And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's chilling here is not just their intent, but the specific way they planned to kill Jesus. They didn't just want him dead; they dragged him to a cliff's edge to hurl him down, a violent, immediate execution mirroring ancient, brutal punishments. This wasn't a trial; it was a mob driven by rage, trying to erase the unsettling truth Jesus spoke with a sudden, terrible act.
And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus had just read a passage from Isaiah and declared that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy, astonishing his hometown crowd. However, his words ignited their anger when he pointed out their disbelief and mentioned God's favor toward Gentiles, so they violently expelled him from the town, intending to throw him off a cliff. This shocking attempt on his life reveals the intense opposition Jesus faced, even from those who knew him best.
Imagine your own neighbors turning on you, fueled by anger. That’s exactly what happened to Jesus, and it reveals a deep truth about human nature.
The people of Nazareth, who knew Jesus intimately, couldn’t accept His message. Their familiarity bred contempt. They didn't just disagree; they violently rejected Him.
From Worship to Rage
Jesus had just read from Isaiah in their synagogue, and the crowd was amazed. But when He pointed out that their own town needed God’s saving work just as much as anyone else, their mood shifted instantly. They rose up in a frenzy, not to debate, but to commit murder.
A Desperate Act
They dragged Jesus to the edge of a cliff, intending to throw Him down. This wasn't a standard Jewish punishment, but it was a brutal, improvised act born of pure hatred and a desire to silence the truth they didn't want to hear. It shows how quickly people can turn against what challenges their comfort or their pride.
The crowd wanted to kill Jesus, but their method was unusual and reveals something about mob mentality and religious justification.
While the crowd’s intent was murder, their chosen method—hurling someone off a cliff—wasn't a prescribed legal punishment in Jewish law for blasphemy. However, it was a known, albeit brutal, way to execute people in some other cultures and was seen as a form of 'stoning' in its violence.
Mob Justice vs. Divine Law
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Instead of following due process, the angry mob acted on impulse and rage. They used the geography of their town—the rocky cliffs surrounding Nazareth—as a weapon. This highlights how easily a crowd, driven by emotion, can bypass established justice and resort to extreme violence.
A Precursor to the Cross
This violent rejection foreshadows the ultimate opposition Jesus would face. Even though the method here was different from crucifixion, the underlying hostility and the attempt to silence God's Son were the same. It demonstrates humanity’s deep-seated rebellion against God's authority.
This violent rejection in his hometown, Nazareth, highlights the profound opposition Jesus faced even from those who knew him best. It underscores that true understanding of his divine mission often came from outsiders, not from the familiar community.
c. 27 AD— this verse
Jesus Reads From Isaiah in Nazareth
Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah at the synagogue in Nazareth, identifying himself as the Messiah. The congregation initially marvels at his words.
c. 27 AD
Nazarene Crowd Attempts to Kill Jesus
The crowd's mood turns hostile when Jesus alludes to his rejection by his hometown and references God's favor on Gentiles. They violently expel him from the synagogue and town, intending to throw him off a cliff.
c. 27 AD
Jesus Escapes the Mob
Jesus miraculously passes through the hostile crowd and escapes their deadly intent, continuing his ministry elsewhere in Galilee.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Following his rejection at Nazareth, Jesus undertakes a wider ministry throughout Galilee, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. This period likely includes events recorded in other Gospels before his final trip to Jerusalem.
This passage describes a similar violent act where the men of Judah threw their enemies down from the top of Sela, which echoes the desperate attempt by the Nazarenes to throw Jesus off a cliff.
Matthew 13:54-58This passage describes Jesus returning to His hometown and being rejected by the people there due to their familiarity with Him, leading to a similar lack of miracles, which some scholars connect to the event in Luke 4.
John 8:59In this account, Jesus also has to escape from a hostile crowd in Jerusalem who pick up stones to throw at Him, demonstrating a recurring pattern of violent opposition from those who reject His message.
1 Kings 18:40After Elijah defeats the prophets of Baal, he brings them down to the Brook Kishon and slaughters them, showing a precedent for a leader enacting judgment in a dramatic, public manner, though in Elijah's case it was divinely sanctioned justice.
barnesLuke 4:29: "And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong."
The brow of the hill whereon ... - The region in which Nazareth was is hilly, though Nazareth was situated "between" two hills, or in a vale among mountains. The place to which they led the Saviour is still shown, and is called the "Mount of Precipitation." It is at a short distance to the south of Nazareth. See the notes at Matthe…
cambridgeLuke 4:29: "And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong."
29 . the brow of the hill whereon their city was built ] The ‘ whereon ’ refers to the hill not to the brow. Nazareth nestles under the southern slopes of the hill. The cliff down which they wished to hurl Him (because this was regarded as a form of ‘stoning,’ the legal punishment for blasphemy) was certainly not the so-called ‘Mou…
What's chilling here is not just their intent, but the specific way they planned to kill Jesus. They didn't just want him dead; they dragged him to a cliff's edge to hurl him down, a violent, immediate execution mirroring ancient, brutal punishments. This wasn't a trial; it was a mob driven by rage, trying to erase the unsettling truth Jesus spoke with a sudden, terrible act.
Jesus had just read a passage from Isaiah and declared that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy, astonishing his hometown crowd. However, his words ignited their anger when he pointed out their disbelief and mentioned God's favor toward Gentiles, so they violently expelled him from the town, intending to throw him off a cliff. This shocking attempt on his life reveals the intense opposition Jesus faced, even from those who knew him best.
Jesus had just read a passage from Isaiah and declared that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy, astonishing his hometown crowd. However, his words ignited their anger when he pointed out their disbelief and mentioned God's favor toward Gentiles, so they violently expelled him from the town, intending to throw him off a cliff. This shocking attempt on his life reveals the intense opposition Jesus faced, even from those who knew him best.
"And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away." — What's chilling here is not just their intent, but the specific way they planned to kill Jesus. They didn't just want him dead; they dragged him to a cliff's edge to hurl him down, a violent, immed…
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Last reviewed October 2026