CHAPTER 22. THE PASSION HISTORY. The Passion history, as told by Lk., varies considerably from the narratives of Mt. and Mk. by omissions, additions, etc. J. Weiss (Meyer), following Feine, thinks that Lk. used as his main source for this part of his Gospel not Mk. but the precanonical Lk., whose... [ Continue Reading ]
_Introductory_ (Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2). ἤγγιζεν, drew near, for the more definite note of time in parallels. ἡ ἑορτὴ, etc.: the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover are treated as one. Mk. distinguishes them. Lk. writes for Gentiles; hence his “ _called_ ” the passover (ἡ λεγομένη).... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ πῶς, the how, that was the puzzle; that Jesus should be put out of the way by death (ἀνέλωσιν α.); _some how_ was a settled matter. _Cf._ Luke 19:48 (τὸ τί, etc.). ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ τ. λ.: their fear of the people explains why the _how_ was so perplexing a matter. The popularity of Jesus was very emb... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judas_ (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11). At this point in Mt. (Matthew 26:6-13) and Mk. (Mark 14:3-9) comes in the anointing at Bethany omitted by Lk. εἰσῆλθεν Σατανᾶς, Satan entered into Judas. Lk. alone of the synoptists thus explains the conduct of Judas. _Cf._ John 13:2. Lk.'s statement is str... [ Continue Reading ]
στρατηγοῖς : a military term which might suggest the captains of Roman soldiers, but doubtless pointing to the heads of the temple watches (Levites) who kept order during the feast. They would be necessary to the carrying out of Judas' plan. The Levites had to perform garrison duty for the temple (_... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐχάρησαν, they were _glad_, emphatically; and how piously they would remark on the providential character of this unexpected means of getting out of the difficulty as to the πῶς!... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξωμολόγησε, he agreed, _spopondit_, for which the Greeks used the simple verb. The active of ἐξομ. occurs here only in N.T. ἄτερ ὄχλου, without a crowd, the thing above all to be avoided. ἄτερ is a poetic word in Greek authors; here and in Luke 22:35 only in N.T.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἦλθε, arrived. A considerable number of commentators (Euthy. Zig., Godet, Schanz, J. Weiss (Meyer)) render, _approached_ (ἐπλησίασε, Euthy.), holding that Lk. with John makes Jesus anticipate the feast by a day, so finding here one of the points in which the third Gospel is in touch with the fourth.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Preparation for the paschal feast_ (Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16).... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀπέστειλε : in Lk. Jesus takes the initiative; in Mt. and Mk. the disciples introduce the subject. Various reasons have been suggested for this change. Lk. simply states the fact as it was (Schanz). He thought it unsuitable that Jesus should seem to need reminding (Meyer, seventh edition). The chang... [ Continue Reading ]
οἰκοδεσπότῃ τῆς οἰκίας : a pleonasm = the house-master of the house. Bornemann cites from Greek authors similar redundancies, οἰκοφύλαξ δομῶν, αἰπόλια αἰγῶν, αἰπόλος αἰγῶν, συβόσια συῶν, and from Sept [183], τὰ βουκόλια τῶν βοῶν (Deuteronomy 7:13). In the remainder of Luke 22:11 and in Luke 22:12-13... [ Continue Reading ]
_Prelude to the Lord's Supper_ (Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17).... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ ἀπόστολοι, the _apostles_, for disciples in parallels. This designation for the Twelve, the initiative ascribed to Jesus (Luke 22:8), and the desire of Jesus spoken of in next ver. all fit into each other and indicate a wish on the part of the evangelist to invest what he here narrates with great... [ Continue Reading ]
πρὸ τοῦ με παθεῖν : the last passover He will eat with them is looked forward to with solemn, tender feeling.... [ Continue Reading ]
λέγω γὰρ : the words of Jesus here reported answer to words given in Mt. and Mk. at a later stage, _i.e._, at the close of their narrative of the institution of the Supper. At this point Lk.'s narrative follows a divergent course.... [ Continue Reading ]
