Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 7:17
And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about.
17. throughout all Judaea ] The notion that St Luke therefore supposed Nain to be in Judaea is quite groundless. He means that the story of the incident at Nain spread even into Judaea.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And this rumour of him,…. Or the report of this surprising miracle in raising a dead man to life, that was carrying to his grave,
went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about; not only Judea, and the several cities, towns, and villages in it, but all the country round about it, especially Galilee. The Persic version reads, “all countries which are round about Jordan”; see Mt 3:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This report ( ). That God had raised up a great prophet who had shown his call by raising the dead.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
This rumor. Rev., report : viz., of a great prophet who had vindicated his claims by raising the dead.
18 – 35. Compare Mt 11:2 – 19.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And this rumor of him went forth,” (kai ekselthan ho logos) “And this word (or report) went forth,” from Nain, like a wild prairie fire, fanned by an high wind, by its own power and influence over the masses, of what Jesus had done.
2) “Throughout all Judaea,” (en hole te louaia) “In all Judaea,” all the area of Judaea, from north to south, though the deed was done in Nain of Galilee, to the north, Luk 7:1; Luk 7:11.
3) “And throughout all the region round about.” (peri autou kai pase te perichoro) “Concerning him, and in all the immediate neighborhood,” of Galilee, perhaps including the area across the Jordan river, into Perea as well, as they had come to hear Him from all areas of Palestine, Luk 6:17. The special rumors appear to have been reports of His many miracles of recent date, with emphasis on the raising of Jarius’ daughter, the widow’s son of Nain, and the centurion’s slave that was so near death, Luk 7:1-16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(17) This rumour of him went forth throughout all Juda.Nain itself was in Galilee, and St. Luke apparently names Juda, as wishing to show how far the fame of the miracle had spread.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. Rumour How many times Jesus may have raised the dead we know not; we have record of but three cases. And these three cases form a striking climax. The daughter of Jairus was raised upon her bed; the son of this widow was raised from his bier; and Lazarus was raised from his tomb. Yet this is no contrived climax, but appears spontaneously, from a comparison of three evangelists, each of whom contributes his part without being aware what his fellow-evangelist reports, or conscious of the effect of the whole. Did not a divine inspiration, unrealized by them, comprehend and bring out the composite result?
There is one striking peculiarity in this resurrection-miracle at Nain that no commentator seems to have noticed. Jesus appears to have gone twenty-five miles in a single day with a competent, , number of disciples, (to witness it, doubtless,) to perform the deed, so timing his arrival as to meet the corpse at the proper instant. And then, as not a syllable intimates any further doing or staying at Nain, it would seem that his whole object was accomplished. Was it that he beheld in spirit from Capernaum that there was a subject at Nain upon whom, according to the laws of his action, a resurrection could most wisely be wrought? Perhaps he saw that the wonderful work might there be performed with least of turbulent commotion; meeting a spirit of most candid and tender faith, under attestation of a competent body of witnesses, in a spot best adapted to bear the record to future ages.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And this word went forth concerning him in the whole of Judaea, and all the region round about, and the disciples of John told him of all these things.’
So the word of what He was doing, and especially of the raising of the dead, spread around the whole of Palestine (Judaea in its widest sense) and even beyond. And by means of his disciples it reached John in prison.
Note Luke’s continual emphasis on this spreading of the word (which will be repeated regularly in Acts). After the exorcism in the synagogue at Capernaum, ‘word about him was going out to every place in the surrounding region’ (Luk 4:37). After the healing of the leper, ‘so much the more the word went abroad concerning Him’ (Luk 5:15). Following this the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were present ‘from every village of Galilee and Judaea and from Jerusalem’ (Luk 5:17). And this is surpassed in Luk 6:17-18, where we hear of ‘a great multitude of the people from all Judaea (the land of the Jews) and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and be healed.’ And now we are told that ‘And this word about Him went out in the all the land of the Jews and in all the neighbouring region.’ The news is spreading widely and rapidly.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
John the Baptiser Sends An Appeal To Jesus (7:17-23).
Meanwhile, while all this was going on, John the Baptiser was languishing in prison. But he was regularly being visited by some of his brave disciples, and heard reports of what was going on and what was being said.
It is clear, however that he was puzzled. Why was something not happening? Surely if Jesus was God’s Coming One now was the time to act. Why was He hesitating? Perhaps he thought in terms of an insurrection and the deliverance of the people from the tyranny of Rome and Herod, but if so the idea had never appeared in his preaching, and so it must be doubtful. Probably he rather expected that he would face up to the authorities with signs and wonder of an awasome kind. That would explain why Jesus answered in the way that He did, saying to John, ‘There are signs and wonders, but they are acts of compassion, not of belligerences, for I have come to obtain My way in peace’
We, of course, know the answer tp John’s problesm, for Luke has revealed it to us. We have just seen the word of Jesus heal a dying man at a distance, and then raise a man from the dead. We know that Jesus has come to act through His word. But lying in a cell with nothing to do but think and pray John does not have our advantage.
