King James Version
Luke 13
35 verses with commentary
Repent or Perish
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse introduces a tragic incident where Pilate had Galilean worshipers killed during their sacrifices, mingling their blood with the temple offerings. The people reporting this to Jesus likely expected Him to condemn Pilate's brutality and affirm these victims as martyrs. However, Jesus uses this tragedy to teach about universal human sinfulness and the urgent need for repentance. The incide...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XIII.**
(1) **The Galileeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.**—The incident is not related by Josephus or any other historian, but it was quite in harmony with Pilate’s character. (See Note on Matthew 27:2.) We may fairly infer it to have originated in some outburst of zealous fanaticism, such as still characterised the followers of Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37), while the ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**53-54. Exceedingly vivid and affecting. They were stung to the quick--**and can we wonder?--yet had not materials for the charge they were preparing against Him.
**provoke him, &c.--**"to harass Him with questions."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
Christ exhorts to repentance from the case of the Galileans and others.
(1-5)
Parable of the barren fig-tree.
(6-9)
The infirm woman strengthened.
(10-17)
The parables of the mustard seed, and leaven.
(18-22)
Exhortation to enter at the strait gate.
(23-30)
Christ's reproof to Herod, and to the people of Jerusalem.
(31-35...
Read full commentary →And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus challenges the assumption that these murdered Galileans were worse sinners than others. The Greek phrase 'hamartōloi para pantas' (ἁμαρτωλοὶ παρὰ πάντας, 'sinners above all') indicates the people's belief that exceptional suffering proves exceptional guilt. This reflects the common ancient view (still prevalent today) that tragedy signals divine judgment for particular sins. Jesus categorica...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Suppose ye that these Galilæans** **. . .?**—The tale had probably been told with a conviction, expressed or implied, that the massacre had been a special judgment for some special and exceptional guilt. Our Lord at once, here as in John 9:7, sweeps away all their rash interpretations of the divine government, and declares that all, unless they repented, were under the sentence of a like des...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
Christ exhorts to repentance from the case of the Galileans and others.
(1-5)
Parable of the barren fig-tree.
(6-9)
The infirm woman strengthened.
(10-17)
The parables of the mustard seed, and leaven.
(18-22)
Exhortation to enter at the strait gate.
(23-30)
Christ's reproof to Herod, and to the people of Jerusalem.
(31-35...
Read full commentary →I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus issues a stark warning: 'Nay, I tell you: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish' (οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε, πάντες ὁμοίως ἀπολεῖσθε). The emphatic 'Nay' (οὐχί, ouchi) rejects their thinking. 'Except ye repent' (ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε, ean mē metanoēte) uses the aorist subjunctive, indicating a decisive act of repentance, not gradual moral improvement. 'Metanoeō' (μετανο...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 12 Lu 12:1-12. Warning against Hypocrisy.
**1-3. meantime--**in close connection, probably, with the foregoing scene. Our Lord had been speaking out more plainly than ever before, as matters were coming to a head between Him and His enemies, and this seems to have suggested to His own mind the warning here. He had just Himself illustriously exemplified His own precepts.
**his disciples ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
Christ exhorts to repentance from the case of the Galileans and others.
(1-5)
Parable of the barren fig-tree.
(6-9)
The infirm woman strengthened.
(10-17)
The parables of the mustard seed, and leaven.
(18-22)
Exhortation to enter at the strait gate.
(23-30)
Christ's reproof to Herod, and to the people of Jerusalem.
(31-35...
Read full commentary →Or those eighteen , upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? sinners: or, debtors
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus cites a second tragedy: 'Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?' The number 'eighteen' suggests Jesus refers to a specific, known incident. The 'tower in Siloam' was likely part of Jerusalem's fortifications or water system near the Pool of Siloam. This disaster was accidental (unlike Pilate...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Upon whom the tower in Siloam fell.**—Here, again, we have a reference to an incident not recorded elsewhere. It was clearly one that had impressed the minds of men with horror, as a special judgment. At or near to Siloam, the modern *Birket-Silwan,* is a swimming-pool, or tank (John 9:7), where the valley of Tyropœon opens into that of the Kedron. It was supplied through artificial conduits...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 12 Lu 12:1-12. Warning against Hypocrisy.
**1-3. meantime--**in close connection, probably, with the foregoing scene. Our Lord had been speaking out more plainly than ever before, as matters were coming to a head between Him and His enemies, and this seems to have suggested to His own mind the warning here. He had just Himself illustriously exemplified His own precepts.
