Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 4:16

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read." — Luke 4:16 (ASV)

Luke emphasizes that Jesus was in the town in which he grew up and stresses Jesus’ Jewish piety by referring to his custom of synagogue attendance. This strengthens the contrast with his rejection. Jesus stood up to read the Scriptures; the passage chosen for that particular Sabbath was Isa 61:1–2, with the words “to release the oppressed” taken from Isa 58:6. The variation from the usual wording may simply reflect the interpretive translation in use at that time.