THE TIME and place of the following incident are indefinite, but it cannot be a part of the Sermon on the Mount, put out of its place. A definite occasion is stated in Luke 11:1, and Luke 11:5-8 are not found anywhere else. The allusion to John the Baptist (implying his death) points to a later date... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:1. IN A CERTAIN PLACE. Our Lord was wont to pray in mountains, hence the conjecture as to the Mount of Olives. EVEN AT JOHN ALSO TAUGHT (was wont to teach) HIS DISCIPLES. We learn of this habit, in itself a very probable one, from this remark alone.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS division of the Gospel of Luke, embracing nearly one third of the whole, contains for the most part matter peculiar to this Evangelist. A number of the incidents probably belong to an earlier period of the history. A few of these are mentioned by Matthew and Mark, though the greater number even... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:2-4. WHEN YE PRAY, SAY. That this is not a positive command to repeat the words of the Lord's prayer whenever we pray, is evident from the briefer form here recorded. These were the words of our Lord on a _second_ occasion, when the substance (not the exact form) of the prayer was repeated.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:3. This verse may be thus more exactly translated: ‘our sufficient (or needful) bread give us for the day.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:4. FOR WE OURSELVES ALSO FORGIVE, ‘this is our own practice.' More strongly expressed than in Matthew. EVERY ONE THAT IS INDEBTED TO US. We cannot forgive ‘sins,' as such, that belongs to God; but only as obligations from man to man represented by the commercial phrase ‘indebted.'... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:5. WHICH OF YOU SHALL HAVE? The question is: what will happen in these supposed circumstances. The argument of this parable is: ‘If _selfish_ man can be won by prayer and importunity to give,' ‘much more certainly shall the _bountiful_ Lord bestow' (Trench). The purpose is, as in the similar... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:6. FROM A JOURNEY. At night, when it was pleasanter to travel in a hot country. The request here is for _another,_ hence the parable illustrates _intercessory_ prayer; yet one of the loaves is for him who asks. The hungry traveller coming at night to one who cannot satisfy him _may_ represen... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:7. TROUBLE ME NOT. The half-vexed tone is true to nature. The one asked is _selfish,_ and his reluctance is real. But God's reluctance is apparent only, and even this appearance arises from reasons which work for our best good. This contrast is borne out by Luke 11:13. THE DOOR IS NOW SHUT... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:8. IMPORTUNITY, lit, ‘shamelessness.' The persistent knocking and asking, unshamed by refusal, not ashamed to endure, is thus brought out.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:9-10. See on Matthew 7:7-8. But the words are not taken from that discourse: they apply the lesson of the parable, namely, that God will, even when He seems to delay, hear and answer prayer. The law of His kingdom is here laid down in literal terms.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:11-13. See on Matthew 7:9-11. The construction is simpler here, and Luke 11:12 is peculiar to Luke, but a repetition of the previous thought SCORPION. Another hurtful gift. YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER (Luke 11:13), lit, ‘Father from heaven,' implying His coming down to us with His blessings. Opp... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:14. AND HE WAS CASTING OUT. Indefinite as to time. A DUMB DEMON. The man was dumb; THE DUMB MAN SPAKE.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRONOLOGY. The miracle and discourses here recorded are probably identical with those narrated in Matthew 12:22-45; Mark 3:23-30. Some have supposed that Luke gives the exact position, and not the other two Evangelists. But it is more difficult to reconcile the accounts on this supposition. We acce... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:14-26. THE HEALING OF A DUMB DEMONIAC; the accusation and discourse which followed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:15. SOME OF THEM SAID. ‘The Pharisees.' Luke omits the language of the people which called forth this expression of hostility; Matthew's more definite statement on the latter point would require the mention of the hostile class. See on Matthew 12:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:16. A SIGN FROM HEAVEN. Matthew places this at a later point in the narrative, and with more exactness. But both the accusation and demand were made at the same interview.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:18-23. See on Matthew 12:26-30. By (literally ‘in,' _i.e.,_ in the use of) THE FINGER OF GOD (Luke 11:20). This is the same as: ‘in the spirit of God' (Matthew), the one expression explaining the other. His use of the power (finger) of God was a proof that He worked in union with the Spirit... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:24-26. See on Matthew 12:43-45, where the order seems to be more correct, after the remarks about Jonah. The arrangement of Luke was probably occasioned by the similarity of the subject spoken of, satanic influences.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:27. A CERTAIN WOMAN. Herself a mother, we infer from her language. Tradition calls her ‘Marcella, a maid-servant of Martha.' BLESSED IS THE WOMB. A natural expression of womanly enthusiasm at the sayings and doings of Christ. As Mary herself shortly after appeared (chap. Luke 8:19) on the... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:28. YEA, RATHER. Our Lord does not deny that His mother was blessed, but He nevertheless rectifies the woman's view. The ground of her blessedness, as in the case of all the human race, unto whom in the highest sense, ‘a child is born, a son is given,' is that she too belonged to them THAT H... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:29. WHEN THE MULTITUDES, etc. Possibly in expectation of the ‘sign;' but the controversy with the Pharisees was a prolonged one, which would attract an increasing crowd.