**his disciples ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
Christ exhorts to repentance from the case of the Galileans and others.
(1-5)
Parable of the barren fig-tree.
(6-9)
The infirm woman strengthened.
(10-17)
The parables of the mustard seed, and leaven.
(18-22)
Exhortation to enter at the strait gate.
(23-30)
Christ's reproof to Herod, and to the people of Jerusalem.
(31-35...
Read full commentary →I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Jesus repeats His warning with identical wording: 'Nay, I tell you: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.' The repetition emphasizes urgency and universality. Both tragedies lead to the same conclusion: all people face divine judgment unless they repent. The parallel structure creates a memorable pattern. Jesus refuses to speculate about why these specific people died these specific...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 12 Lu 12:1-12. Warning against Hypocrisy.
**1-3. meantime--**in close connection, probably, with the foregoing scene. Our Lord had been speaking out more plainly than ever before, as matters were coming to a head between Him and His enemies, and this seems to have suggested to His own mind the warning here. He had just Himself illustriously exemplified His own precepts.
**his disciples ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
Christ exhorts to repentance from the case of the Galileans and others.
(1-5)
Parable of the barren fig-tree.
(6-9)
The infirm woman strengthened.
(10-17)
The parables of the mustard seed, and leaven.
(18-22)
Exhortation to enter at the strait gate.
(23-30)
Christ's reproof to Herod, and to the people of Jerusalem.
(31-35...
Read full commentary →The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon , and found none.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus tells the parable of the barren fig tree: 'He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none' (ἔλεγεν δὲ ταύτην τὴν παραβολήν· Συκῆν εἶχέν τις πεφυτευμένην ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἦλθεν ζητῶν καρπὸν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν). The fig tree represents Israel, planted in God's vineyard (cf. Isaiah 5:1-7), expect...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **A certain man had a fig tree.**—The parable stands obviously in very close connection with the foregoing teaching. The people had been warned of the danger of perishing, unless they repented. They are now taught that the forbearance and long-suffering of God are leading them to repentance. The sharp warning of the Baptist, “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down” (Matthew...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-5. I say, &c.--**You will say, That may cost us our life. Be it so; but, "My friends, there their power ends." He calls them "my friends" here, not in any loose sense, but, as we think, from the feeling He then had that in this "killing of the body" He and they were going to be affectingly one with each other.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-9**
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may ...
Read full commentary →Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>These three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none</strong>—The fig tree represents Israel (or any professing believer), and the <em>three years</em> (τρία ἔτη, tria etē) likely symbolize Jesus' public ministry. The vineyard owner's patience has been exhausted; the unfruitful tree <strong>cumbereth the ground</strong> (καταργεῖ, katargei—'renders useless,' 'wastes').<br...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Why cumbereth it the ground*?****—*The Greek verb means more than that the fig-tree was what we call a useless burden or incumbrance, and implies positive injury. It is commonly rendered by “bring to nought,” or some like phrase. (In 1Corinthians 13:8 it is rendered “fail.”) This would seem, indeed, to have been the old meaning of the English verb. Comp. Shakespeare’s *Julius Cœsar,* iii. 1:...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-5. I say, &c.--**You will say, That may cost us our life. Be it so; but, "My friends, there their power ends." He calls them "my friends" here, not in any loose sense, but, as we think, from the feeling He then had that in this "killing of the body" He and they were going to be affectingly one with each other.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-9**
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may ...
Read full commentary →And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Lord, let it alone this year also</strong> (κύριε, ἄφες αὐτὴν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος, kyrie, aphes autēn kai touto to etos)—The vinedresser intercedes for mercy, promising <strong>till I shall dig about it, and dung it</strong> (σκάψω περὶ αὐτὴν καὶ βάλω κόπρια, skapsō peri autēn kai balō kopria). This intensive cultivation—aerating the soil and applying fertilizer—represents extraordinary divi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **And dung it.**—Literally, *and put dung.* Homely as the imagery is, it suggests fertilising and gracious influences not less vividly than the dew or rain from heaven, and points, perhaps, specifically to such as are working on us in our earthly surroundings, as contrasted with the directly supernatural action of God’s grace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-7. five ... for two farthings--**In Mt 10:29 it is "two for one farthing"; so if one took two farthings' worth, he got one in addition--of such small value were they.
**than many sparrows--**not "than millions of sparrows"; the charm and power of our Lord's teaching is very much in this simplicity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-9**
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may ...
