Luke 4:37 (KJV)

What does Luke 4:37 mean?

Luke 4:37 says that news about Jesus spread quickly to every place in the surrounding region. People in the area began to hear about what Jesus was doing and saying, and his reputation grew rapidly.

This verse comes just after Jesus healed a man with an unclean spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum. The people who witnessed this were amazed, and word about Jesus’s authority and power traveled to nearby towns and villages. Luke is showing how Jesus’s actions immediately drew attention far beyond the place where they happened.

The Greek behind Luke 4:37

• The word translated "fame" is φήμη (phēmē), which means "report," "news," or "reputation." It suggests that people were actively talking about Jesus, not just hearing about him passively.
• The phrase "went out" comes from the Greek word ἐξήρχετο (exērcheto), which carries the sense of something spreading outward, like ripples from a stone thrown in water. This emphasizes how quickly and widely the news about Jesus traveled.
• The word for "every place" is πᾶς (pas) with τόπος (topos), meaning "all" or "every" place, highlighting that there were no exceptions—every nearby area was hearing about Jesus.

Why Luke 4:37 matters

• This verse shows how Jesus’s ministry immediately had a wide impact, not just on individuals but on entire communities.
• It helps explain why crowds soon began to gather wherever Jesus went—his reputation as a healer and teacher was spreading fast.
• The verse connects to the larger theme in Luke that Jesus’s work could not be hidden; his actions naturally drew attention and response from all around.