What Does Luke 4:18 Mean?
The breath of the LORD is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the emptied. He has sent me to heal the shattered in heart, to herald release to the captives, and the return of sight for the blind, to send the crushed away into release.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
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 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.
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 this not the fast I have chosen, to open the bonds of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to send the crushed away free, and to tear away every yoke?Who makes judgment for the pressed, who gives bread to the hungry. The LORD loosens the bound.So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.THE THREAD
For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many, for the release of shortcomings.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.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us