New Living Translation
Luke 4:23
23Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’
Luke 4:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
- New International Version (NIV)Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, '"Physician, heal yourself." What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”
Context of Luke 4:23
21Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land.
Read all of Luke 4Luke 4:23 word by word
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· πάντως ἐρεῖτέ μοι τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην· ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν· ὅσα ἠκούσαμεν γενόμενα εἰς τὴν Καφαρναούμ, ποίησον καὶ ὧδε ἐν τῇ πατρίδι σου.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Ye willἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
- surelyπάντωςpantōs · surelyG3843
- unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- proverbπαραβολήparabolē · parableG3850
- Physicianἰατρόςiatros · physicianG2395
- healθεραπεύωtherapeuō · to serve/healG2323
- thyselfσεαυτοῦseautou seautō seauton sautou sautō sauton · yourselfG4572
- whatsoeverὅσοςhosos · just as/how muchG3745
- we have heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- doneγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- CapernaumΚαπερναούμKapernaoum · CapernaumG2584
- doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
- thyσύsu · youG4771
- countryπατρίςpatris · fatherlandG3968
Cross-references for Luke 4:23
- Luke 6:42How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
- Romans 2:21Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
- Matthew 4:13He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
- Matthew 11:23“And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today.
- John 4:48Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
- John 2:3The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”
- John 4:28The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,
- John 7:3and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles!
- Romans 11:34For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?
- 2 Corinthians 5:16So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
- Matthew 13:54He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?”
- Mark 6:1Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.
Commentaries on Luke 4:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Physician, heal thyself - That is, heal the broken-hearted in thy own country, as the latter clause of the verse explains it; but they were far from being in a proper spirit to receive the salvation which he was ready to communicate; and therefore they were not healed.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Physician, heal thyself - This proverb was probably in common use at that time. The meaning is this: Suppose that a man should attempt to heal another when he was himself diseased in the same manner; it would be natural to ask him first to cure himself, and thus to render it manifest that he was worthy of confidence. The connection of this proverb, here, is this: “You profess to be the Messiah. You have performed miracles at Capernaum. You profess to be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-30Verses 14-30 Christ taught in their synagogues, their places of public worship, where they met to read, expound, and apply the word, to pray and praise. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit were upon him and on him, without measure. By Christ, sinners may be loosed from the bonds of guilt, and by his Spirit and grace from the bondage of corruption. He came by the word of his gospel, to bring light to those that sat in the dark, and by the power of his…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23Physician, heal yourself!: This was a common saying in ancient times. It could mean something like, "show your ability to heal" or "help your own people, not just others." that You did in Capernaum: See 4:31–44.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. this proverb--like our "Charity begins at home." whatsoever, &c.--"Strange rumors have reached our ears of Thy doings at Capernaum; but if such power resides in Thee to cure the ills of humanity, why has none of it yet come nearer home, and why is all this alleged power reserved for strangers?" His choice of Capernaum as a place of residence since entering on public life was, it seems, already well known at Nazareth; and when He did come thither, to…Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 4:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries