Luke 18:37
And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
Original Language Analysis
αὐτῷ
him
G846
αὐτῷ
him
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
3 of 8
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ὅτι
that
G3754
ὅτι
that
Strong's:
G3754
Word #:
4 of 8
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
G2424
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
Strong's:
G2424
Word #:
5 of 8
jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 8
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Historical Context
Nazareth was an insignificant village of perhaps 400 people, unmentioned in Old Testament, Josephus, or Talmud until the Christian era. Identifying Jesus this way likely conveyed low social status rather than honor. Yet this 'Nazarene' was attracting massive crowds, creating the cognitive dissonance that defined Jesus's ministry—nobody from nowhere doing works of God.
Questions for Reflection
- How do human labels and geographic prejudices obscure recognition of God's work in unexpected people or places?
- What does Jesus 'passing by' teach about the urgency of responding to spiritual opportunity?
- When has God's presence felt near but fleeting, requiring immediate response from you?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
They told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by (ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτῷ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος παρέρχεται, apēngeilan de autō hoti Iēsous ho Nazōraios parerchetai)—The crowd's answer is factual but minimal. Apangellō (to announce, report) conveys information without interpretation. They identify Jesus geographically—of Nazareth (ὁ Ναζωραῖος)—a designation often used dismissively (John 1:46: 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?').
Passeth by (παρέρχεται, parerchetai)—the present tense emphasizes the fleeting moment. Jesus is passing, not stopping. This creates urgency: the beggar must act now or miss his opportunity. The verb parerchomai can mean 'to pass away, disappear'—without intervention, Jesus will be gone, perhaps forever. This spatial passing becomes metaphor for spiritual opportunity: Christ comes near, but doesn't force engagement. The beggar must respond.