Chapter

Luke 4:29

ESV And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff.
NIV They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.
NASB and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, so that they could throw Him down from the cliff.
CSB They got up, drove him out of town, and brought him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff.
NLT Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,
KJV And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
NKJV and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.

What does Luke 4:29 mean?

The people of Nazareth are reacting violently to Jesus' suggestion that God would favor Gentiles—non-Jewish persons—with miracles instead of Israel herself. Jesus cited examples, including those of Elijah and Elisha where exactly such a thing happened (Luke 4:23–27). This was His response to the Nazarenes' skepticism about His role as Messiah (Luke 4:16–22). Having been humiliated by Rome, Jews of that era were especially bitter about the Gentile world (Acts 22:21–22). When Jesus implies that God will speak to Gentiles instead of Israelites, the response is violent (Luke 4:28).

What the people attempt to do here might have been part of the process of stoning (Leviticus 20:2; John 10:33). The simplest form of stoning was simply for a mob to throw large rocks at the person until they died. Over time, Israel took on the step of dropping the victim from a modest height first. This would begin the process and make lethal strikes with rocks, from above, easier. Whether or not the people were attempting to stone Jesus, or simply murder Him by throwing Him off a cliff, makes no real difference.

This attempt on Jesus' life will fail (Luke 4:30). In the several instances where angry crowds tried to kill Jesus, He miraculously escaped (John 8:59; 10:39). Only when His determined time had come did He allow Himself to be taken (Matthew 26:45–47).
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