Read full commentary →And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down</strong>—The vinedresser's intercession has limits. The conditional structure (κἂν μὲν ποιήσῃ καρπόν… εἰ δὲ μή γε, ἐκκόψεις αὐτήν, kan men poiēsē karpon... ei de mē ge, ekkopseis autēn) presents two stark outcomes: fruitfulness or destruction. There is no third option.<br><br>This conclusion demolishes presumpti...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **And if it bear fruit.**—Some of the better MSS. have, *if it bear fruit in the time to come* . . . With either reading the sentence is elliptical, and the insertion of “well,” as in the English, is needed to convey its meaning.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-7. five ... for two farthings--**In Mt 10:29 it is "two for one farthing"; so if one took two farthings' worth, he got one in addition--of such small value were they.
**than many sparrows--**not "than millions of sparrows"; the charm and power of our Lord's teaching is very much in this simplicity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-9**
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may ...
Read full commentary →Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.</strong> Luke establishes the setting with deliberate simplicity. The Greek verb <em>ēn didaskōn</em> (ἦν διδάσκων, "was teaching") uses the imperfect tense, indicating continuous action—this was Jesus' customary practice. Despite growing opposition from religious leaders, He maintained His synagogue teaching ministry throughout ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **And he was teaching in one of the synagogues.**—The narrative that follows is peculiar to St. Luke. The indefiniteness as to time and place indicate that it was probably one of the previously unrecorded traditions which he met with when he entered on his personal search for materials. This is in part con firmed by the use of “the Lord” in Luke 13:15. (See Note on Luke 7:13.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-9. confess ... deny--**The point lies in doing it "before men," because one has to do it "despising the shame." But when done, the Lord holds Himself bound to repay it in kind by confessing such "before the angels of God." For the rest, see on Lu 9:26.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus heals on the Sabbath: 'And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself' (καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ πνεῦμα ἔχουσα ἀσθενείας ἔτη δεκαοκτώ, καὶ ἦν συγκύπτουσα καὶ μὴ δυναμένη ἀνακύψαι εἰς τὸ παντελές). This woman had suffered 18 years under demonic bondage ('spirit of infirmity,' πνεῦμα ἀσθενείας), bent double, unab...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Behold, there was a woman. . . .**—The description indicates the accuracy of the trained observer. The duration of the affliction (as in Acts 9:33), the symptoms of permanent curvature of the spine, the very form of the two participles, *bent together*. . . . *unable to unbend,* are all characteristic. The phrase a “spirit of infirmity,” *i.e.,* an evil spirit producing bodily infirmity, im...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-9. confess ... deny--**The point lies in doing it "before men," because one has to do it "despising the shame." But when done, the Lord holds Himself bound to repay it in kind by confessing such "before the angels of God." For the rest, see on Lu 9:26.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.</strong> Jesus takes the initiative—He "saw her" (ἰδὼν αὐτὴν, idōn autēn) and "called her" (προσεφώνησεν, prosephōnēsen, summoned her publicly). The woman did not request healing; Christ's compassion moved Him to act. This illustrates divine grace: God seeks us before we seek Him (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.**—Better, *thou hast been loosed* . . . The words were obviously a test of the woman’s faith. Would she, on hearing the words, make the effort to do what she had not done for eighteen years? The verb, it may be noted, is in the perfect. The work of healing was already completed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. Son of man ... Holy Ghost--**(See on Mt 12:31, 32).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.</strong> Jesus' laying on of hands (ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῇ τὰς χεῖρας, epethēken autē tas cheiras) was a common healing gesture, signifying impartation of power and personal touch. This physical contact with a disabled woman in public would be culturally shocking, demonstrating Jesus' willingness to break social...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **And he laid his hands on her.**—The bodily act was, as in the analogous cases of the blind and dumb (see Note on Matthew 9:29), a help to the faith which was necessary, on the woman’s part, that she might receive the full benefit of the divine act of power. When this was done, she poured forth her joy (as the tense of the verb implies) in a continuous strain of praise.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day.</strong> The synagogue ruler's response—"indignation" (ἀγανακτῶν, aganaktōn)—reveals misplaced priorities. The Greek verb means to be greatly displeased or aroused to anger. He witnessed a miraculous liberation of an eighteen-year sufferer yet felt outrage rather than joy. This expos...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation.**—The traditional law for the work of the Jewish physician was that he might act in his calling in cases of emergency, life and death cases, but not in chronic diseases, such as this. This law the ruler of the synagogue wished to impose as a check upon the work of the Healer here.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?</strong> Jesus' response begins with a devastating label: "hypocrite" (ὑποκριτά, hypokrita, singular, directly addressing the ruler). The Greek originally meant stage actor—one wearing a mask, playing a part. Jesus exposes the ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15, 16) **Doth not each one of you** **. . .?—**The principle is the same as that in Matthew 12:11 (where see Note), but the case is put in even a stronger form. There the illustration is drawn from what might seem an exceptional act for an exceptional emergency; here from the regular practice of men, where their own interests were concerned. If they pleaded that it was not for their own interest...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Lu 12:13-53. Covetousness--Watchfulness--Superiority to Earthly Ties.