We may analyse the passage as follows:
a This word went forth concerning Him in the whole of Judaea, and all the region round about, and the disciples of John told him of all these things (Luk 7:18).
b John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you He Who is coming, or look we for another?” (Luk 7:19).
c And when the men were come to Him, they said, “John the Baptiser has sent us to you, saying, Are You He Who is coming, or look we for another?” (Luk 7:20).
c In that hour He cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind He bestowed sight (Luk 7:21).
b And He answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them” (Luk 7:22).
a And blessed is he, whoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me” (Luk 7:23).
We note in this small passage the dual repetition of a question, and a dual answer, one in deeds the other in words. This stresses the importance of both question and answer. Jesus is aware that His disciples too are listening and possibly wondering the same thing as John. Note that in ‘a’ ‘the word concerning Him went out’ and many heard it, and then in the parallel Jesus says ‘Blessed is he, whoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me”. The word that went out was conveying the truth about Him, and must be accepted without it being a stumblingblock. For it conveyed the truth about His Messiahship and the presence of the Kingly Rule of God. Whoever thus received it would be blessed. In ‘b’ the question is put forward, and in the parallel the answer is given by Jesus outlining the activities that ‘the word’ that went about spoke of. And in ‘c’ and parallel we have a doubling up of the question and the answer. It is dually witnessed because of its importance to all.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
Ver. 17. And this rumour ] Here the Sun of righteousness, that hath healing in his wings, shone forth in his strength, and drew all eyes to him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
17. ] Meyer refers to the saying just cited: but it seems more natural to interpret it this account, viz. of the miracle. And so in reff. On the construction , Meyer cites Thuc. iv. 42, .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 7:17 . , this story. Lk. says it went out; it would spread like wildfire far and wide. , in all Judaea. Some (Meyer, Bleek, J. Weiss, Holtzmann) think Judaea means here not the province but the whole of Palestine. But Lk. is looking forward to the next incident (message from John); therefore, while the story would of course spread in all directions, north and south, he lays stress on the southward stream of rumour (carried by the Judaean part of Christ’s audience, Luk 6:17 ) through which it would reach the Baptist at Machaerus. , the district surrounding Judaea, Peraea, i.e. , where John was in prison.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
rumour = report. Greek logos.
throughout = in. Greek. en. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
17.] Meyer refers to the saying just cited: but it seems more natural to interpret it this account, viz. of the miracle. And so in reff. On the construction , Meyer cites Thuc. iv. 42, .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 7:17. , the region round about) viz. of Galilee, not however excluding the adjacent Gentile regions.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Luk 7:14, Mat 4:24, Mat 9:31, Mar 1:28, Mar 6:14
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
This rumor means the report of what had been done for the dead.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 7:17. This reportconcerning him. Literally, this saying. It can scarcely refer to the saying of the last verse, but rather to the whole account of the miracle.
In the whole of Judea. Probably meaning all Palestine, and not Judea as opposed to Galilee.
Region round about, i.e., about Judea, not merely in the district about Nain.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luke concluded this pericope with a notation that the news (Gr. logos, word) about this incident radiated over that entire region (cf. Luk 4:14; Luk 4:37). The surrounding district probably refers to the area beyond Judea that included Perea where John heard of Jesus’ mighty works (Luk 7:18).
"Jesus’ amazing healings and exorcisms contribute to the very rapid spread of his fame. Comparison of the following statements shows how the narrator conveys an impression of rapidly growing fame: After the exorcism in the synagogue of Capernaum, ’a report about him was going out to every place of the neighboring area’ (Luk 4:37). After the healing of the leper, ’the word about him was spreading more’ (Luk 5:15). In the next scene Pharisees and teachers of the law are present ’from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem’ (Luk 5:17). This is surpassed in Luk 6:17-18, where we hear of ’a great multitude of the people from all the Jewish land and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and be healed.’ We reach the climax of this development in Luk 7:17: ’And this statement about him went out in the whole Jewish country and all the neighboring region.’" [Note: Tannehill, 1:85-86.]
In Acts the spread of the news about Jesus would go from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Act 1:8).
This incident doubtless became the basis for many people concluding that Jesus was either the fulfillment of the prophecy about Elijah’s return (Mal 4:5-6) or Elijah himself (Luk 9:8). Hopefully it brought others into saving faith in Him.