THE GALILEANS KILLED BY PILATE. THE UNFRUITFUL FIG TREE. LAMENT OVER JERUSALEM 1-9. Three exhortations to repentance, of which the former two are based on recent events, and the third is a parable. All are peculiar to Lk.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE BLOOD PILATE] These men had evidently been killed in the courts of the Temple for some real or suspected sedition while they were slaying their victims, an act which was performed not by the priests, but by the offerers, or their servants. Nothing is known of this particular act of atrocity, b... [ Continue Reading ]
WERE SINNERS] see on John 9:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH] This was literally fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem, but probably Jesus means, 'as these have suffered literal death, so you shall all suffer spiritual death.'... [ Continue Reading ]
TOWER IN SILOAM FELL] Another unknown incident. It is plausibly conjectured that this tower was part of the waterworks and aqueduct which Pilate built with the sacred money of the Temple treasury (_Korbanas_), to the great scandal of pious Jews. The persons killed were probably workmen, whose death... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BARREN FIG TREE. This parable illustrates the warning (Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5), 'Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.' A certain man (God) had a fig tree (the Jewish nation) in his vineyard (the world), and he came (at various crises of their history) seeking fruit (good works and pure... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WOMAN WITH A SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY (peculiar to Lk). The story is told not so much for the sake of the miracle, as for the light it throws upon the question of sabbath observance. It is the only case of Christ's preaching in a synagogue recorded in the latter part of the ministry.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE CALLED _her_] An unasked-for cure.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE] The ruler durst not openly rebuke Jesus, but indirectly censured Him by censuring the people.... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOSE HIS OX] The rabbis, while permitting attention to beasts on the sabbath, did so grudgingly: 'It is not only permitted to lead a beast to the water on the sabbath, but also to draw water for it, yet so that the beast draw near and drink, without the water being carried to it and set down by it.... [ Continue Reading ]
SATAN HATH BOUND] The Jews attributed such ills to Satan. It is not implied that the woman was of evil life.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE LEAVEN (Matthew 13:31; Mark 4:30). See on Mt.... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE THEY FEW THAT BE SAVED? Jesus does not directly reply to the question, but warns His hearers of the difficulty of obtaining salvation, of the danger of delaying repentance, and of the probable rejection of many unbelieving descendants of Abraham, and of the salvation of many believing Gentiles.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MASTER] i.e. our Lord. The 'shutting the door' takes place at Christ's second coming, or perhaps at the death of each individual. LORD, OPEN] see on Matthew 25:10, also Matthew 7:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
This v. specially applies to the Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
DEPART] see on Matthew 25:41. 28, 29. See on Matthew 8:11; Matthew 8:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Matthew 20:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
Message to Herod Antipas, and lament over Jerusalem. This threat of Herod is peculiar to Lk. 31. Certain of the Pharisees] Probably they wished to frighten Jesus out of the dominions of Herod, where He was tolerably safe, into Judæa, where He would be in the power of the Sanhedrin: cp. Amaziah's att... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT FOX] The fox is an emblem of cunning, not of cruelty. BEHOLD] i.e. 'I perform My ministry today and tomorrow (i.e. for the time appointed), and on the third day (i.e. when My hour is come) I shall be perfected by death. No threats of Herod can shorten My ministry, or hasten the hour of My death... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, etc.] i.e. 'Yet although My death is so near, I must labour for the time appointed. Herod cannot prevent Me. He cannot destroy Me here in remote Galilee, for it is only in Jerusalem that a prophet can die.' WALK] RV 'go on my way.' OUT OF JERUSALEM] 'The saying is severely ironical, an... [ Continue Reading ]