Luke 13:1

Luke 13:1-9. Accidents and Judgments. The Barren Fig-Tree.

1. There were present at that season Rather, There arrived at that very season. The curious phrase seems to imply that they had come on purpose to announce this catastrophe. Hence some have supposed that they wished to kindle in the mind of Jesus as a Galilaean (Luke 23:5) a spirit of Messianic retribution (Jos. Antt. Luke 17:9, § 3). But Christ's answer rather proves that they were connecting the sad death of these Galilaeans with their imaginary crimes.They were not calling His attention to them as martyrs, but as supposed victims of divine anger. Their report indicates a sort of pleasure in recounting the misfortunes of others (ἐπιχαιρεκακία ).

of the Galileans who regularly attended the Jewish feasts at Jerusalem, John 4:45.

whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Probably at some Passover outbreak, on which the Roman soldiers had hurried down from Fort Antonia. This incident, which was peculiarly horrible to Jewish imaginations, often occurred during the turbulent administration of Pilate and the Romans; see on Luke 23:1; Acts 21:34. At one Passover, "during the sacrifices," 3000 Jews had been massacred "like victims," and "the Temple courts filled with dead bodies" (Jos. Antt.xvii. 9, § 3); and at another Passover, no less than 20000 (id. xx . 5, § 3; see also B. J.11. 5, v. 1). Early in his administration Pilate had sent disguised soldiers with daggers among the crowd (id. Luke 18:3, § 1; B. J.11. 9, § 4). The special incidents here alluded to were far too common to be specially recorded by Josephus; but in the fact that the victims in this instance were Galilaeans, we may perhaps see a reason for the "enmity" between Pilate and Herod Antipas (Luke 23:12).