The spirit felt threatened by Jesus' presence and wanted to be left alone. Its first question claims Jesus has no business with it. Barnes says the spirit meant that casting it out would be "an improper interference," and he answers that this was untrue, because Jesus "had a right, therefore, to liberate the captive." The second question shows fear. Barnes suggests it may imply "that to be cast out of that man would, in fact, be his destruction." Though only one spirit is named, it says "us"; Barnes says it "speaks also in the name of others." Its own words reveal that it knew exactly who Jesus was: "the Holy One of God."

Jesus did not discuss or bargain. He "rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him" (Luke 4:35). The demon threw the man down "in the midst" and came out, "and hurt him not." The people were all amazed and said, "What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out" (Luke 4:36). His fame spread through the region (Luke 4:37).

The KJV "Let us alone" translates the single Greek word Ea, an interjection Thayer describes as "expressive of indignation, or of wonder mixed with fear"; the ESV renders it "Ha!" The question "What have we to do with thee" is literally "what to us and to you" (ti hemin kai soi).

When Jesus said, "Hold thy peace," Barnes notes that the Greek means "Be muzzled." Barnes on the parallel in Mark also thinks it probable that the man had calmer times, or he would not have been allowed into the synagogue. Luke, telling the same event as Mark 1:23-26, adds that the spirit came out and "hurt him not" (Luke 4:35).

Just before this, in Nazareth, Jesus read that He was anointed "to preach deliverance to the captives" and "to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18). Here, in the next synagogue scene, He does it. The spirit asks, "Art thou come to destroy us?" Jesus' answer is to set the captive man free. Matthew Henry writes that "The devil is an unclean spirit, his nature directly contrary to that of the pure and holy God."

There is also a contrast. The people of Nazareth said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" (Luke 4:22), while the unclean spirit named Him "the Holy One of God." Yet Jesus would not take testimony from demons; Luke later notes that "he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ" (Luke 4:41). Knowing who Jesus is was not the same as belonging to Him.