Luke 8:18

Verse Luke 8:18. Even that which he seemeth to have.] Or rather, even what he hath. ο δοκει εχειν, rendered by our common version, what he seemeth to have, seems to me to contradict itself. Let us examine this subject a little.

1. To seem to have a thing, is only to have it in appearance, and not in reality; but what is possessed in appearance only can only be taken away in appearance; therefore on the one side there is no gain, and on the other side no loss. On this ground, the text speaks just nothing.

2. It is evident that ο δοκει εχειν, what he seemeth to have, here, is equivalent to οεχει, what he hath, in the parallel places, Mark 4:25; Matthew 13:12; Matthew 25:29; and in Luke 19:26.

3. It is evident, also, that these persons had something which might be taken away from them. For 1. The word of God, the Divine seed, was planted in their hearts. 2. It had already produced some good effects; but they permitted the devil, the cares of the world, the desire of riches, and the love of pleasure, to destroy its produce.

4. The word δοκειν is often an expletive: so Xenophon in Hellen, vi. ὁτι εδοκει πατικος φιλος αυτοις, Because he seemed to be (i.e. WAS) their father's friend. So in his OEeon. Among the cities that seemed to be (δοκουσαις, actually were) at war. So Athenaeus, lib. vi. chap. 4. They who seemed to be (δοκουντες, who really were) the most opulent, drank out of brazen cups.

5. It often strengthens the sense, and is thus used by the very best Greek writers. ULPIAN, in one of his notes on Demosthenes' Orat. Olinth. 1, quoted by Bishop PEARCE, says expressly, το δοκειν ου παντως επι αμφιβολου ταττουσιν οἱ παλαιοι, αλλα πολλακις και επι του αληθευειν. The word δοκειν is used by the ancients to express, not always what is doubtful, but oftentimes what is true and certain. And this is manifestly its meaning in Matthew 3:9; Luke 22:24; John 5:39; 1 Corinthians 7:40; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Corinthians 11:16; Galatians 2:9; Philippians 3:4; and in the text. See these meanings of the word established beyond the possibility of successful contradiction, in Bishop PEARCE'S notes on Mark 10:42, and in KYPKE in loc. See also the notes on Matthew 13:12.