What Does Luke 4:18 Mean in the King James?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The same Greek word, ἄφεσις (aphesis, release), appears as both “deliverance” and “liberty,” making release the repeated hinge of the whole verse.
THE MEANING
The LORD’s breath rests upon the anointed one, whose sending brings good news to the poor, release to captives, sight to the blind, healing to broken hearts, and liberty to the bruised. You are addressed by this announcement: what is bound or crushed remains within the reach of release. The verse speaks now, with release as its living movement.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that captivity or a crushed state is a final identity, beyond release.
THE ROOT
ἄφεσις
aphesis
GROWS FROM
ἀφίημι
aphiēmi
To let go, send away, or release; also to forgive.
“deliverance / liberty” in this verse is aphesis. The Greek repeats ἄφεσις (aphesis, release) for both the captives’ “deliverance” and the bruised people’s “liberty.” Its word-family also names forgiveness as letting go, so release reaches both what confines a person and what is held against them.
ALSO GROWS
aphiēmi: To release, let go, send away, or forgive.
ἀφίημι
Forgiveness belongs to the same release-family: something held against a person is let go.
aphesis: Release or forgiveness.
ἄφεσις
Matthew 26:28 uses this same noun for “remission” of sins, extending the verse’s language of release beyond physical captivity.
πνεῦμα
pneuma
GROWS FROM
πνέω
pneō
To blow or breathe.
πνεῦμα (pneuma, breath/wind/spirit) carries the sense of breath and wind along with spirit. Isaiah’s Hebrew source uses רוּחַ (ruach, breath/wind/spirit) with the same range, so the LORD’s breath rests upon the anointed one as the verse opens into its work of release.
ALSO GROWS
pneō: To blow or breathe.
πνέω
The verb beneath the noun keeps the image of breath and wind inside the word translated “Spirit.”
pnoē: Breath or a blowing.
πνοή
This related noun names breath itself; in Acts 2:2 it also describes a rushing wind.
מָשַׁח
mashach
GROWS FROM
משח
m-sh-ḥ
To smear or anoint, especially with oil.
The Hebrew verb describes an act of marking someone for a role, while מָשִׁיחַ (mashiach, anointed one) names the one so marked. Luke’s Greek verb χρίω (chriō, anoint) belongs to the title-family behind χριστός (christos, anointed one), carrying the title’s meaning inside the commission.
ALSO GROWS
mashiach: Anointed one.
מָשִׁיחַ
This is the Hebrew title formed from the same root; the Greek equivalent is χριστός (christos, anointed one).
mishchah: Anointing or anointing oil.
מִשְׁחָה
The related noun keeps the act of anointing visible as the marking that accompanies the work described here.
THE PATTERN
Restoration takes the form of release: what binds people is loosened so they can move into freedom.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.THE THREAD
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.Luke’s “deliverance” and “liberty” translate ἄφεσις (aphesis, release), the same Greek noun Matthew renders “remission.” The shared word lets release from captivity and release from guilt sit in the same linguistic field.
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