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Quotes in Luke

Luke quotes or paraphrases the Old Testament 16 times. One of those better matches the Septuagint.

Luke 1:76 quoting Isaiah 40:3-4

Luke 1:76

‘And You will travel ahead of [Yahweh],
To prepare the road that’s before him.’

Isaiah 40:3-4

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘Then I heard [a] voice that was calling from the desert. It said:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord…
Straighten the roads for our God!

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Hark! one calleth:

‘Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD,
Make plain in the desert
A highway for our God.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘The voice of one who calls out, ‘Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! And make a level highway in the desert for our God.’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

‘…Yahweh… Make a level…’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah B

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

‘…a level highway… for our God.’ — Scroll 4Q56 Isaiah B

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Our comments:

John the Immerser’s father, ZechariAh, isn’t really quoting the verse, but more aluding to it or referencing it.

At a stretch, we could say that he’s paraphrasing it.

Whatever the case, it matches the verse, even if it’s not a direct quote.

Luke 1:79 quoting Isaiah 9:2

Luke 1:79

‘Which is shining on those in the darkness,
And on those who are sitting in the shadow of death.’

Isaiah 9:2

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘The people who were traveling in darkness
Then saw a [very] bright light.
For a light will then shine upon those
Who live in the place of the shadow of death.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS) (9:1 in the JPS):

‘The people that walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
They that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them hath the light shined.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined.’ – Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Our comments:

John the Immerser’s father, ZechariAh, isn’t really quoting the verse, but paraphrasing it as part of his own speech (which is written in poetry). So we wouldn’t expect the words to match up exactly. He’s clearly referring to that verse, containing all the same concepts, so it’s a match.

Luke 2:23 quoting Exodus 13:2

Luke 2:23

‘Every male who opens a womb must be called holy to [Jehovah].’

Exodus 13:2

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘All the first-fathered and firstborn that open any womb among the children of IsraEl, whether of men or animals, are to be set aside as holy to Me, for they are now Mine!’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is Mine.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Sanctify to me… both of man…’ – Scroll 4Q37

✅ The available parts match as a paraphrase

Our comments:

The quote is more of a summary-paraphrase of the verse, which is fine.

Luke 3:6 quoting Isaiah 40:3-5

Luke 3:6

‘Listen!

‘Someone calls out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Straighten out all of his roads;
Fill the gullies and level the mountains and hills;
Straighten the curves and smooth the rough paths,
So all flesh will be able to see
What God has provided to save them.’

Isaiah 40:3-5

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

Then I heard a voice that was calling from the desert. It said:

‘Prepare the way for the Lord…
Straighten the roads for our God!
Fill the valleys and flatten the mountains and hills…
All crooked paths must be straightened
And all the rough [ground] must be smoothed!
By all flesh, God’s glory and salvation will be seen;
For [Yahweh] has told you to do this.’

✅ Matches

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Hark! one calleth:

‘Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the LORD,
Make plain in the desert
A highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill shall be made low;
And the rugged shall be made level,
And the rough places a plain;
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.’’

✅ Matches

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘The voice of one who calls out, ‘Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! And make a level highway in the desert for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Matches

‘…Yahweh… Make a level… valley shall be exalted…’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah B

✅ Matches

‘…a level highway… for our God. Every valley…’ — Scroll 4Q56 Isaiah B

✅ Matches

Our comments:

All sources match well.

Luke 4:4 quoting Deuteronomy 8:3

Luke 4:4

‘It’s written that people can’t just live on bread… They also need the Word of God.’

Deuteronomy 8:3

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘…men don’t only need bread to live, but [they also need] all the words that come from The God’s mouth.

✅ Matches

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘…man doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.’

✅ Matches

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘…man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh’s mouth.’ – Scroll 4Q30

✅ Matches

Our comments:

A match to all sources. Not strictly a quote, but a summary-paraphrase.

Luke 4:8 quoting Deuteronomy 6:13

Luke 4:8

‘You should only bow to [Jehovah] your God,
And Him alone, should you serve.’

Deuteronomy 6:13

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘So, you must fear [Jehovah] your God and serve only Him!’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; and Him shalt thou serve’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

Matches all sources as a slighly paraphrased quote, describing the meaning.

Luke 4:11 quoting Psalm 91:11-12

Luke 4:11

‘He will order His messengers to protect you;
So they’ll lift you up on their hands,
And you won’t bump your foot on a stone.’

Psalm 91:11-12

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

For, to His messengers, He will give orders…
He’ll tell them to guard you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands,
So you don’t ever bump your foot on a stone.

✅ Match as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘For He will give His angels charge over thee,
To keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee upon their hands,
Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.’

✅ Match as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘… They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.’ – Scroll 4Q84 Psalms B

✅ Match

‘For he will put … in charge of you, to guard you in your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, so that … your foot against a stone.’ – Scroll 11Q11 Psalms F

✅ Match as a paraphrase

Our comments:

The quote matches closely across sources.

Luke 4:12 quoting Deuteronomy 6:16

Luke 4:12

‘You must not put [Jehovah] your God to the test.’

Deuteronomy 6:16

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘You must not test [Jehovah] your God in the way that you tested Him in the temptation!’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Ye shall not try the LORD your God, as ye tried Him in Massah.’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

The quote matches both main sources as a paraphrase.

Luke 4:18-19 quoting Isaiah 61:1-2 (LXX)

Luke 4:18-19

‘The breath of [Jehovah] is upon me,
And I’ve been anointed by Him
To teach good news to the poor.