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:29-32. ANSWER TO THOSE WHO SOUGHT A SIGN. See on Matthew 12:39-42.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:30. FOR EVEN AS JONAH BECAME A SIGN TO THE NINEVITES. Peculiar to the briefer account of Luke. The appearance of Jonah as a preacher _after_ the three days and nights in the whale's belly (after his resurrection), was a sign received by the Ninevites. Our Lord speaks of something yet to occu... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:31. MORE. The sign to this generation is more than what attracted the queen of the south, etc.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:32. THE MEN OF NINEVEH. If these Ninevites had not heard of the miracle, the contrast is even stronger. For in that case their repentance was simply at the PREACHING OF JONAH, while the Jews remained unbelieving in the face of Christ's resurrection as well as His preaching. There is a climax... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:33-36. The thoughts of these verses occur in Matthew 5:15; Matthew 6:22-23. Here the connection is different. They wished a sign; a greater sign than Jonah is granted them, but to perceive it they must not (as they do) cover the fight with a bushel, shut the eyes of their understanding. A... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:36. IF THY WHOLE BODY, etc. Van Oosterzee thus explains: ‘Only when thy body is wholly illumined, without having even an obscure corner left therein, will it become so bright and clear as if the full brilliancy of a bright lamp illumined thee; in other words, thou wilt be placed in a normal... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:37. HOW AS HE SPAKE. While he had been speaking, _i.e.,_ the foregoing. A reference to some other time is barely possible, certainly not natural. ASKETH HIM. ‘Besought' is too strong; it was an ordinary invitation. TO DINE. The meal was not the principal repast of the day, but a morning... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS discourse closely resembles the great denunciation of the Pharisees (Matthew 23); but the circumstances of the two are entirely different; the one was uttered just before our Lord departed solemnly and finally from the temple, but in this case Luke definitely fixes the place in the house of a P... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:38. WASHED, lit, ‘baptized.' The washing referred to was therefore a _ceremonial_ one, not simply an act of cleanliness. In this ceremony the Pharisees washed their hands, not their whole body.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:39. AND THE LORD SAID TO HIM. The form of our Lord's opening remark indicates that the Pharisees ‘marvelled' orally, and that the others present of that sect had assented to the censure. This was rudeness to the guest, calling for rebuke. There is no proof that the invitation was given out o... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:40. YE FOOLS, etc. The folly of such a contradiction is shown. Such a partial cleansing is no cleansing: all such religious acts are supposed to have reference to God, to holiness before Him; since He made the inside as well as the outside, the ceremonial purification of the latter without t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:41. BUT RATHER, etc. Thus they should turn toward true purity. Not that this giving of alms constituted holiness, but to give THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE WITHIN (the cup and platter) was a far better purification than their ceremonial washings of the outside. The precept receives point from the _... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:42. FOR YE TITHE, etc. Instead of really giving as our Lord enjoined, they had been in the habit of making trifling payments in over-exactness. See on Matthew 23:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:44. AS THE TOMBS WHICH APPEAR NOT. See on Matthew 23:27. The ‘whited sepulchres' were those of the rich, and the application is to external beauty covering inner corruption; here humbler tombs are spoken of, which in the course of time would be unnoticed by those passing over them, thus caus... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:45. ONE OF THE LAWYERS (see on chap. Luke 10:25). THOU REPROACHEST US ALSO, who are in official, ecclesiastical position. The man was not a Sadducee, but a Pharisee, and probably felt that the censure applied to him. He would shelter his character behind his office! Doubtless he would impl... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:46-48. See on Matthew 23:4; Matthew 23:29-31. THEIR TOMBS (Luke 11:48), is necessarily supplied in English, though not found in the Greek, according to the best authorities.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:49. THEREFORE ALSO SAID THE WISDOM OF GOD. Comp. Matthew 23:34, where ‘I' is used; so that Christ represents Himself as ‘the wisdom of God.' This seems to be a quotation, but there is no passage in the Old Testament which fully corresponds, and the form is an unusual one for such a quotation... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:50-51. See on Matthew 23:35-36.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:52. This verse forms a fitting close to the part of the discourse occasioned by the lawyer's remark. It expresses the same thought as Matthew 23:13, but carries out the figure further. THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE. ‘Knowledge' is the ‘key.' This had been taken away by the teaching of the lawyers,... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:53. WHEN HE WAS COME OUT THENCE. From the house of the Pharisee. THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES followed Him with malicious intent aroused by His discourse. TO PRESS UPON HIM VEHEMENTLY, or, ‘to be very spiteful,' intensely embittered against Him. The former sense is preferable, as including... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 11:54. LAYING WAIT FOR HIM TO CATCH SOMETHING OUT OF HIS MONTH. This is the form of the verse. The figure is borrowed from hunting. It was not only that they waited for something to suit their purpose, but they hunted for it, since the expressions represent both the beating up of game and the l... [ Continue Reading ]