CHAPS. Luke 9:51 to Luke 18:31 This section forms a great episode in St Luke, which may be called the departure for the final conflict, and is identical with the journey (probably to the Feast of the Dedication, John 10:22) which is partially touched upon in Matthew 18:1 to Matthew 20:16 and Mark 10... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΤᾺ ΣΚΆΝΔΑΛΑ ΜῊ ἘΛΘΕΙ͂Ν. אBLX. 1. ἈΝΈΝΔΕΚΤΌΝ ἘΣΤΙΝ. In the present condition of the world it is morally impossible. The οὐχ ἐνδέχεται of the Rec[306] is a more common phrase. The nearest approach to the word is ἔνδεκτον in Apollonius. [306] Rec. The Textus Receptus. ΤΟΥ͂ ΜῊ ἘΛΘΕΙ͂Ν. Some MSS.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΊΘΟΣ ΜΥΛΙΚΌΣ. אBDL, La[304] Ti[305] See note. μύλος ὀνικὸς is from Matthew 18:6. [304] La. Lachmann. [305] Ti. Tischendorf. 2. ΛΥΣΙΤΕΛΕΙ͂ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ΕἸ Κ.Τ.Λ. The literal rendering of the verse is ‘It is for his advantage if a millstone _is hanging_ round his neck, and _he has been flung_ into the s... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΣΈΧΕΤΕ ἙΑΥΤΟΙ͂Σ. The following lesson of forgiveness is added because the hard repellent spirit of aggressive Pharisaism and spiritual pride was of all others the most likely to cause offences. It broke up the bruised reed, and stamped on the smoking flax. ἘᾺΝ ἉΜΆΡΤΗΙ. ‘If he sin,’ omitting “_ag... [ Continue Reading ]
ἉΜΑΡΤΉΣΗΙ. The sense requires this, as special _acts_ are referred to. The ἁμάρτῃ is from Luke 17:3. 4. ἙΠΤΆΚΙΣ. A purely general expression, which as little involves the quantitative limitation of forgiveness upon repentance as the “seventy times seven” of Matthew 18:22. Some of the Rabbis had lim... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ�. The high title given, and the spontaneous united request, shew how deeply they had felt the previous lessons. ΠΡΌΣΘΕΣ ἩΜΙ͂Ν ΠΊΣΤΙΝ. Literally ‘_Add to us faith_,’ i.e. give us more faith, without which we can never fulfil these great moral requirements.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE POWER OF FAITH. THE INSUFFICIENCY OF WORKS... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ ΚΌΚΚΟΝ ΣΙΝΆΠΕΩΣ, “which is the least of all seeds,” Matthew 13:32. ΤΗ͂Ι ΣΥΚΑΜΊΝΩΙ ΤΑΎΤΗΙ. The “this” is interesting because it shews that our Lord was teaching in the open air, and pointed to the tree as He spoke. The sycamine (Hebr. _shikmah_, 1 Chronicles 27:28) seems to be a generic name for v... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΟΥ͂ΛΟΝ ἜΧΩΝ�. The Parable of the Ploughing Slave is simply an illustration from daily life. The slave is working in the fields, at ploughing or pasturing, and when he comes back the master orders him to prepare his dinner, nor does he give him any special daily thanks for his ordinary daily duties,... [ Continue Reading ]
ἙΤΟΊΜΑΣΟΝ ΤΊ ΔΕΙΠΝΉΣΩ. Here the τί becomes equivalent to a relative, _para quod comedam_. Comp. Matthew 10:19, δοθήσεται ὑμῖν … τί λαλήσετε, _quod dicatis_. Winer, p. 210. ἝΩΣ ΦΆΓΩ. ‘_Till I have eaten_’ (which I am going certainly to do; hence no ἂν is needed). ΦΆΓΕΣΑΙ. The Hellenistic Greek φάγο... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΔΟΚΩ͂. Omitted in אBLX. Copt. Arm. &c. 9. ΜῊ ἜΧΕΙ ΧΆΡΙΝ …; ‘_He does not thank that slave, does he_?’ i.e. does he feel or express any _special gratitude_ to him (ἔχει χάριν, 1 Timothy 1:12). As a matter of fact, men are not in the habit of acknowledging the daily service of their dependents. O... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΤΑΝ ΠΟΙΉΣΗΤΕ ΠΆΝΤΑ. And this can never be, Psalms 143:2. Even if it could “non est _beneficium_ sed _officium_ facere quod debetis.” Sen. _Controv_. ἈΧΡΕΙ͂ΟΙ. The same word for unprofitable occurs in Matthew 25:30; Romans 3:12. This verse, like many others (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:27), cuts at the ro... