Luke 7:21

21 In that hour 1he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and 2on many who were blind he bestowed sight.

Luke 7:21 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 7:21

And in that same hour
Or at that same time, for a precise hour is not intended: one exemplar reads, "in that day", in which these men came to Christ,

he,
Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it,

cured many of their infirmities;
bodily weaknesses and disorders: and plagues; which were inflicted on them as scourges and corrections for sin, very severe diseases, as epilepsies, leprosies, palsies and of evil spirits; or devils, which he dispossessed and commanded out of the bodies of men; though sometimes evil spirits, with the Jews, signify some kinds of bodily diseases: as when it is said F9

``whoever puts out a lamp because he is afraid of Gentiles, or of thieves, or of (her xwr) , "an evil spirit", or because of a sick man that is asleep, he is free.''

Upon which Maimonides observes,

``an evil spirit they call all kinds of diseases, which, in the Arabic language, go by the name of "melancholy"; for it is one kind of the diseases mentioned, which makes a sick man to fly, and separate himself from mankind, as if he was afraid of the light, or of coming into the company of men:''

and unto many that were blind he gave sight;
freely, as an act of grace and kindness, as the word signifies, without any merit, or motive, in them.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 Misn. Sabbat, c. 2. sect. 5. Vid Maimon. Hilchot Gerushin, c. 2. sect. 14.

Luke 7:21 In-Context

19 calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
20 And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'"
21 In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.
22 And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.
23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

Cross References 2

  • 1. Mark 1:34
  • 2. Luke 18:42; Matthew 9:30; Matthew 12:22; Matthew 15:31; Matthew 20:34; Matthew 21:14; Mark 8:25; John 9:7
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.