New Testament · Gospel

Luke 4:35

Hometown Rejection

But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him. Luke 4:35 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Luke 4:35, in plain English

Jesus didn't negotiate or perform a ritual — He simply spoke, and the demon had to obey. The man was thrown down but got up completely unharmed.

Why it's here

Jesus had just been teaching with authority, and now He proves that authority extends beyond words to the spiritual realm itself.

Who's speaking

Jesus speaks with commanding authority, silencing and casting out the demon.

Where it sits in the story

When Jesus steps in, even the most terrifying forces have to submit. And notice — He protected the man in the process. Jesus' power doesn't just defeat evil; it restores the person caught in the middle.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

Jesus' command epitimaō ("rebuke") and phimōthēti ("be muzzled/silenced") demonstrate sovereign authority over the demonic realm. The demon's departure without harm confirms Jesus' protective power.

Language and setting

The exorcism validates the authority (exousia) the crowd recognized in verse 32, now demonstrated in action rather than merely in word.

Voice

Jesus commands the demon directly, and Luke narrates the result of the exorcism.

Significance

Jesus refuses to accept testimony from demonic sources and exercises complete dominion over evil. The man is freed unharmed, demonstrating that Jesus' power is both destructive to evil and restorative to people.

In context

Luke 4:33–37

33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice,

34“Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

35But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.

36All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

37And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region.

Read all of Luke 4 — Jesus reads from Isaiah in his hometown synagogue and claims the prophecy is fulfilled in himself. The congregation tries to throw him off a cliff.

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