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΜΈΣΟΝ. אBL. The phrase is not found in N.T. D reads μέσον, and some MSS. διὰ μέσου. 11. ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ΠΟΡΕΎΕΣΘΑΙ ΕἸΣ ἹΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΉΜ. ‘As they were on their way.’ The most natural place chronologically, for this incident would have been after Luke 9:57. St Luke places it here to contrast man’s thanklessne... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CLEANSED TEN; THE THANKLESS NINE... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΈΚΑ ΛΕΠΡΟῚ ἌΝΔΡΕΣ. So in 2 Kings 7:3 we find _four_ lepers together. The one Samaritan would not have been allowed to associate with the nine Jews had not leprosy obliterated religious distinctions, as it still sadly does in the leper-houses (Biut el Masakin, ‘Abodes of the Unfortunate’) at Jerusal... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΔΏΝ. Jesus always listened _instantly_ to the appeal of the leper, whose disease was the type of that worse moral leprosy which He specially came to cleanse. See on Luke 5:13. ΕἾΠΕΝ. Apparently He called out this answer to them while they were _still_ at the required legal distance of 100 paces.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΔῺΝ ὍΤΙ ἸΆΘΗ. The healing took place when they had shewn, by starting on their way to fulfil the command of Jesus, that they had faith. The Samaritan was on his way to his own priests at Gerizim. ΜΕΤᾺ ΦΩΝΗ͂Σ ΜΕΓΆΛΗΣ. Some see in this an implied contrast to the harsh, husky voice of his leprous con... [ Continue Reading ]
ἮΝ ΣΑΜΑΡΊΤΗΣ. See on Luke 10:33.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ΧῚ ΟἹ ΔΈΚΑ … ΟἹ ΔῈ ἘΝΝΈΑ ΠΟΥ͂; Literally, ‘_Were not the ten cleansed? but the nine—where_?’ What worse leprosy of superstition, ignorance, eager selfishness, or more glaring ingratitude had kept back the others? We do not know.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Χ ΕὙΡΈΘΗΣΑΝ. Ingratitude is one of the most universal and deeply seated of human vices, and our Lord was perfectly familiar with it. But in this instance He was moved by the depth of this thanklessness in so many recipients of so blessed a favour. Hence His sorrowful amazement. He felt as if all... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΈΣΩΚΈΝ ΣΕ. ‘Hath saved thee.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΕΡΩΤΗΘΕῚΣ ΔΈ. ‘_But being further questioned by the Pharisees_.’ ἜΡΧΕΤΑΙ. Literally, ‘_is coming_.’ They seem to have asked with impatient irony, ‘When is all this preparation and preaching to end, and the New Kingdom to begin?’ ΜΕΤᾺ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΉΣΕΩΣ. I.e. by narrow, curious watching. See Luke 14:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ‘WHEN?’ AND ‘WHERE?’ OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝΤῸΣ ὙΜΩ͂Ν. _Intra vos est_, Vulg[309], i.e. _in animis vestris_. As far as the Greek is concerned, this rendering of ἐντὸς is defensible (comp. Matthew 23:26), and the spiritual truth expressed by such a rendering—which implies that “the Kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace, and joy in the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΛΕΎΣΟΝΤΑΙ ἩΜΈΡΑΙ Κ.Τ.Λ. Comp. Matthew 9:15, “The days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast in those days.” See too John 12:35; John 13:33; John 17:12. They were looking _forwards_ with no realization of that rich _present_ blessedness for which they woul... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΔΟῪ ἘΚΕΙ͂, ἸΔΟῪ ὯΔΕ. BL. Copt. The asyndeton adds to the vividness. 23. ἸΔΟῪ ἘΚΕΙ͂. A vivid description of the perpetual Messianic excitements which finally ceased in the days of Barcochba and the Rabbi Akibha. We find a similar warning in Luke 21:8. See Jos. _Antt._ XX. 8; _B. J._ II. 13, VI. 5;... [ Continue Reading ]
