Luke 4:36

And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:31-44 Christ's preaching much affected the people; and a working power went with it to the consciences of men. These miracles showed Christ to be a controller and conqueror of Satan, a healer of diseases. Where Christ gives a new life, in recovery from sickness, it should be a new life, spent more than ever in his service, to his glory. Our business should be to spread abroad Christ's fame in every place, to beseech him in behalf of those diseased in body or mind, and to use our influence in bringing sinners to him, that his hands may be laid upon them for their healing. He cast the devils out of many who were possessed. We were not sent into this world to live to ourselves only, but to glorify God, and to do good in our generation. The people sought him, and came unto him. A desert is no desert, if we are with Christ there. He will continue with us, by his word and Spirit, and extend the same blessings to other nations, till, throughout the earth, the servants and worshippers of Satan are brought to acknowledge him as the Christ, the Son of God, and to find redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this explained in the notes at Mark 1:21-39.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

36. What a word—a word from the Lord of spirits.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 4:33"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they were all amazed,.... The people in the synagogue; they were astonished at his doctrine before, and now at his miracles:

and spake among themselves; as they were in the synagogue,

what a word is this? meaning, either what sort of doctrine is this which is attended with such power and miracles; or what a word of command is this, "hold thy peace, and come out of him?" and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "what is this mandatory", or "commanding word?" to which agrees the Syriac version, rendering it with the following clause thus; "what is this word", that "with authority and power it commands the unclean spirits, and they come out?" See Gill on Mark 1:27.

Geneva Study Bible

And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 4:36. ὁ λόγος οὗτος refers either to the commanding word of Jesus, followed by such astounding results (“quid est hoc verbum?” Vulg[47]), or = what is this thing? what a surprising affair! (“quid hoc rei est?” Beza, and after him Grotius, De Wette, etc.). In either case Lk.’s version at this point is altogether secondary and colourless as compared with Mk.’s, q.v.

[47] Vulgate (Jerome’s revision of old Latin version).

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 4:36. Λόγος, a word) דבר.—ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ, with authority) which cannot be contradicted.—καὶ δυνάμει, and power) which cannot be resisted.

Luke 4:36

Vincent's Word Studies

They were all amazed (ἐγένετο θάμβος ἐπὶ πάντες)

Lit., as Rev., amazement came upon all. Θάμβος, amazement, is used by Luke only. The kindred verb, θαμβέομαι, to be amazed, occurs only once in Luke (Acts 9:6), and three times in Mark; while Mark alone has the strong compound ἐκθαμβέω, to be greatly amazed (Mark 9:15).