**13. Master, &c.--**that is, "Great Preacher of righteousness, help; there is need of Thee in this rapacious world; here am I the victim of injustice, and that from my own brother, who withholds from me my rightful share of the inheritance that has fallen to us." In this most inopportune intrusion upon the solemnities of o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?</strong> Jesus escalates the <em>kal v'chomer</em> argument with devastating force. The phrase "daughter of Abraham" (θυγατέρα Ἀβραὰμ, thygatera Abraam) emphasizes her covenant status—she belongs to God's people, heir to the promises. Jesus af...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Whom Satan hath bound.**—The words imply the belief that there was another source than mere bodily disease for the infirmity—in part, at least, the belief that all disease—or very many forms of it—is directly or indirectly traceable to the power of the Enemy. So St. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”—assuming it to be some sharp bodily suffering—is “the messenger of Satan.” (See Note on 2Corinthia...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. Man, &c.--**Contrast this style of address with "my friends," (Lu 12:4).
**who, &c.--**a question literally repudiating the office which Moses assumed (Ex 2:14). The influence of religious teachers in the external relations of life has ever been immense, when only the INDIRECT effect of their teaching; but whenever they intermeddle DIRECTLY with secular and political matters, the s...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.</strong> The outcome reveals a sharp division: "adversaries" (ἀντικείμενοι, antikeimenoi, those who oppose or stand against) experienced shame (κατῃσχύνοντο, katēschynonto, were put to shame, humiliated), while "the people" (πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος, pas ho...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15. unto them--**the multitude around Him (Lu 12:1).
**of covetousness--**The best copies have "all," that is, "every kind of covetousness"; because as this was one of the more plausible forms of it, so He would strike at once at the root of the evil.
**a man's life, &c.--**a singularly weighty maxim, and not less so because its meaning and its truth are equally evident.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-17**
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight...
Read full commentary →The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus asks: 'Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?' (τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν;). The double question emphasizes the challenge of explaining God's kingdom to earthly minds. The mustard seed parable (vv.18-19) illustrates how God's kingdom begins small but grows expansive—from Jesus and twelve disciples to worldwide church. The l...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18-21) **Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like?**—See Notes on Matthew 13:31-33. The first impression with most readers, in the absence of any apparent trace of sequence, is that we have an isolated fragment of our Lord’s teaching, torn from the context in which we find it in St. Matthew. On the other hand, we must remember (1) that our Lord was in the synagogue, and it was on the Sa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16-19. a certain rich man, &c.--**Why is this man called a "fool?" (Lu 12:20) (1) Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment the summit of human felicity. (2) Because, possessing the means of this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but give himself up to it. Nothing else is laid to his ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-22**
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the littl...
Read full commentary →It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.</strong> The mustard seed parable (one of Jesus' shortest) carries profound significance. The "grain of mustard seed" (κόκκῳ σινάπεως, kokkō sinapeōs) was proverbially the smallest seed known in Palestine (Matthew 13:32,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16-19. a certain rich man, &c.--**Why is this man called a "fool?" (Lu 12:20) (1) Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment the summit of human felicity. (2) Because, possessing the means of this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but give himself up to it. Nothing else is laid to his ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-22**
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the littl...
Read full commentary →The Parable of the Leaven
And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?</strong> This brief rhetorical question introduces the second kingdom parable in this section. The phrase "and again" (πάλιν, palin) indicates Jesus immediately offers another comparison, suggesting that no single parable exhausts the kingdom's richness—multiple perspectives illuminate different facets of the same reality.<br><...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16-19. a certain rich man, &c.--**Why is this man called a "fool?" (Lu 12:20) (1) Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment the summit of human felicity. (2) Because, possessing the means of this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but give himself up to it. Nothing else is laid to his ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-22**
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the littl...
