Luke 4:29
in Luke 4They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they rose up, and cast him forth out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong.
KJV
And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
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This verse in Luke 4
Commentary
17 notes on this verseSo they threw him out of their city, pronouncing by their action their own condemnation. So they confirmed what the Savior had said. They themselves were banished from the city that is above, for not having received Christ. That he might not convict them only of impiety in words, he permitted their disrespect of him to proceed to deeds. Their violence was irrational and their envy untamed. Leading him to the brow of the hill, they sought to throw him from the cliff.
This site's exposition
all the people in the synagogue
on Luke 4:28-30
On hearing the Elijah and Elisha comparison, the people's admiration turned to murder. Luke reports the escape in one line and leaves its means to the reader.
This site's exposition
led Him to the brow of the hill
The town of Nazareth was built among hills, and Albert Barnes says a cliff south of the town is still shown. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say a throw over a cliff was a known form of execution. The crowd had no legal right to it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It can not be wondered at that they lost their salvation who cast the Saviour out of their city. But the Lord who taught His Apostles by the example of Himself to be all things to all men, neither repels the willing, nor chooses the unwilling; neither struggles against those who cast Him out, nor refuses to hear those who supplicate Him. But that conduct was the result of no slight enmity, which, forgetful of the feelings of fellow citizens, converts the causes of love into the bitterest hatred.
He convicted them of their evil intentions, and therefore they are enraged, and hence what follows, And all they in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath. Because He had said, This day is this prophecy fulfilled, they thought that He compared Himself to the prophets, and are therefore enraged, and expel Him out of their city, as it follows, And they rose up, and cast him out.
And yet even at Nazareth He is not remarked as having preached anything new, whilst in another verse He is said to have been rejected by reason of a simple proverb.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And they led him, it says, to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way. O inheritance worse than the disciples' teacher! The devil …
Worse are the Jewish disciples than their master the Devil. For he says, Cast thyself down; they actually attempt to cast Him down. But Jesus having suddenly changed His mind, or seized with astonishment, went away, since He still reserves for them a place of repentance. Hence it follows, He passing through the midst of them went his way.
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
He intimates, however, the violence of action, when he adds: And they rose up and cast him out of the city, as though a blasphemer; for so it was commanded: Leviticus twenty-four: "Bring forth the blasphemer outside the camp, and let all the people stone …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And rose up,....
The Nineteenth Century7 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The brow of the hill whereon ... - The region in which Nazareth was is hilly, though Nazareth was situated “between” two hills, or in a vale among mountains. The place to which they led the Saviour is still shown, and is called the “Mount of Precipitation.” It is at a short distance to the south of Nazareth. See the notes at Mat 2:23. Cast him down - This was the effect of a popular tumult. They had no legal right to take life on any occasion, and least of all in this furious and irregular manner.
JESUS had spent several years in retirement in the house of His reputed father at Nazareth. He must have been well known—the excellency of His Character and conduct must have attracted notice. In due time He left Nazareth, was baptized by John in Jordan, and began at once His work of preaching and working wonders. The inhabitants of Nazareth, no doubt, often said to one another, "He will be sure to come home and see His parents. When He comes we will all go to hear what the carpenter's son has to say."
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
2Ki 9:33.) It was a mode of capital punishment not unusual among the Romans and others. This was the first insult which the Son of God received, and it came from "them of His own household!" (Mt 10:36).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Three great lessons stand out on the face of this passage. Each deserves the close attention of all who desire spiritual wisdom. We learn for one thing — how apt men are to despise the highest privileges, when they are familiar with them. We see it in the conduct of the men of Nazareth, when they had heard the Lord Jesus preach. They could find no fault in His sermon. They could point to no inconsistency in His past life.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Three great lessons stand out on the face of this passage. Each deserves the close attention of all who desire spiritual wisdom. We learn for one thing — how apt men are to despise the highest privileges, when they are familiar with them. We see it in the conduct of the men of Nazareth, when they had heard the Lord Jesus preach. They could find no fault in His sermon. They could point to no inconsistency in His past life. But because the preacher had dwelt among them thirty years, and His face, and voice, and appearance were familiar to them — they would not receive His doctrine. They said to one another, "Is not this Joseph's son?" Is it possible that one so well-known as this man, can be the Christ? And they drew from our Lord's lips the solemn saying, "No prophet is accepted in his own country." We shall do well to remember this lesson, in the matter of ordinances and means of grace. We are always in danger of undervaluing them — when we have them in abundance. We are apt to think lightly of the privilege of an open Bible, a preached Gospel, and the liberty of meeting together for public worship. We grow up in the midst of these things, and are accustomed to have them without trouble. And the consequence is that we often hold them very cheap, and underrate the extent of our mercies. Let us take heed to our own heart, in the use of sacred things . As often as we may read the Bible — let us never read it without deep reverence. As often as we hear the name of Christ — let us never forget that He is the One Mediator, in whom is life. Even the manna that came down from Heaven was at length scorned by Israel, as "worthless food." (Numbers 21:5.) It is an evil day with our souls, when Christ is in the midst of us — and yet, because of our familiarity with His name, is lightly esteemed.
