Luke 4:21

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

And {G1161} he began {G756} to say {G3004} unto {G4314} them {G846}, This {G3754} day {G4594} is {G4137} this {G3778} scripture {G1124} fulfilled {G4137} in {G1722} your {G5216} ears {G3775}.

He started to speak to them: "Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!"

and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears.

Commentary

Luke 4:21 records a pivotal moment in Jesus Christ's public ministry. Having just read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth, His hometown, Jesus makes a profound and direct declaration to the congregation: "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." This statement marks the inauguration of His messianic mission and the immediate presence of God's promised salvation.

Context

This verse immediately follows Jesus's reading of a passage from Isaiah 61:1-2, which speaks of the Spirit of the Lord being upon the one anointed to preach good tidings to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prison to them that are bound. After reading, Jesus closed the book, sat down, and fixed His gaze upon the expectant crowd. His declaration in Luke 4:21 was the first word He spoke after this significant reading, directly identifying Himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah's ancient prophecy. This public proclamation in His own community set the stage for both future acceptance and immediate rejection, as detailed later in Luke 4:28-30.

Key Themes

  • Messianic Fulfillment: The primary message is Jesus's clear assertion of His identity as the long-awaited Messiah. He is not merely a prophet or a teacher, but the very one sent by God to bring about the promised age of salvation and deliverance. This act confirms His divine authority and role in God's redemptive plan.
  • The "Now" of God's Kingdom: Jesus emphasizes the immediate reality of the prophecy's fulfillment ("This day"). The Kingdom of God, previously anticipated, is now breaking into human history through His person and ministry. This signifies a shift from expectation to realization, a theme echoed in Mark 1:15.
  • Divine Authority: Jesus speaks with unparalleled authority, claiming to be the fulfillment of scripture. This was a bold claim, especially in His hometown, challenging the traditional interpretations and expectations of the religious leaders.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word translated "fulfilled" is peplerotai (πεπλήρωται), which is a perfect passive indicative form of plēroō. This tense implies a state of completion, a present reality resulting from a past action. It means "it has been filled full," "it has been accomplished," or "it has been brought to its full measure." The phrase "in your ears" (ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ὑμῶν) emphasizes that the audience was not just hearing words, but witnessing the very unfolding of God's plan in their immediate presence, making them direct hearers and potential recipients of this fulfillment.

Practical Application

Luke 4:21 reminds us that God's promises are not mere historical accounts or future hopes, but have a present and active reality in Jesus Christ. For believers, this verse underscores the truth that in Jesus, we find the fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes. It calls us to recognize His ongoing work in the world and in our lives today, just as He declared its immediate presence to His first audience. The challenge is to respond to this truth, accepting Jesus as the one who brings good news, liberty, and healing, and to live in light of the Kingdom He inaugurated.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • John 4:25

    The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

  • John 4:26

    Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he].

  • Matthew 13:14

    And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

  • Acts 3:18

    But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

  • Acts 2:16

    But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

  • Acts 2:18

    And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

  • Luke 10:23

    And he turned him unto [his] disciples, and said privately, Blessed [are] the eyes which see the things that ye see:
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