Luke 4:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

NIV: "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

NASB: But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet and come out of him!' And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm.

CSB: But Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be silent and come out of him!" And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all.

NLT: But Jesus reprimanded him. 'Be quiet! Come out of the man,' he ordered. At that, the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it came out of him without hurting him further.

KJV: And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

NKJV: But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.

Jesus' teaching demonstrated authority: a sense of confidence as well as truthfulness (Luke 4:31–32). Another means Jesus used to prove His message was from God was miracles. In this case, Jesus is speaking with a demon-possessed man in a synagogue (Luke 4:33–34). The demon recognizes Jesus both as a man and as God the Son, reacting in fear.

The possessed man's rescue comes through Jesus' harsh, cutting command to the evil spirit. Not only does Jesus demand the demon leave the man, but He also commands silence. In part, that might be Jesus ordering the demon not to proclaim Him as the Christ (Luke 4:41). In certain contexts, Jesus downplayed His role as the prophesied Messiah—knowing the people were prone to misinterpreting His mission and expecting an overthrow of Rome (John 6:14–15). This seems to be one of those cases. Jesus seems especially firm about not letting evil spirits be the ones to proclaim Him. Paul, as well, would work to silence such a message coming from demonic lips (Acts 16:16–18).

The spirit's exit is dramatic. The man is "thrown down," falling to the ground in a faint or seizure. As Luke, the physician (Colossians 4:14) notes, the man is not damaged by this exorcism. The people who witness the event will be impressed (Luke 4:36) and tell others what they have seen (Luke 4:37).

Luke 4:31–44 contains examples of Jesus healing as He teaches in Capernaum. These events include exorcising demons and curing diseases. Jesus' work is so popular that He finds it hard to be alone; the people demand He stay and continue. However, His mission includes other cities and towns. Jesus leaves to preach elsewhere, and the next passages record His calling of the disciples.

Jesus is taken into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. While fasting there, He is tempted by Satan. These temptations share an element of ignoring God in favor of what seems easier or quicker. Jesus resists all of these, citing Scripture as He does. When Jesus returns, He preaches and heals to great publicity in Judea and Galilee. While His hometown responds with stubborn skepticism, others are eager to hear His teaching and experience His miraculous power.

Chapter 3 explained how John the Baptist preached to prepare others to receive Jesus Christ. Luke then provided Jesus' earthly ancestry. Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. He returns to preach and perform healing miracles in Judea and Galilee. Chapter 5 shows Him calling disciples and demonstrating further proofs of His authority.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.