Luke 20 - Introduction
CHAPTER 20. IN THE TEMPLE. PREACHING, CONFLICTS, AND PARABLE OF THE VINEDRESSERS.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 20. IN THE TEMPLE. PREACHING, CONFLICTS, AND PARABLE OF THE VINEDRESSERS.... [ Continue Reading ]
_By what authority_ ? (Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33). ἐν μιᾷ τ. ἡ., on one of the days, referred to in Luke 19:47; vague note of time. εὐαγγελιζομένου : Lk. wishes his readers to understand that Jesus was not engaged in heated controversy all the time, that His main occupation during these last d... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰπὸν ἡμῖν : peculiar to Lk., makes the question pointed. ταῦτα ought to refer to the preaching, not to the cleansing of the temple, which in Lk. is very slightly noticed. τίς ἐστιν, etc.: a direct question introduced by ἢ, not dependent on εἰπὸν, not altogether distinct from the first question; an... [ Continue Reading ]
λόγον : without the ἕνα of the parallels. _Vide_ notes there.... [ Continue Reading ]
συνελογίσαντο : for the more usual διαλ.; here only in N.T. πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς may be connected either with this verb or with λέγοντες.... [ Continue Reading ]
καταλιθάσει : in the parallels it is indicated generally that they feared the people; here it is explained why or what they feared: _viz._, that the people would stone them; to be taken _cum grano_. The verb is a ἅπαξ λεγ.; synonyms are καταλιθοῦν (Joseph.), καταλιθοβολεῖν (Exodus 17:4). πεπεισμένος... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ εἰδέναι : the answer is given in dependent form = οὐκ οἴδαμεν in parallels.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἤρξατο : this word is less appropriate here than in Mk., where it means: made a beginning in teaching by parables by uttering this particular parable. Here it may signify turning to the people again after disposing of the question of the Pharisees concerning authority. ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα : Lk. conte... [ Continue Reading ]
_The parable of the wicked vinedressers_ (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12). Between the last section and this comes, in Mt., the parable of the _Two Sons_.... [ Continue Reading ]
καιρῷ means the fruit season each year; many such seasons at which God sent demanding fruit. ἵνα δώσουσιν : ἵνα with the future in a pure final clause; similar constructions occur in classic Greek, but with ὅπως, not with ἵνα. δείραντες : the gradation in indignities is well marked in Lk. beating, b... [ Continue Reading ]
προσέθετο πέμψαι, he added to send, a Hebraism, as in Luke 19:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
τί ποιήσω; deliberative subjunctive, serving to make the step next taken appear something extraordinary. In Mt. it appears simply as the next (final) step in common course. In Mk. the son is the only person left to send. He had yet one, a beloved son, “beloved” added to bring out the significance of... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐκβαλόντες ἀπέκτειναν, casting out they killed him, inverting the order of the actions in Mk.; perhaps with prospective reference (on Lk.'s part) to the crucifixion, when Jesus was led outside the city and crucified “without the gate”.... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ γένοιτο : here only in the Gospels, frequent in St. Paul's Epistles (“a Pauline phrase,” Holtzmann, H. C.). Sturz (_De Dialecto Mac. et Alex._) reckons it an Alexandrine usage, because found in the sense of deprecation only in Sept [164], N.T., and late Greek writers. Raphel cites an example from... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐμβλέψας, looking intently, to give impressiveness to what He is going to say in reply. τί οὖν, etc., what then is (means) this Scripture? the οὖν implying that the words point to the very doom they deprecate. Yet the oracle does not directly indicate the fate of the builders, but rather the unexpec... [ Continue Reading ]
points out the bearing of the turn in the fortunes of the “Stone” on the fate of those who rejected Him. The thought is based on Daniel 2:35. It is not in Mk., and it is a doubtful reading in Mt. It may have been a comment on the oracle from the Psalter suggested to believing minds by the tragic fat... [ Continue Reading ]
states the effect of the parabolic discourse of Jesus on the men whom it satirised. They desired to apprehend the obnoxious Speaker on the spot. ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν, etc.: the καὶ here, as in Mk., is in effect = but; _vide_ notes on Mk. ἔγνωσαν, they, that is the Pharisees and scribes, kn... [ Continue Reading ]
παρατηρήσαντες : used absolutely = watching, not Him, but their opportunity; so Grotius and Field (_Ot. Nor._); watching with close cunning observation (_accurate et insidiose observare_, Kypke). ἐγκαθέτους : some derive from ἐν and κάθημαι = sitters down, lying in wait (_subsessores_, Grotius), oth... [ Continue Reading ]
_The tribute question_ (Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17).... [ Continue Reading ]
ὀρθῶς, rightly, as in Luke 7:43, pointing not to sincerity in speech (λέγεις) and teaching (διδάσκεις) but to sound judgment = you always say the right thing; the second clause points to impartiality = you say the same thing to all; the third to sincerity = you say what you think. They describe an i... [ Continue Reading ]
f. _The question_. φόρον = κῆνσον, a Latinism, in the parallels.... [ Continue Reading ]
πανουργίαν, craft, cunning, as in 2 Corinthians 4:2, which possibly the evangelist had in his eye. Each synoptist has his own word here (πονηρίαν Mt., ὑπόκρισιν Mk.) as if trying to describe the indescribable.... [ Continue Reading ]