δεξάμενος, having received from the hand of another (different from λαβὼν, Luke 22:19), handed to Him that He might drink. εὐχαριστήσας, this solemn act gives to the handing round of the cup here mentioned the character of a prelude to the Holy Supper: (“quaedam quasi prolusio S. Coenae,” Beng. in r... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ σῶμά μου, my body, broken like the bread, implying blood-shedding, though that is passed over in silence if the reading of [185] be accepted. Note that in Acts 2:46 the communion of the faithful is called breaking bread. τὸ ὑ. ὑ. διδόμενον : what follows from these words to the end of Luke 22:20... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Supper_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The traitor_ (Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21), placed after the Supper, instead of before, as in parallels. πλὴν : making a transition to an incident presenting a strong moral contrast to the preceding. ἡ χεὶρ, the hand, graphic and tragic; the hand which is to perform such opposite acts, now touc... [ Continue Reading ]
πλὴν, adversative, nevertheless; the Son of Man destined to go (to death), but that does not relieve the instrument of his responsibility.... [ Continue Reading ]
πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς, to one another, or among themselves, without speaking to the Master; otherwise in parallels. τοῦτο : in an emphatic position = this horrible deed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Strife among the disciples_. _Cf._ on chap. Luke 9:46.... [ Continue Reading ]
φιλονεικία, a contention, here only in N.T. The juxtaposition of this strife among the eleven with the announcement of the traitor gives to it by comparison the aspect of a pardonable infirmity in otherwise loyal men, and it is so treated by Jesus. τὸ τίς α., etc., as to the who of them, etc. The to... [ Continue Reading ]
εὐεργέται : here only in N.T., either titular, like our “your highness,” _e.g._, Ptolemy Euergetes (so, many), or = benefactors.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 22:25-26 : borrowed from the incident of the two sons of Zebedee (Matthew 20:25-26; Mark 10:42-43), which Lk. omits and somewhat alters in expression.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμεῖς δὲ, etc., but ye not so, elliptical, ἔσεσθε or ποιήσετε understood. ὁ νεώτερος, the younger, “who in Eastern families fulfils menial duties, Acts 5:6 ” (Farrar). ὁ ἡγούμενος, the leader or chief, the name of those in office in the Church in Hebrews 13:7, also in the epistle of Clement; therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
adduces the example of Jesus to enforce the principle stated in Luke 22:26. He, the admittedly greater, had assumed the position of the less by becoming the serving man, ὁ διακονῶν, instead of the guest at table (ὁ ἀνακείμενος). In what way Jesus had played the part of serving man Lk. does not indic... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμεῖς δέ, but ye, the δέ making transition from words of correction to a more congenial style of address. οἱ διαμεμενηκότες, who have continued all through; the perfect participle, pointing them out as in possession of a permanent character, a body of thoroughly tried, faithful men. πειρασμοῖς, in m... [ Continue Reading ]
διατίθεμαι (διατίθημι, middle only in N.T.), “appoint,” make a disposition of. The corresponding noun is διαθήκη. In Hebrews 9:17 we find ὁ διαθέμενος, a testator, and the verb may be used here in the sense of bequeathing, though that sense is inapplicable to God's gift of a kingdom to Jesus referre... [ Continue Reading ]
καθήσεσθε, ye shall sit, the judicial function the main thing, the feasting a subordinate feature; hence stated in an independent proposition (καθήσεσθε not dependent on ἵνα). δώδεκα, _twelve_ tribes, and _twelve_ to rule over them, the defection of Judas not taken into account. The promise is given... [ Continue Reading ]