JESUS had spent several years in retirement in the house of His reputed father at Nazareth. He must have been well known—the excellency of His Character and conduct must have attracted notice. In due time He left Nazareth, was baptized by John in Jordan, and began at once His work of preaching and working wonders. The inhabitants of Nazareth, no doubt, often said to one another, "He will be sure to come home and see His parents. When He comes we will all go to hear what the carpenter's son has to say." There is always an interest in hearing one of the lads of the village when he becomes a preacher, and this interest was heightened by the hope of seeing wonders such as Jesus had worked at Capernaum. Curiosity was excited—everybody hoped and trusted that He would make Nazareth famous among the cities of the tribes. Perhaps He would settle down there and attract a crowd of customers to their shops by becoming the great Physician of Nazareth, the great Wonderworker of the district. By-and-by, when it so pleased Him, the famous Prophet came to His own city, and, when the Sunday drew near, the interest grew very intense as men asked the question, "What do you think, will He be at the synagogue tomorrow? If He shall be there, He must, by some means, be induced to speak." The ruler of the synagogue, sharing in the common opinion, at the proper point of the service, when he saw Jesus present, took up the roll of the Prophet and passed it to Him, that He might read a passage, and then speak according to His own mind upon it. All eyes were opened. No sleepy people were in the synagogue that morning when He took the roll, unfolded it like one who was well accustomed to the Book, opened it at a passage most pertinent and applicable to Himself, read it, standing, thus paying respect to the Word by His posture.
The brow of the hill - Mr. Maundrel tells us that this is still called “the Mountain of the Precipitation, and is half a league southward of Nazareth. In going to it, you cross first over the vale in which Nazareth stands; and then going down two or three furlongs, in a narrow cleft between the rocks, you there clamber up a short but difficult way on the right hand; at the top of which you find a great stone standing on the brink of a precipice, which is said to be the very place where our Lord was destined to be thrown down by his enraged neighbors.” Maundrel’s Journey, p. 116. Edit. 5th. 1732.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀναστάντες | anastantes | having risen up | G450 → | 107 times |
| ἐξέβαλον | exebalon | they cast | G1544 → | 79 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἔξω | exo | out | G1854 → | 63 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόλεως | poleos | city | G4172 → | 163 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἤγαγον | egagon | led | G71 → | 68 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἕως | he'os | unto | G2193 → | 146 times |
| ὀφρύος | ophruos | brow | G3790 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄρους | orous | hill | G3735 → | 62 times |
| ἐφ᾽ | eph᾽ | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| οὗ | hou | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόλις | polis | town | G4172 → | 163 times |
| ᾠκοδόμητο | okodometo | had been built | G3618 → | 40 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὥστε | hoste | in order | G5620 → | 83 times |
| κατακρημνίσαι | katakremnisai | to throw over | G2630 → | |
| αὐτόν. | auton | him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀναστάντεςhaving risen up
anastantesG450 →107 times
ἐξέβαλονthey cast
exebalonG1544 →79 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἔξωout
exoG1854 →63 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
πόλεωςcity
poleosG4172 →163 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἤγαγονled
egagonG71 →68 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἕωςunto
he'osG2193 →146 times
ὀφρύοςbrow
ophruosG3790 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ὄρουςhill
orousG3735 →62 times
ἐφ᾽upon
eph᾽G1909 →883 times
οὗwhich
houG3739 →1405 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
πόλιςtown
polisG4172 →163 times
ᾠκοδόμητοhad been built
okodometoG3618 →40 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ὥστεin order
hosteG5620 →83 times
κατακρημνίσαιto throw over
katakremnisaiG2630 →
αὐτόν.him.
autonG846 →5565 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
Hebrews 13:12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:12–14
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
- John 19:17–18
Carrying His own cross, He went out to The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.
- Mark 15:20–24
After they had mocked Him, they removed the purple robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.
- Acts 7:58
They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Hebrews 9:12–14
Through
John 8:37I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
it leads to
- John 8:45–47
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!
- 1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- Romans 9:7
Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
- John 8:45–47
Through
John 8:59At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.
it leads to
- John 11:8
“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
- John 11:8
Where this verse is studied
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About Luke

This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 4; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 753: “Nazareth—or Jesus, Rejected by His Friends” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 12; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; 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 and Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV.
