Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Was delivered (epedoqh). First aorist passive indicative of epididwmi, to give over to, a common verb. At the proper stage of the service "the attendant" or "minister" (uphrethv, under rower) or "beadle" took out a roll of the law from the ark, unwrapped it, and gave it to some one to read. On sabbath days some seven persons were asked to read small portions of the law. This was the first lesson or Parashah. This was followed by a reading from the prophets and a discourse, the second lesson or Haphtarah. This last is what Jesus did.
The book of the prophet Isaiah (biblion tou profhtou Esaiou). Literally, "a roll of the prophet Isaiah." Apparently Isaiah was handed to Jesus without his asking for it. But certainly Jesus cared more for the prophets than for the ceremonial law. It was a congenial service that he was asked to perform. Jesus used Deuteronomy in his temptations and now Isaiah for this sermon. The Syriac Sinaitic manuscript has it that Jesus stood up after the attendant handed him the roll.
Opened (anoicav). Really it was
unrolled (anaptucav) as Aleph D have it. But the more general term anoicav (from anoigw, common verb) is probably genuine. Anaptussw does not occur in the N.T. outside of this passage if genuine.
Found the place (euren ton topon). Second aorist active indicative. He continued to unroll (rolling up the other side) till he found the passage desired. It may have been a fixed lesson for the day or it may have been his own choosing. At any rate it was a marvellously appropriate passage (Isaiah 61:1-2 with one clause omitted and some words from Isaiah 58:6). It is a free quotation from the Septuagint.
Where it was written (ou hn gegrammenon). Periphrastic pluperfect passive again as in Luke 4:16.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Luke 4:17:
Matthew 1:1
Matthew 4:13
Mark 1:21
Mark 5:17
John 5:47
John 7:5
Revelation 5:1
Revelation 6:14
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