Σίμων, Σίμων : one can imagine, though not easily describe, how this was said with much affection and just enough of distress in the tone to make it solemn. ὁ Σατανᾶς. The reference to Satan naturally reminds us of the trial of Job, and most commentators assume that the case of Job is in the view of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Peter's weakness foretold_. With John (John 13:36-38) Lk. places this incident in the supper chamber. In Mt. and Mk. it occurs on the way to Gethsemane (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:37-41). It is introduced more abruptly here than in any of the other accounts. The εἶπε δὲ ὁ κύριος of the T.R. is a nat... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγὼ δὲ ἐδεήθην, but _I_ have prayed: _I_ working against Satan, and successfully. ἵνα μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἡ π. σ., that thy faith may not (utterly) fail or die (Luke 16:9), though it prove weak or inadequate for the moment. Job's faith underwent eclipse. He did not curse God, but for the time he lost faith in... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς φυλακὴν καὶ εἰς θάνατον : more definite reference to the dangers ahead than in any of the parallels.... [ Continue Reading ]
σήμερον, to-day, as in Mk., but without the more definite ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ. μὴ εἰδέναι : μὴ after a verb of denial as often in Greek authors, _e.g._, τὸν τἀμʼ ἀπαρνηθέντα μὴ χρᾶναι λέχη, Eurip., _Hippol._, l. 1256.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτε ἀπέστειλα : the reference if to Luke 9:3, or rather, so far as language is concerned, to Luke 10:4, which relates to the mission of the _seventy_. ἄτερ as in Luke 22:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Coming danger_, peculiar to Lk. There is danger ahead physically as well as morally. Jesus turns now to the physical side. What He says about a sword is not to be taken literally. It is a vivid way of intimating that the supreme crisis is at hand = the enemy approaches, prepare!... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλὰ νῦν, but _now_, suggesting an emphatic contrast between past and present, or near future. ἀράτω, lift it: if he has a purse let him carry it, it will be needed, either to buy a sword or, more generally, to provide for himself; he is going now not on a peaceful mission in connection with which h... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ γεγραμμένον : the words quoted are from Isaiah 53:12, and mean that Jesus was about to die the death of a criminal. δεῖ, it is necessary, _in order that Scripture might be fulfilled_. No other or higher view than this of the rationale of Christ's sufferings is found in Luke's Gospel. _Cf._ Luke 2... [ Continue Reading ]
μάχαιραι δύο : how did such a peaceable company come to have even so much as one sword? Were the two weapons really swords, fighting instruments, or large knives? The latter suggestion, made by Chrysostom and adopted by Euthym., is called “curious” by Alford, but regarded by Field (_Ot. Nor._) as “p... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξελθὼν : no mention of the hymn sung before going out (Mt. Luke 22:30, Mk. Luke 22:26). Lk. makes prominent the outgoing of _Jesus_. The parallels speak in the plural of the whole company. κατὰ τὸ ἔθος : for the form _vide_ Luke 2:42, and for the fact Luke 21:37 and John 18:2. This is another point... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gethsemane_ (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42). Lk.'s narrative here falls far short of the vivid realism of the parallels. Mt. and Mk. allow the infirmity of the great High Priest of humanity so graphically described in the Epistle to the Hebrews to appear in its appalling naked truth. Lk. throws a... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐπὶ τοῦ τόπου, at _the_ place, of _usual resort_, not the place of _this memorable scene_, for it is not Lk.'s purpose to make it specially prominent. _Cf._ John 18:2, τὸν τόπον previously described as a κῆπος across the brook Kedron. προσεύχεσθε : Jesus bids the disciples pray against temptation. I... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀπεσπάσθη, He withdrew, _secessit_. Some insist on the literal sense, and render, “tore Himself away” = “avulsus est,” Vulg [190], implying that Jesus was acting under strong feeling. But did Lk. wish to make that prominent? The verb does not necessarily mean more than “withdrew,” and many of the ph... [ Continue Reading ]