ὭΣΠΕΡ ΓᾺΡ Ἡ�. Bright, swift, sudden, universal, irresistible. ἘΚ ΤΗ͂Σ … ΕἸΣ ΤΉΝ. Understand χώρας, χώραν. Comp. ἐξ ἐναντίας, Mark 15:39.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΕΙ͂ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΠΟΛΛᾺ ΠΑΘΕΙ͂Ν. It was essential to our Lord’s training of the Twelve at this period of His ministry, that He should again and again—as in solemn _refrain_ to all His teaching—warn them of this coming end. See Luke 18:31.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΘΏΣ. Once in Herodotus, but never in Attic for καθάπερ. ἘΝ ΤΑΙ͂Σ ἩΜΈΡΑΙΣ ΝΩ͂Ε. As described in Genesis 7:11-23. The Second Advent should flame upon a sensual and unexpectant world.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἬΣΘΙΟΝ, ἜΠΙΝΟΝ Κ.Τ.Λ. ‘They were eating, they were drinking’—retaining the imperfects of the original, as well as the vivid _asyndeton_. Comp. Luke 12:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΏΤ. See Genesis 19:15-25; Jude 1:7; Ezekiel 16:46-56; Amos 4:11; Isaiah 13:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤᾺ ΤᾺ ΑΥ̓ΤᾺ ἜΣΤΑΙ. St Paul, no less than St Luke, had caught the echo of these solemn warnings. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10. ἈΠΟΚΑΛΎΠΤΕΤΑΙ. As the veil is gradually drawn He shall be seen standing there. Revelation 1:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠῚ ΤΟΥ͂ ΔΏΜΑΤΟΣ. The common Oriental place for cool and quiet resort. See on Luke 12:3; Luke 5:19. ΤᾺ ΣΚΕΎΗ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂. Vulg[310] _vasa._ I.e. his furniture or goods: [310] Vulg. Vulgate. “Therefore away to get our stuff aboard.” SHAKSP. _Com. of Errors_. The A.V[311] took “_stuff_” from Tyndale.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΗ͂Σ ΓΥΝΑΙΚῸΣ ΛΏΤ. Genesis 19:26; Wis 10:7, “and a standing pillar of salt is a monument of an unbelieving soul.” The warning is the same as in Luke 9:62. Turn no regretful gaze on a guilty and forsaken world.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὋΣ ἘᾺΝ ΖΗΤΉΣΗΙ Κ.Τ.Λ. See the same utterance, with slight verbal alterations, in Luke 9:24; John 12:25. St Paul’s high confidence as to the issue of his own apparently ruined and defeated life, furnishes us with a beautiful comment, 2 Timothy 4:6-8. For “to save” (σῶσαι) some MSS. read to ‘make his... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΑΎΤΗΙ ΤΗ͂Ι ΝΥΚΤΊ. Lit. ‘_in this night_,’ i.e. in the night of horror and judgment which I now conceive as present. ΔΎΟ. Not necessarily men; but human beings, e.g. man and wife. The numerals are of course masculine, because the man might be either the one “taken” or the one “left.”... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΛΉΘΟΥΣΑΙ ἘΠῚ ΤῸ ΑΥ̓ΤΌ. As to this day in the use of the common handmills of the East.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΎΟ ἜΣΟΝΤΑΙ ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι�.Τ.Λ. An interpolation from Matthew 24:40. Luke 17:1-4 Luke 17:1-4. THE PERIL OF CAUSING MEN TO STUMBLE 36. [ΔΎΟ ἜΣΟΝΤΑΙ ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι�.Τ.Λ.] This verse is of more than doubtful authenticity in this place, being omitted by nearly all the important MSS. It is probably interpolated fr... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΟΥ͂, ΚΎΡΙΕ; This question also our Lord declines to answer. The Coming of God’s Kingdom is not to be limited either by chronological or by geographical conditions. ΤῸ ΣΩ͂ΜΑ. ‘_The carcass_,’ although here the specific word for carcass (πτῶμα) is not used as in Matthew 24:28. Comp. Luke 23:52. ΟἹ�.... [ Continue Reading ]