Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 9:6

"And they departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere." — Luke 9:6 (ASV)

Luke concludes this section with a summary of the mission of the Twelve, including another reference to preaching and healing. Their instructions had not included any limitation of scope; they went everywhere.

Jesus has come to the end of his great Galilean ministry. The subsequent events take place to the north and east of Galilee and culminate in the confession of Jesus’ messiahship, followed by the first passion prediction (vv.19–27; cf. Mark 6:8–30:26). Prior to the narrative about the feeding of the five thousand, Luke states that Herod “was perplexed” about Jesus. This is of great importance in the sequence of Luke’s gospel because it introduces the question “Who then is this...?” (v.9; cf. comment on 8:25). This all-important question is picked up again in vv.18–20.