, and distinctness in the doctrine preached. There may be a lack of unction and devoutness in the manner in which the worship is conducted. But so long as no positive error is taught, and there is no choice between worshiping with such an assembly, and having no public worship at all — it befits a Christian to think much before he stays away. If there are but two or three in the congregation who meet in the name of Jesus — there is a special blessing promised.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Smith Wigglesworth1859–1947
Ever Increasing Faith, Chapter 2: "Deliverance to the Captives" (1924)
He is still healing the brokenhearted and delivering the captive through those on whom He places His Spirit.
The words behind it
4 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κηρύξαι | keruxai | to proclaim | G2784 → | 59 times |
| ἐνιαυτὸν | eniauton | [the] year | G1763 → | |
| κυρίου | kuriou | of [the] Lord’s | G2962 → | 711 times |
| δεκτόν. | dekton | favor. | G1184 → |
κηρύξαιto proclaim
keruxaiG2784 →59 times
ἐνιαυτὸν[the] year
eniautonG1763 →
κυρίουof [the] Lord’s
kuriouG2962 →711 times
δεκτόν.favor.
dektonG1184 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 61:2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn,
it leads to
- Isaiah 34:8
For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Isaiah 57:18
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
- Isaiah 34:8
Through
Luke 19:42and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:29
If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.
- Isaiah 48:18
If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea.
- Hebrews 10:26–29
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,
- Luke 1:77–79
to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
- 2 Corinthians 6:1–2
As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
- Deuteronomy 32:29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Luke
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Luke; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 4; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 12; Eusebius of Caesarea, PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 3.1.88C-89A; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 32.4-5; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Smith Wigglesworth, Ever Increasing Faith, Chapter 2: "Deliverance to the Captives".