Luke 4:18
in Luke 4“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,
KJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
⋯
This verse in Luke 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(Orat. 2. cont. Arian.) He says this to explain to us the cause of the revelation made to the world, and of His taking upon Him the human nature. For as the Son, though He is the giver of the Spirit, does not refuse to confess as man that by the Spirit He casts out devils, so, inasmuch as He was made man, He does not refuse to say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
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 Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
To preach the Gospel to the poor - Literally and spiritually. How is the doctrine of the ever-blessed trinity interwoven, even in those scriptures where one would least expect it? How clear a declaration of the great Three-One is there in those very words, The Spirit - of the Lord is upon me!
on Luke 4:18-19
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.
By the merit of Christ sinners may be loosed from the bonds of guilt, and by his Spirit and grace from the bondage of corruption. It is a deliverance from the worst of thraldoms, which all those shall have the benefit of that are willing to make Christ their Head, and are willing to be ruled by him. [2.] Recovering of sight to the blind.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Spirit of the Lord - This is found in Isa 61:1; but our Lord immediately adds to it Isa 42:7. The proclaiming of liberty to the captives, and the acceptable year (or year of acceptance) of the Lord, is a manifest allusion to the proclaiming of the year of jubilee by sound of trumpet: see Lev 25:8 (note), etc., and the notes there. This was a year of general release of debts and obligations; of bond-men and women; of lands and possessions, which had been sold from the families and tribes to which they belonged.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Smith Wigglesworth1859–1947
Ever Increasing Faith, Chapter 2: "Deliverance to the Captives" (1924)
on Luke 4:18-19
He is still healing the brokenhearted and delivering the captive through those on whom He places His Spirit.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | [The] Spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| κυρίου | kuriou | of [the] Lord [is] | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἐμέ, | eme | Me myself, | G1473 → | 839 times |
| οὗ | hou | of which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| εἵνεκεν | eineken | because | G1752 → | 26 times |
| ἔχρισέν | echrisen | He has anointed | G5548 → | |
| με | me | Me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| εὐαγγελίσασθαι | euangelisasthai | to evangelise | G2097 → | 54 times |
| πτωχοῖς, | ptochois | to [the] poor, | G4434 → | 34 times |
| ἀπέσταλκέν | apestalken | He has sent | G649 → | 132 times |
| με | me | Me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| κηρύξαι | keruxai | to proclaim | G2784 → | 59 times |
| αἰχμαλώτοις | aichmalotois | to [the] captives | G164 → | |
| ἄφεσιν | aphesin | deliverance | G859 → | 17 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τυφλοῖς | tuphlois | to [the] blind | G5185 → | 50 times |
| ἀνάβλεψιν, | anablepsin | recovery of sight, | G309 → | |
| ἀποστεῖλαι | aposteilai | to send forth | G649 → | 132 times |
| τεθραυσμένους | tethrausmenous | [the] oppressed | G2352 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἀφέσει, | aphesei | deliverance, | G859 → | 17 times |
πνεῦμα[The] Spirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
κυρίουof [the] Lord [is]
kuriouG2962 →711 times
ἐπ᾽upon
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
ἐμέ,Me myself,
emeG1473 →839 times
οὗof which
houG3739 →1405 times
εἵνεκενbecause
einekenG1752 →26 times
ἔχρισένHe has anointed
echrisenG5548 →
μεMe
meG3165 →1936 times
εὐαγγελίσασθαιto evangelise
euangelisasthaiG2097 →54 times
πτωχοῖς,to [the] poor,
ptochoisG4434 →34 times
ἀπέσταλκένHe has sent
apestalkenG649 →132 times
μεMe
meG3165 →1936 times
κηρύξαιto proclaim
keruxaiG2784 →59 times
αἰχμαλώτοιςto [the] captives
aichmalotoisG164 →
ἄφεσινdeliverance
aphesinG859 →17 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τυφλοῖςto [the] blind
tuphloisG5185 →50 times
ἀνάβλεψιν,recovery of sight,
anablepsinG309 →
ἀποστεῖλαιto send forth
aposteilaiG649 →132 times
τεθραυσμένους[the] oppressed
tethrausmenousG2352 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἀφέσει,deliverance,
apheseiG859 →17 times
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 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
it leads to
- Luke 4:18–19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight…
- Luke 7:22
So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and…
- Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
- Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Psalms 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
- Luke 4:18–19
Through
Matthew 11:5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
it leads to
- Isaiah 61:1–3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 35:4–6
Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”
- Isaiah 61:1–3
Through
Luke 7:22So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and…
it leads to
- Isaiah 35:5–6
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
- Isaiah 35:5–6
Where this verse is studied
1 study on this verse
Also on Luke 4: 3 studies that walk through this chapter ▾
About Luke
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Athanasius of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Smith Wigglesworth, Ever Increasing Faith, Chapter 2: "Deliverance to the Captives".