Luke 4:40 · Bible study
Luke 4:40 Commentary: Healing at Sunset, One by One
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why Jesus healed each sick person individually after the Sabbath ended, emphasizing personal touch and divine authority in Luke 4:40.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus, after the Sabbath ends, personally heals every sick person brought to him, demonstrating his authority and compassion.
- Key words: dunontos (setting, present participle), epititheis (laying on, present participle), etherapeuen (he was healing, imperfect tense indicating ongoing action).
- Main debate: No significant interpretive debate; all commentators emphasize the timing (end of Sabbath) and individual laying on of hands.
- Theological theme: Jesus’ authority over all diseases and his personal pastoral care, set within the framework of the kingdom coming through word and deed.
- Best use: A sermon on the intersection of divine timing, personal touch, and the compassion of Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
KJV King James Version 1769
Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And at the setting of the sun, all, as many as had any ailing with manifold sicknesses, brought them unto him, and he on each one of them his hands having put, did heal them.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And when the sun went down, all, as many as had persons sick with divers diseases, brought them to him, and having laid his hands on every one of them, he healed them;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when the sun was down, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them to him. But he, laying his hands on every one of them, healed them.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y poniéndose el sol, todos los que tenían enfermos de diversas enfermedades, los traían á él; y él, poniendo las manos sobre cada uno de ellos, los sanaba.
Quando o sol estava se pondo, troxeram-lhe todos os que estavam enfermos de varias doenças. Ele punha as mãos sobre cada um deles e os curava.
Après le coucher du soleil, tous ceux qui avaient des malades atteints de diverses maladies les lui amenèrent. Il imposa les mains à chacun d’ eux, et il les guérit.
Und da die Sonne untergegangen war, brachten alle, die Kranke hatten mit mancherlei Seuchen, sie zu ihm. Und er legte auf einen jeglichen die Hände und machte sie gesund.
En als de zon onderging, brachten allen, die kranken hadden, met verscheidenen ziekten bevangen, die tot Hem, en Hij legde een iegelijk van hen de handen op, en genas dezelve.
E sul tramontar del sole, tutti quelli che aveano degli infermi di varie malattie, li menavano a lui; ed egli li guariva, imponendo le mani a ciascuno.
A gdy słońce zachodziło, wszyscy, którzy mieli chorujące na rozmaite niemocy, przywodzili je do niego, a on na każdego z nich ręce włożywszy, uzdrawiał je.
При захождении же солнца все, имевшие больных различными болезнями, приводили их к Нему и Он, возлагая на каждого из них руки, исцелял их.
日 落的時候，凡 有病人的，不論害 甚麼病，都帶 到 耶穌那裡。 耶穌按 手 在他們 各人身上，醫好 他們。
And at sundown all those who had anyone ill with any sort of disease, took them to him, and he put his hands on every one of them and made them well.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 4:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators universally agree that the timing “when the sun was setting” marks the end of the Sabbath, allowing the people of Capernaum to transport their sick without violating Sabbath restrictions (Clarke, Cambridge, Gill, Wesley). This is consistent with Mark 1:32 and Matthew 8:16. The phrase “laid his hands on every one of them” is noted as peculiar to Luke (Vincent). Gill observes that Jesus did not refuse any person, however unworthy. Vincent, quoting Meyer, highlights the phrase “implies the solicitude and indefatigableness of this miraculous ministry of love.” The imperfect tense of the Greek verb etherapeuen (“he was healing”) suggests an ongoing, individual process as each sick person was brought. The consensus: Jesus’ ministry here is marked by personal attention to each sufferer, and the Sabbath setting underscores that God’s mercy supersedes human restrictions.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus healed every person who was brought to him, doing so after the Sabbath ended, using the personal gesture of laying on hands, demonstrating his divine authority and compassion.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of Healing | All supplied commentators agree that the healings took place after sunset because the Sabbath had ended, allowing the people to carry the sick without breaking Sabbath law. | None noted. Some commentators (e.g., Gill) emphasize the legal restrictions; others (Cambridge) mention the rabbinic rules, but all affirm the same historical practice. |
| Individual vs. Mass Healing | All agree that Jesus healed each person individually, laying hands on them. Vincent and Meyer highlight the indefatigableness of this ministry. | Some traditions might emphasize the corporate nature of the event (the whole town brought their sick), but the text clearly says 'every one of them'. No substantive debate in supplied sources. |
| Fulfillment of Prophecy | The Cambridge Bible notes that Matthew 8:17 explicitly quotes Isaiah 53:4 as a fulfillment of this kind of healing. Other commentators (Clarke, Gill) do not mention this connection in their comments on Luke 4:40. | Christians differ on whether Luke intends an implicit fulfillment here or merely reports an event. Those reading the Synoptics together see the pattern, while others focus on Luke's independent narrative. |
| Laying on of Hands | All note that this gesture is specific to Luke's account and indicates personal blessing and healing. | Some Christian traditions (e.g., Pentecostal, sacramental) emphasize the laying on of hands as a means of transmitting healing power; others see it as a symbolic act showing Jesus' personal involvement. The text itself does not prescribe a specific theology of the gesture. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke places this event at the close of a remarkable day in Capernaum. Earlier that day, Jesus taught in the synagogue with authority (4:31-32), cast out an unclean spirit (4:33-36), and healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a high fever (4:38-39). News of these events drew the whole town. When the sun began to set, the Sabbath ended (sunset to sunset was the Jewish reckoning). Carrying a sick person was considered work, prohibited on the Sabbath (see John 5:10). So the community waited until they could lawfully bring their afflicted relatives and neighbors.