Lk. reports more briefly than Mt. and Mk., not thinking it necessary to state that the denarius asked for was handed to Jesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
τοίνυν, therefore, connecting the dictum following with the fact stated before that the denarius bore Caesar's image, and implying that by the dictum Jesus pronounced in favour of paying tribute to the Roman ruler.... [ Continue Reading ]
The reply of Jesus, baffling in itself, was doubly so, because it had made a favourable impression on the people. Therefore the questioners deemed it best to make no attempt at criticism in presence of the people (ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ).... [ Continue Reading ]
_The resurrection question. Sadducees speak_ (Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27). οἱ ἀντιλέγοντες in strict grammar ought to refer to τινες, but doubtless it is meant to refer to the whole party. It is a case of a nominative in loose apposition with a genitive “outside the construction of the sentence... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄτεκνος : here only in N.T. = μὴ ἔχων τ. in Mt. and μὴ ἀφῇ τ. in Mk.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὖν, therefore, carrying on the narrative (frequent in John) and implying that the law of Moses cited gave rise to the curious case stated and the difficulty connected with it.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ κατέλιπον τ. κ. ἀπέθανον, did not leave children and died, for died leaving no children. The emphasis is on the childlessness, therefore it is mentioned first. That the seven died in course of time was a matter of course, but that seven in succession should have no children was marvellous.... [ Continue Reading ]
In giving Christ's answer Lk. omits the charge of ignorance against the questioners found in Mt. and Mk. γαμίσκονται = γαμίζονται in parallels, here only in N.T.... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ δὲ καταξιωθέντες, etc., those deemed worthy to attain that world. The thought could have been expressed without τυχεῖν, for which accordingly there is no equivalent in the Vulgate: “qui digni habebuntur seculo illo,” on which account Pricaeus thinks it should be left out of the Greek text. But th... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀποθανεῖν : marriage, birth, death, go together, form one system of things, that of this world. In the next they have no place. Here Lk. expatiates as if the theme were congenial. ἰσάγγελοι, angel-like, here only in N.T. καὶ υἱοί εἰσιν, etc.: sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. This connect... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ Μ.: the same Moses who gave the Levirate law. It was important in speaking to Sadducees to show that even _Moses_ was on the side of the resurrection. ἐμήνυσεν, made known, used in reference to something previously hidden (John 11:57). ἐπὶ τῆς βάτου, as in Mk., _vide_ notes there.... [ Continue Reading ]
θεὸς is predicate = Jehovah is not God of dead men. δὲ has the force of the argumentative _nonne_. πάντες γὰρ αὐτῷ ζῶσιν. “for all live unto Him” (A.V [167], R.V [168]), is probably an editorial explanatory gloss to make the deep thought of Jesus clearer (not in parallels). The gloss itself needs ex... [ Continue Reading ]
καλῶς εἶπας, Thou hast spoken well; complimentary, but insincere, or only half sincere. They are glad to have the _Sadducees_ put down, but not glad that _Jesus_ triumphed.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐκέτι γὰρ : the γὰρ, if the true reading, must mean: The scribes could do nothing but flatter (Luke 20:39), _for_ they were so conscious of His power that they dared no longer ask captious questions.... [ Continue Reading ]
πρὸς αὐτούς, to them, _i.e._, the representatives of the scribes mentioned in Luke 20:39. In Mt. the Pharisees are addressed, in Mk. the audience is the people, and the question is about the scribes as interpreters. πῶς λέγουσι, how do _they_ say? (not λέγετε). The controversial character of the que... [ Continue Reading ]
_The counter question_ (Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37). Lk., who had given something similar at an earlier stage (Luke 10:25-37), omits the question of the scribe concerning the great commandment, which comes in at this point in Mt. (Matthew 22:34-40) and Mk. (Mark 12:28-34), retaining only its co... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν βίβλῳ ψ., in the book of Psalms, in place of ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τ. ἁγ. (in the Holy Spirit, Mk.), which one might have expected Lk. to retain if he found it in his source. But he probably names the place in O.T. whence the quotation is taken for the information of his readers. That what was written i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Warning against the scribes_ (Mark 12:38-40). Either a mere fragment of the larger whole in Matthew 23, or the original nucleus around which Mt. has gathered much kindred matter the former more likely.... [ Continue Reading ]
φιλούντων : while following Mk. in the main, Lk. improves the construction here by introducing this participle before ἀσπασμοὺς, which in Mk. depends on θελόντων.... [ Continue Reading ]
Another improvement is the change of οἱ κατεσθίοντες (Mark 12:40) into οἳ κατεσθίουσι _vide_ notes on Mk. μακρὰ, at length, an adverb. Bengel (in Mt.) suggests μακρᾷ to agree with προφάσει (“ex orationibus suis fecere magnam πρόφασιν, praetextum comedendi domos viduarum”). Elsner adopts the same vie... [ Continue Reading ]