He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Parallel Translations
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He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
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And he cloosed the booke and gave it agayne to the minister and sate doune. And the eyes of all that were in the synagoge were fastened on him.
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And hee closed the booke, and gaue it againe to the minister, and sate downe: and the eyes of all that were in the Synagogue were fastened on him.
Cross-references (11)
Passages linked to Luke 4:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Luke 4:17 The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
- John 8:2 Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them.
- Luke 19:48 They couldn’t find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.
- Matthew 5:1-2 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
- Matthew 13:1-2 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside. Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.
- Matthew 26:55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me.
- Luke 5:3 He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
- Acts 13:14-16 But they, passing on from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down. After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.” Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.
- Acts 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
- Matthew 20:26-28 It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Acts 3:12 When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 20 And he closed the book, and he gave…
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Ver. 20. Were fastened on him] A good help against distractions. Our hearts are fickle and fugitive, if not hard held to it.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Christ observeth the order used in their synagogues, when…
Christ observeth the order used in their synagogues, when he that officiates had read such a portion out of the law as was appointed, or out of the prophets, as he pleased, he closed the book, or the roll, and gave it again to the officer, whose work it was to bring it, and then to carry it back, and lay it up; and then sat down, while he made his exhortation upon it. This Christ did, the people being in the mean time very attentive to hear what he would say. He begins to speak, and telleth them this was a prophecy concerning him,
This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears; that is, it is fulfilled in me, either primarily, or as I am the antitype to Cyrus. We must not think that this was all which Christ said, but thus he began his discourse.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he closed the book,.... "Or rolled it up";…
And he closed the book,.... "Or rolled it up"; and so the high priest did, after he read in the book of the law, on the day of atonement, all that was necessary to be read, , "he rolled the book of the law", and put it in his bosom (f):
and he gave it again to the minister; the Chazan (g), who was the minister, or servant of the congregation, who had the affairs of it upon him, to let in, and bring out, and to order all things; and particularly to take care of the book of the law, and the chest, or ark in which it was. If the same rule was observed giving and taking the book of any prophet, as the book of the law; then Christ gave it to the minister, and he received it with his right hand: for so it is said (h),
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"he that gives the book of the law to his friend, may not give it but with the right hand; and he that receives it may not receive it but with the right hand; for so was the giving of it on Mount Sinai, according to Deu 33:2.''
And sat down; as was the manner of the Jews, when they taught, or preached; See Gill on Mat 5:1.
and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him: they looked very wistly at him, and were very attentive to what he should say, upon such a passage of Scripture, which they knew referred to the Messiah; and the rather, as they had known him formerly, and had heard that he was said to be the Messiah.
(f) Misn. Yoma, c. 7. sect. 1. (g) Bartenora in Misn. Sota, c. 7. sect. 7. (h) Massechet Sopherirn, c. 3. sect. 10.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 20. Were fastened on him.] Were attentively fixed…
Verse 20. Were fastened on him.] Were attentively fixed on him. The proper import of ατενιζοντες αυτω.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Luk 4:20-21. And he closed the book, and gave…
Luk 4:20-21. And he closed the book, and gave it again to the minister — Τω υπηρετη, to the servant, who had brought it to him. “From the manner in which we apply the word minister, in speaking of our churches, the English reader is apt to be led into a mistake by the common version, and to consider the word here as meaning the person who presided in the service; whereas it denotes only a subordinate officer, who attended the minister, and obeyed his orders in what concerned the more servile part of the work. Among other things he had the charge of the sacred books, and delivered them to those to whom he was commanded by his superiors to give them. After the reading was over, he deposited them in their proper place.” — Campbell. And sat down — The Jewish doctors, to show their reverence for the Scriptures, always stood when they read them, but when they taught the people they sat down. See Mat 23:2. Thus we here find our Lord sitting down in the synagogue to preach, after he had read the passage in the prophet, which he made the subject of his discourse. The custom of preaching from a text of Scripture, which now prevails throughout all the Christian churches, seems to have derived its origin from the authority of this example. And the eyes of all were fastened on him — They looked on him with great attention, expecting him to explain the passage. And in addressing the congregation on it, he told them, it was that day fulfilled in their ears — Namely, by what they heard him speak; words which imply, that, whatever allusion there might be in the prophecy to the good news of the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, it was primarily and principally intended to be understood of the spiritual salvation of mankind from ignorance and error, sinfulness and guilt, depravity and misery, by the Messiah, who, and not Isaiah, nor any other prophet, is to be considered as speaking in the passage, as is explained more fully in the notes there.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain And he closed the book - That is, he…
And he closed the book - That is, he rolled it up again. See the notes at Luk 4:17.