πάτερ, Father! the keynote, a prayer of faith however dire the distress. εἰ βούλει, etc.: with the reading παρένεγκε the sense is simple: if Thou wilt, take away. With παρενεγκεῖν or παρενέγκαι we have a sentence unfinished: “apodosis suppressed by sorrow” (Winer, p. 750), or an infinitive for an im... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ, in an agony (of fear), or simply in “a great fear”. So Field (_Ot. Nor._), who has an important note on the word ἀγωνία, with examples to show that fear is the radical meaning of the word. Loesner supports the same view with examples from Philo. Here only in N.T. From this word comes the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Return of Jesus to His disciples_. ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς : rising up _from the prayer_, seems to continue the narrative from Luke 22:42. ἀπὸ τῆς λύπης, asleep _from grief_, apologetic; Hebraistic construction, therefore not added by Lk., but got from a Jewish-Christian document, says J. Weiss (in Meyer... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀναστάντες προσεύχεσθε : Jesus rose up _from_ prayer. He bids His disciples rise up _to_ prayer, as if suggesting an attitude that would help them against sleep. ἵνα, etc.: again a warning against temptation, but no word of reproach to Peter or the rest, as in parallels.... [ Continue Reading ]
φιλῆσαι α., to kiss Him; that the traitor's purpose, its execution left to be inferred, also that it was the preconcerted signal pointing out who was to be apprehended.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The apprehension_ (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52).... [ Continue Reading ]
φιλήματι, etc., the question of Jesus takes the place of, and explains, the enigmatical ἐφʼ ὃ πάρει of Mt. The simple φίλημα, unlike καταφιλέω, implies no fervour.... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν, those about Him, _i.e._, the _disciples_, though the word is avoided. τὸ ἐσόμενον, what was about to happen, _i.e._, the apprehension. The disciples, anticipating the action of the representatives of authority, ask directions, and one of them (Luke 22:50) not waiting for an answer, st... [ Continue Reading ]
εἷς τις, etc., a certain one of them, thus vaguely referred to in all the synoptists. John names Peter. τὸ δεξιόν, the _right_ ear; so in Fourth Gospel. _Cf._ the _right_ hand in Luke 6:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου : an elliptical colloquial phrase, whose meaning might be made clear by intonation or gesture. It might be spoken either to the captors = leave me free until I have healed the wounded man, or to the disciples = let them apprehend me, or: no more use of weapons. For the various interp... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ, etc.: Lk. alone represents the authorities as present with the ὄχλος priests, captains of the temple and elders some of them might be. though it is not likely. Farrar remarks: “these venerable persons had kept safely in the background till all possible danger was over”. ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλʼ αὕτη ἐστὶν, etc.: the leading words in this elliptical sentence are τοῦ σκότους, which qualify both ὥρα and ἐξουσία. Two things are said: your hour is an hour of darkness, and your power is a power of darkness. There is an allusion to the time they had chosen for the apprehension, night, not da... [ Continue Reading ]
_Peter's fall_ (Matthew 26:57-58; Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:53-54; Mark 14:66-72). Lk. tells the sad story of Peter's fall without interruption, and in as gentle a manner as possible, the _cursing_ omitted, and the three acts of denial forming an _anticlimax_ instead of a climax, as in parallels.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἠκολούθει, _Peter_ followed. What the rest did is passed over in silence; _flight_ left to be inferred.... [ Continue Reading ]
περιαψάντων, more strongly than ἁψάντων (T.R.) suggests the idea of a well-kindled fire giving a good blaze, supplying light as well as heat. Who kindled it did not need to be said. It was kindled in the open court of the high priest's house, and was large enough for the attendants to sit around it... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀτενίσασα (α intensive, and τείνω), fixing the eyes on, with dative here, sometimes with εἰς and accusative, frequently used by Lk., especially in Acts. οὗτος, the maid makes the remark not _to_ but _about_ Peter in Lk. = this one also was with _Him_, of whom they were all talking.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐκ οἷδα α. γ.: a direct denial = I do not _know_ Him, woman, not to speak of being a _follower_.... [ Continue Reading ]