‘He sent me to heal broken hearts;
To proclaim a release to the captives;
A regaining of sight to the blind;
Deliverance to those who’ve been oppressed;
And to announce the year of [Jehovah’s] favor.’

Isaiah 61:1-2

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘The Spirit of the Lord [Jehovah] is upon me.
That’s why He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted;
To preach a release to captives
And a regaining of sight to the blind;
To return the crushed to deliverance,
And to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’

✅ Matches

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘The spirit of the Lord God is upon me;
Because the LORD hath anointed me
To bring good tidings unto the humble;

He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the eyes to them that are bound;
To proclaim the year of the LORD'S good pleasure,’

❌ Differs slightly (missing the oppressed)

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Yahweh’s Spirit is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

❌ Differs slightly (missing the oppressed)

‘Yahweh God’s Spirit is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release… the year of Yahweh’s favor…’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah B

❓ Unknown

‘The Lord … Spirit is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me … hearted, to proclaim… to the captives…’ — Scroll 4Q66 Isaiah M

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

Both sources actually match very well, but the Greek Septuagint matches best of all.

The two phrases:

‘A regaining of sight to the blind; Deliverance to those who’ve been oppressed’

Are merged into one statement in the Hebrew:

‘the opening of the eyes to them that are bound’

Luke 7:27 quoting Malachi 3:1

Luke 7:27

'{Look!} I will send My messenger before him,
To prepare the road that he’ll travel.’

Malachi 3:1

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘So, {Look!} I’ll be sending My messenger to you,
To prepare the way for the face of the Lord’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Behold, I send My messenger,
And he shall clear the way before Me’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Therefore behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me’ – Scroll 4Q76 Minor Prophets A

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Our comments:

The quote matches all sources as a paraphrase.

Luke 10:27 quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Luke 10:27

‘You must love [Jehovah] your God with your whole heart, soul, strength, and mind‘

Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 34

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘And you must love Him with your whole mind, with your whole life, and with your whole strength.

✅ Matches with some explanation

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘And thou shalt love the LORD [YHWH] thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’

✅ Matches with some explanation

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘…Yahweh…’ – Scroll 4Q43

❓ Unknown

Our comments:

The quote in Luke lists four things:

  • Heart
  • Soul (or life)
  • Strength
  • Mind

But Deuteronomy 6:5 only lists three things:

  • Heart
  • Soul (or life)
  • Strength

So what’s going on?

It’s likely simply a matter of translation.

Remember, the original quote of Deuteronomy is in Hebrew… And the Hebrew word for ‘strength’ (which literally means very or exceedingly) likely had a broader meaning that encompassed thinking, as it’s not just about physical strength, but also about will or willpower.

With that in mind, remember that Jesus was probably speaking in Aramaic. If the Aramaic word for strength has a much narrower meaning, then Jesus likely (correctly) translated the single Hebrew word into two Aramaic words in order to convey the full, broader meaning of the Hebrew word.

So while we can’t know for sure, it’s likely that Jesus quoted the verse perfectly, but just translated it into Aramaic using additional words. That’s why it appears to have an ‘extra’ word when quoted in Luke, but in reality, the meaning is the same.

The same can be found in the quote in Matthew 22:37, where the Greek version has three words, but the Aramaic version has four. It seems the Greek translation of Jesus’ words in Luke is superior to the translation in Matthew. This would make sense to us, since we suspect that Matthew was originally an Aramaic work.

Luke 10:27 quoting Leviticus 19:18

Luke 10:27

‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’

Leviticus 19:18

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘You must love your neighbor as you [love] yourself’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

All quotes match.

Luke 13:35 quoting Psalm 118:26

Luke 13:35

‘Praised is the one coming in [Jehovah’s] Name!’

Psalm 118:26

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘Praised is the one coming in the Name of the Lord! […]‘

✅ Matches

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD; […]‘

✅ Matches

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! […]‘ — Scroll 4Q84 Psalms B

✅ Matches

‘Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! […]‘ — Scroll 11Q5 Psalms A

✅ Matches

Our comments:

It matches closely with all the available Old Testament sources.

Luke 20:17 quoting Psalm 118:22

Luke 20:17

‘The stone that the builders rejected
Has become the foundation cornerstone?’

Psalm 118:22

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘So, the stone that the builders rejected
Has become the foundation cornerstone…’

✅ Matches

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Is become the chief corner-stone.’

✅ Matches

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain these words.)

Our comments:

Matches well with all sources.

Luke 20:43 quoting Psalm 110:1

Luke 20:43

‘Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet.’

Psalm 110:1

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘[…] ‘Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet.’

✅ Matches

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘[…] ‘Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.’’

✅ Matches as a paraphrase

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

(None of the surviving Dead Sea Scrolls contain this verse.)

Our comments:

The quote in Luke 20:43 closely matches the Greek Septuagint version of Psalm 110:1. The Hebrew Masoretic Text is a good paraphrase, using ‘thy footstool’ instead of ‘a stool for your feet’, but the meaning is the same.

Luke 22:37 quoting Isaiah 53:12

Luke 22:37

‘He was counted among the law breakers.’

Isaiah 53:12

Greek Septuagint (our translation):

‘And among the lawless, was numbered.’

✅ Match

Hebrew Masoretic Text (JPS):

‘And was numbered with the transgressors.’

✅ Match

Dead Sea Scrolls (WEB):

‘and was counted with the transgressors’ — Scroll 1Q Isaiah A

✅ Match

‘and was counted with the transgressors’ — Scroll 4Q58 Isaiah D

✅ Match

Our comments:

All sources match very well.

Quotes Index

Or return to the introduction to this series.