Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people.
Parallel translations
- WEB He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day,
- KJV And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.
- NKJV Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.
- NASB And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee; and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;
- NLT Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus goes down to Capernaum and teaches on the Sabbath. Capernaum becomes a base for His Galilean ministry.
Overview
Leaving Nazareth, Jesus settles into ministry at Capernaum, teaching regularly on the Sabbath. The town becomes a center for His works in Galilee. Here Luke begins recounting the mighty acts that authenticate Jesus' teaching.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Mark 1:21–28Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.
- Matt 4:13Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- Acts 13:50The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
- Acts 14:6–7they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding region,
- Matt 10:23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
- Acts 14:19–21Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.
- Acts 17:1–3When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
- Acts 20:1–2When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.
- Acts 18:4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks alike.
- Acts 20:23–24I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.
- Acts 17:16–17While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply disturbed in his spirit to see that the city was full of idols.
- Luke 4:23Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’”
- Acts 17:10–11As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 4:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.