And he gave it again to the minister - That is, to the one in the synagogue who had charge of the books. The word means “servant,” and the office was not much unlike that of a sexton now. It was his duty, among other things, to take charge of the books, to hand them to the reader of the law, and then return them to their place.
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And sat down - This was usual in speaking in their synagogues. See the notes at Mat 5:1.
Were fastened on him - Were intently fixed on him, waiting to see what explanation he would give of the words.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain To observe and admire a person that had never…
To observe and admire a person that had never learned letters, and who stood up amongst them an experienced teacher. (Menochius) See John vii. 15. and Maldonatus.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain the minister--the chazan, or synagogue-officer.
the minister--the chazan, or synagogue-officer.
all eyes . . . fastened on Him--astounded at His putting in such claims.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 20. Closed—Rolled it up.
20. Closed—Rolled it up.
Minister—The chazan.
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Fastened—They had known him in childhood and youth. His simple piety, his working at the trade of a carpenter, and humbleness of family, were fresh in their recollections. Strange and wonderful rumours had come home lately in regard to him. He had set up high claims, and pretended abroad to do great works. They will now see if he can stand the searching scrutiny of acute Nazareth. They knew (of course) beforehand that he could not; but they will hear and decide how well he can preach.
Very probably the mother and sisters of Jesus (if not his unbelieving brothers) were present on this occasion. That they resided still at Nazareth is clear from Mat_13:56. From the gallery, which many synagogues contain for women, they may have looked down upon the scene first of honour and then of rejection, through the lattice screen, by which it was separated from the male congregation.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20. he closed the book] Rather, rolling up. Generally…
20. he closed the book] Rather, rolling up. Generally the Haphtarah consists of twenty-one verses, and is never less than three; but our Lord stopped short in the second verse, because this furnished sufficient text for His discourse, and because He wished these gracious words to rest last on their ears, rather than the following words, “the day of vengeance of our God.”
the minister] The Chazzan.
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sat down] The ordinary Jewish attitude for the sermon (Mat_23:2).
fastened on him] A favourite word of St Luke, who uses it eleven times; elsewhere it is only found in 2Co_3:7; 2Co_3:13. The attitude of Jesus shewed that now for the first time He intended not only to read but to preach.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (20) And he closed the book.—Better, rolled up, as…
(20) And he closed the book.—Better, rolled up, as describing the actual manner of closing. The description is characteristic as indicating (1) that it probably came in the first instance from an eye-witness-and (2) the calmness and deliberation with which our Lord acted.
And sat down.—This conveys to us the idea of falling back to a place of comparative obscurity among the congregation. To the Jew it implied just the opposite. The chair near the place from which the lesson was read was the pulpit of the Rabbi, and to sit down in that chair (as in Mat_5:1; Mat_23:2) was an assumption by our Lord, apparently for the first time in that synagogue, of the preacher’s function. This led to the eager, fixed gaze of wonder which the next clause speaks of.
