Word Pictures in the New Testament - Luke
A. T. Robertson
as in 1:45, which can be either the relative “that” or the casual [hoti] “because” or “for,” as the Revised Version has it. Either makes good sense. Luke adds here [dunamei] (with power) to Mark’s “authority” [exousian]. And they come out [exerchontai]. So Luke where Mark has “and they obey him” [kai upakouousin aut i]. 4:37 Went forth a rumour [exeporeueto chos]. Imperfect middle, kept on going forth. Our very word [echo] in this word. Late Greek form for [ ch ] in the old Greek. Used for the roar of the waves on the shore. So in Lu 21:25. Vivid picture of the resounding influence of this day’s work in the synagogue, in Capernaum. 4:38 He rose up [anastas]. Second aorist active participle of [anist mi], a common verb. B. Weiss adds here “from the teacher’s seat.” Either from his seat or merely leaving the synagogue. This incident of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law is given in Mr 1:29-34 and Mt 8:14-17, which see for details. Into the house of Simon [eis t n oikian Sim nos]. “Peter’s house” (Mt 8:14). “The house of Simon and Andrew” (Mr 1:29). Paul’s reference to Peter’s wife (1Co 9:5) is pertinent. They lived together in Capernaum. This house came also to be the Capernaum home of Jesus. Simon’s wife’s mother [penthera tou Sim nos]. The word [penthera] for mother-in-law is old and well established in usage. Besides the parallel passages (Mr 1:30; Mt 8:14; Lu 4:38) it occurs in the N.T. only in Lu 12:53. The corresponding word [pentheros], father-in-law, occurs in Joh 18:13 alone in the N.T. Was holden with a great fever [ n sunechomen puret i megal i]. Periphrastic imperfect passive, the analytical tense accenting the continuous fever, perhaps chronic and certainly severe. Luke employs this verb nine times and only three others in the N.T. (Mt 4:24 passive with diseases here; 2Co 5:14 active; Php 1:23 passive). In Ac 28:8 the passive “with dysentery” is like the construction here and is a common one in Greek medical writers as in Greek literature generally. Luke uses the passive with “fear,” Lu 8:37, the active for holding the hands over the ears (Ac 7:57) and for pressing one or holding together (Lu 8:45; 19:43; 22:63), the direct middle for holding oneself to preaching (Ac 18:5). It is followed here by the instrumental case. Hobart (Medical Language of Luke, p. 3) quotes Galen as dividing fevers into “great” [megaloi] and “small” [smikroi]. 4:39 He stood over her [epistas epan aut s]. Second aorist active participle. Only in Luke. Surely we are not to take Luke to mean that Jesus here took the exorcist’s position and was rebuking a malignant personality. The attitude of Jesus is precisely that of any kindly sympathetic physician. Mr 1:31; Mt 8:15 mention the touch of her hand rather than the tender look over her head. Rebuked [epetim sen]. Only in Luke. Jesus bade the fever leave her as he spoke to the wind and the waves and Luke uses this same verb (8:24). Rose up and ministered [anast sa di konei]. Second aorist active participle as in verse 38, but inchoative imperfect tense [di konei], from [diakone ] (note augment of compound verb). She rose up immediately, though a long high fever usually leaves one very weak. The cure was instantaneous and complete. She began to minister at once and kept it up. 4:40 When the sun was setting [dunontos tou h liou]. Genitive absolute and present participle [dun ], late form of [du ] picturing the sunset scene. Even Mr 1:32 has here the aorist indicative
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