Luke 4:22

ἐμαρτύρουν α., bore witness to Him, not = δοξαζόμενος in Luke 4:15; the confession was extorted from them by Christ's undeniable power. ἐθαύμαζον, not, admired, but, were surprised at (Hahn). λόγοις τῆς χάριτος, words of grace. Most take χάρις here not in the Pauline sense, but as denoting attractiveness in speech (German, Anmuth), suavitas sermonis (Kypke, with examples from Greek authors, while admitting that χάριτος may be an objective genitive, “sermo de rebus suavibus et laetis”). In view of the text on which Jesus preached, and the fact that the Nazareth incident occupies the place of a frontispiece in the Gospel, the religious Pauline sense of χάρις is probably the right one = words about the grace of God whereby the prophetic oracle read was fulfilled. J. Weiss (in Meyer), while taking χάρις = grace of manner, admits that Lk. may have meant it in the other sense, as in Acts 14:3; Acts 20:24. Words of grace, about grace: such was Christ's speech, then and always that is Lk.'s idea. οὐχὶ υἱός, etc.: this fact, familiarity, neutralised the effect of all, grace of manner and the gracious message. Cf. Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3.