μετὰ βραχὺ, shortly after (here only in N.T.), while the mood of fear is still on him, no time to recover himself. ἕτερος, another of the attendants, a man. ἐξ αὐτῶν, of the notorious band, conceived possibly as a set of desperadoes. ἄνθρωπε, οὐκ εἰμί, man, I am not, with more emphasis and some irri... [ Continue Reading ]
διαστάσης ὥρας, at the distance of an hour; the verb here used of time, in Luke 24:51 and Acts 27:28 of place. This interval of an hour is peculiar to Lk. Peter in the course of that time would begin to think that no further annoyance was to be looked for. διϊσχυρίζετο, ἐπʼ ἀληθείας : these expressi... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄνθρωπε, etc., man, I don't know what you are saying under shelter of the epithet Γαλιλαῖος, pretending ignorance of what the man said an _evasion_ rather than a denial, with no cursing and protesting accompanying. A monstrous minimising of the offence, if Lk. had Mk.'s account before him, thinks J.... [ Continue Reading ]
στραφεὶς, etc., the Lord, turning, looked at Peter; that look, not the cock crowing, recalled the prophetic word of Jesus, and brought about the penitent reaction. ὑπεμνήσθη, remembered, was reminded, passive here only in N.T.... [ Continue Reading ]
exactly as in Mt.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐνέπαιζον, mocked, in place of the more brutal spitting in parallels. δέροντες, smiting (the whole body), instead of the more special and insulting slapping in the face (κολαφίζειν).... [ Continue Reading ]
_Indignities_ (Matthew 26:67-68; Mark 14:65). In Mt. and Mk. these come after the trial during the night which Lk. omits. In his narrative the hours of early morning spent by Jesus in the palace of the high priest are filled up by the denial of Peter and the outrages of the men who had taken Jesus i... [ Continue Reading ]
περικαλύψαντες, covering (the face understood, τὸ πρόσωπον in Mk.) προφήτευσον, τίς, etc.: Lk. here follows Mt., not Mk., who has simply the verb προφ. without the question following.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἕτερα πολλὰ, many other shameful words, filling up the time, which Lk. would rather not report particularly, even if he knew them.... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς τὸ συνέδριον, to the council chamber, in which the Sanhedrim met. λέγοντες, introducing the proceedings, in a very generalising way. _Cf._ the graphic account of the high priest rising up to interrogate Jesus, after the first attempt to incriminate Him had failed, in parallels (Matthew 26:62 f.,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Morning trial_, the proceedings of which, as reported by Lk., correspond to those of the night meeting reported by Mt. and Mk. (Matthew 26:59-66; Mark 14:55-64), only much abridged. No mention of the attempt to get, through witnesses, matter for an accusation, or of the testimony concerning the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ Χ. εἰπὸν ἡμῖν either, art Thou the Christ? tell us, or tell us whether Thou be the Christ. Christ _simpliciter_ without any epithet as in parallels (Son of God, Son of the Blessed). εἶπε δὲ α.: Jesus first answers evasively, saying in effect: it is vain to give an answer to such people. I... [ Continue Reading ]
What Jesus now says amounts to an affirmative answer. ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἔσται, etc.: Jesus points to a speedy change of position from humiliation to exaltation, without reference to what they will see, or to a second coming.... [ Continue Reading ]
πάντες, all, eagerly grasping at the handle offered by Christ's words. ὁ υἱὸς τ. Θ. This is supposed to be involved in the exalted place at the right hand. ἐγώ εἰμι, the direct answer at last.... [ Continue Reading ]
μαρτυρίας : instead of μαρτύρων, no mention having been previously made of witnesses. J. Weiss (in Meyer, eighth edition) finds in this section clear evidence of the use of a Jewish-Christian source from the correspondence between the account it gives of the questions put to Jesus and His replies an... [ Continue Reading ]