Luke 4:34 Meaning and Explanation
“Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The demon protests, asking whether Jesus of Nazareth has come to destroy them, and names him the Holy One of God.
What Does Luke 4:34 Mean?
The spirit speaks in the plural for its whole kind, us and we, sensing in Jesus the beginning of the end of its dominion. The bitter irony of the chapter: a demon confesses what Nazareth could not see, that this is the Holy One of God.
Accurate words about Jesus are not the same as love for him; the devils also believe, and tremble. The unclean spirit knows exactly who he is and dreads what that means; the disciple knows who he is and rejoices in it. The question the verse leaves with every reader is not only who you say he is, but whether you welcome what he has come to do, for holiness is terror to what it will not leave alone and hope to what it heals.
Luke 4:34 in the Original Language
hagios (ἅγιος), 'holy' -- set apart, belonging wholly to God.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 4:34
What does Luke 4:34 mean?
The demon protests, asking whether Jesus of Nazareth has come to destroy them, and names him the Holy One of God.