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Fastened on him.—The Greek word so rendered is noticeable as being used twelve times by St. Luke, (chiefly in the Acts), and twice by St. Paul (2Co_3:7; 2Co_3:13), and by no other writer of the New Testament. It had been used by Aristotle in his scientific writings, and was probably a half-technical word which St. Luke’s studies as a physician had brought into his vocabulary, and which St. Paul learnt, as it were, from him.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And he closed the book, and he gave it…
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. This was the usual position adopted by a Jewish preacher. The chair of the preacher was placed near the spot where the lesson was read. These synagogues were built with the end pointed towards Jerusalem, in which direction the Jew ever loved to turn as he prayed. (Dan_6:10) The men sat on one side of the building, the women on the other. There was always at the end of the chamber an ark of wood, a memory of the sacred ark of the covenant, which once, with its golden mercy-seat, hallowed now and again with the presence of the visible glory, was the chief treasure of the temple ca Mount Zion. In the "ark" were kept the Law (the five books of Moses) and the rolls of the prophets.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 20. Closed the book. Rolled up the manuscript. Gave…
20. Closed the book. Rolled up the manuscript. Gave it to the minister. Not a rabbi, but an officer who had charge of the building and its furniture. And sat down. It was the custom of the synagogue to stand while reading, to sit while teaching. The eyes of all … in the synagogue. The man brought up among them was about to address them for the first time. The report from other places preceded this visit; the passage was remarkable, and doubtless there was something in the appearance of our Lord, especially under these circumstances, which would command unusual attention—Schaff. His mother, brethren and sisters were probably present.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain The sermon and its effect:
The sermon and its effect:
v. 20. And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
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v. 21. And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
v. 22. And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
When Jesus had finished the reading of the lesson, He rolled the parchment together again and then returned it to the servant of the synagogue, who had charge of the sacred books. The Scriptures were very precious in those days, and every synagogue took the best care of its copies. He then sat down. During the reading of the Scripture-lesson, both the congregation and the reader stood. But during the talk, or sermon, the speaker as well as the audience were seated. His reading and His entire bearing had made such an impression upon all those present that all eyes were fixed upon Him in anxious expectation. Their interest had been aroused. Luke gives only the topic or the beginning of the Lord’s discourse: Today is fulfilled this scripture in your ears. That is the gist of the sermon: He that spoke these words through Isaiah, He stands today, at this moment, before your eyes; the promised Messiah has stepped into your midst. And then He surely invited them to come to Him with meek and contrite hearts, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled not only in their ears, but also in their hearts. Repentance and forgiveness of sins the Lord preached. The effect of Christ’s sermon is shown in the words: They bore witness to Him and were surprised at the words of grace which issued from His mouth. The confession was wrung from them, though they were reluctant at first about making the concession. The words about the grace of God whereby the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled came upon them as a surprise: they had not known that so much beauty was contained in the Old Testament. But that the admission was made very grudgingly in the majority of cases, appears from the question which passed around among the audience: Is not this man the son of Joseph? See Mar 6:2-3. The jealousy of small souls came to the foreground, feeling constrained to spoil the effect of the words of grace.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 rolled up the scroll
rolled up the scroll
A scroll was closed by rolling it like a tube to protect the writing inside it.
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attendant
This refers to a synagogue worker who brought out and put away with proper care and reverence the scrolls containing the scriptures.
were fixed on him
This idiom means "were focused on him" or "were looking intently at him" (See: Idiom)
this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing
Jesus was saying that he was fulfilling that prophecy by his actions and speech at that very time. This can be stated in active form. AT: "I am fulfilling what this scripture said right now as you are listening to me" (See: Active or Passive)
in your hearing
This idiom means "while you are listening to me" (See: Idiom)
amazed at the gracious words which were coming out of his mouth
"surprised about the gracious things that he was saying." Here "gracious" may refer to 1) how well or how persuasively Jesus spoke, or 2) that Jesus spoke words about God's grace.
Is this not the son of Joseph?
People thought that Joseph was Jesus' father. Joseph was not a religious leader, so they were surprised that his son would preach what he did. AT: "This is just Joseph's son!" or "His father is only Joseph!" (See: Rhetorical Question)
translationWords
synagogue
word of God
fulfill
testimony
amazed
grace
word
Joseph (NT)
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.