The phrase “all those who had any sick with various diseases” uses the Greek hapantes hosoi eichon asthenountas nosois poikilais, “all, as many as had any ailing with manifold sicknesses” (YLT). Luke often notes the variety of diseases to emphasize the scope of Jesus’ power (see 4:23, Matthew 4:23-24). The laying on of hands is a common biblical gesture for blessing (Genesis 48:14), ordination (Numbers 27:18), and healing (Mark 6:5, Acts 28:8). Luke’s specific mention of this gesture here highlights Jesus’ personal involvement with each patient. The Cambridge Bible calls this “one of the most striking scenes in the Gospels”, Jesus moving among the crowd, touching the sick one by one, as darkness fell.
This event also echoes Isaiah 53:4 (“He took our infirmities and bore our diseases”), quoted in Matthew 8:17 as a direct connection. Luke does not quote it here, but the narrative structure builds to Jesus’ later declaration that he must preach the kingdom to other cities (4:43), showing that healings were both compassionate acts and signs of the coming kingdom.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 4:40. The manuscript tradition is stable across the major lines (Alexandrian, Western, Byzantine). The phrase “laid his hands on every one of them” appears consistently, though some witnesses (e.g., D) may have minor word order variations. The overall reading is secure.
Reception History
Luke 4:40 has been cited throughout church history as a model of Christ's compassionate healing ministry. Early church writers saw in Jesus' touch the restoration of humanity by the very hands of God. In the medieval period, the verse was used in reflections on the healing miracles as signs of Christ's divinity. The laying on of hands became a key text for the practice of anointing the sick (James 5:14) and for pastoral care. During the Reformation, theologians emphasized the authority of Christ over all afflictions. In modern times, the verse is often quoted in healing services and in teaching on the personal nature of Jesus' ministry. The scene has also inspired art and hymnody, capturing the image of the Healer moving among the needy at day's end.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The End of the Sabbath, the Beginning of Mercy: The people waited until sunset, respecting God’s command, then brought their sick. Jesus honored their obedience while meeting their deepest need. Timing matters, but mercy always has its hour.
- Every One, Not a Crowd: Jesus laid hands on each person individually. He did not heal in bulk or by formula. The touch was personal. Each disease, each story, each face mattered to him.
- Healing That Serves a Mission: After this healing, Jesus withdrew to pray and then went to other towns (4:42-43). Healings were not an end in themselves; they pointed to the kingdom. Jesus came to preach, and healing confirmed his message.
Five-point outline
- Sunset brings freedom to bring our burdens.
- Every disease is within Christ’s authority.
- Jesus touches each sufferer personally.
- No one is turned away.
- Healing leads to mission: the kingdom must spread.
Illustration hooks
- The end of a long day at a hospital: waiting families, tired nurses, then a doctor who stops by each bed.
- A farmer waiting for sunset to water his fields because local laws restrict water use during peak heat, the relief when the work can finally begin.
- A teacher who insists on shaking each student’s hand before class, making every individual feel seen.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did Jesus wait until evening to heal these people? Did he not have compassion all day?
- Does God care about small rules like Sabbath when people are suffering?
- Is it wrong to bring our needs to God only when we think it is “allowed”?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows Jesus healing after the Sabbath ended, touching each person individually. It invites us to consider how we bring our needs to Jesus and how he responds not with a program but with personal care. The small-group discussion aims to connect the historical context to our own walk with Christ.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the timing of these healings? Why did the people wait until sunset?
- In what ways do we “wait” to bring our problems to Jesus, perhaps out of respect or fear of breaking unspoken rules?
- Jesus laid hands on each one. How does this challenge the idea of God as distant or impersonal?
- What “various diseases” in your life or community need Jesus’ touch today?
- How does this healing scene connect to Jesus’ statement that he must preach the kingdom to other cities (4:43)?
- What can we learn from the fact that Jesus did not turn anyone away, even when the crowd was large?
- How can our church community emulate Jesus’ pattern of personal attention to the suffering?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 4:23 | Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. |
| Matthew 4:24 | The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. |
| Matthew 8:16 | When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, |
| Matthew 8:17 | that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” |
| Matthew 11:5 | the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. |
| Matthew 14:13 | Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities. |
| Mark 1:32 | At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. |
| Mark 1:34 | He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the fact that the people waited until sunset, when the Sabbath officially ended, before bringing their sick for healing. They did this because healing before that time would have been unlawful under Sabbath restrictions. This detail highlights their careful observance of the law even in their eagerness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator notes that the timing matters: sunset ended the Sabbath, so people could finally carry their sick without breaking the many strict Sabbath rules. The scene of Jesus moving among the suffering crowd is one of the most striking in the Gospels, and Matthew cites it as a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Jesus healed each person individually, laying His hands on every one of them. This detail shows that Christ's compassion was not general but personal, attending to
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes the careful timing: the people waited until sunset when the Sabbath ended before bringing the sick to Jesus, doing so lawfully and without provoking the Pharisees. He emphasizes that Jesus healed each person individually by laying his hands on them, refusing no one regardless of their disease or worthiness.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes the crowd brought their sick at sunset, drawn not only by the cooler hour but because carrying a sick person was work forbidden during the Sabbath, which ended at that moment. He also observes that "laid his hands on" is wording unique to Luke, and "everyone" highlights the tireless breadth of Jesus' healing work.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the detail "when the sun was set" marks the end of the Sabbath, since the Jewish day ran from sunset to sunset. For him, this timing explains why people waited until evening to bring the sick to Jesus: they were observing the Sabbath rest until it officially ended.