Read full commentary →It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.</strong> This second kingdom parable parallels the mustard seed but emphasizes internal transformation rather than external growth. "Leaven" (ζύμῃ, zymē, yeast) was a small amount of fermented dough saved from previous baking, mixed into new dough to cause rising. The verb "hid" (ἐνέκρυψεν...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16-19. a certain rich man, &c.--**Why is this man called a "fool?" (Lu 12:20) (1) Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment the summit of human felicity. (2) Because, possessing the means of this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but give himself up to it. Nothing else is laid to his ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-22**
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the littl...
Read full commentary →The Narrow Door
And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.</strong> This transitional verse marks Jesus' purposeful travel toward His destiny. The phrase "went through" (διεπορεύετο, dieporeueto) uses an imperfect verb indicating continuous action—He was traveling through, not rushing past. The coupling of "cities and villages" (κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κώμας, kata pole...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying.**—Literally, *making a journey,* as implying a circuit deliberately planned. This is apparently the continuation of the same journey as that of which Luke 9:51 recorded the beginning. There seems reason to believe, as stated in the Note on that passage, that it lay chiefly through the cities and villages of Peræa, the mo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20-21. this night, &c.--**This sudden cutting short of his career is designed to express not only the folly of building securely upon the future, but of throwing one's whole soul into what may at any moment be gone. "Thy soul shall be required of thee" is put in opposition to his own treatment of it, "I will say to my soul, Soul," &c.
**whose shall those things be, &c.--**Compare P...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-22**
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the littl...
Read full commentary →Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
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KJV Study Commentary
Someone asks: 'Lord, are there few that be saved?' Jesus responds: 'Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able' (Κύριε, εἰ ὀλίγοι οἱ σῳζόμενοι; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, Ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τῆς στενῆς θύρας· ὅτι πολλοί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητήσουσιν εἰσελθεῖν καὶ οὐκ ἰσχύσουσιν). Jesus redirects from speculation to personal urgency. The...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Are there few that be saved?**—More accurately, *that are being saved,* or, *that are in the way of salvation.* The Greek participle is present, not perfect, and this sense should be borne in mind both here and in 2Corinthians 2:15—still more so, perhaps, in Acts 2:47, where the English version gives, with a singular infelicity, “such as should be saved.”
We are left to conjecture to what c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20-21. this night, &c.--**This sudden cutting short of his career is designed to express not only the folly of building securely upon the future, but of throwing one's whole soul into what may at any moment be gone. "Thy soul shall be required of thee" is put in opposition to his own treatment of it, "I will say to my soul, Soul," &c.
**whose shall those things be, &c.--**Compare P...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus warns: 'Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.' The word 'strive' (Greek 'agōnizesthe,' ἀγωνίζεσθε) means agonize, fight, exert intense effort—where we get 'agonize.' The 'strait gate' (Greek 'stenēs,' στενῆς, narrow) contrasts the wide gate leading to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Salvation requires earnest pursuit, no...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Strive to enter in at the strait gate.**—See Notes on Matthew 7:13-14. Another instance of general teaching adapted to a special occasion. We note, however, the variation, “strive to enter in”—i.e., struggle as the wrestler struggles (the word being the same as that in 1Corinthians 9:25; 1Timothy 6:12), instead of the simple “enter ye in,” and the compression of the whole illustration.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are.</strong> This sobering warning follows the question "Are there few that be saved?" (v. 23). Jesus shifts from abstract speculation to urgent personal applicati...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **When once the master of the house . . .**—The passage contains elements that are common at once to Matthew 7:22-23; Matthew 25:10-12, where see Notes.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
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KJV Study Commentary
The rejected continue their plea: 'Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.' This verse exposes the insufficiency of external religious association. The people claim physical proximity to Jesus—sharing meals and hearing His teaching. Yet proximity without transformation, hearing without heeding, association without commitment brings ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **We have eaten and drunk . . .**—Better, *we ate and drank* . . ., and *Thou didst teach.* The words differ slightly from those in Matthew 7:22, which put higher claims into the mouths of the speakers, “Did we not prophecy in Thy name . . .?” They are, *i.e.,* the representatives of those who hold office in the Church of God, yet have not truly submitted themselves to the guidance of the Div...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus responds to their claims: 'But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.' The repeated 'I know you not whence ye are' emphasizes that Jesus doesn't recognize them as His own. Despite their claims of association, He declares 'depart from me,' a judicial dismissal. The phrase 'workers of iniquity' indicates active pursuit of sin, not pa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus describes the anguish of the excluded: 'There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.' This phrase appears frequently in Jesus' teaching about final judgment (Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30), indicating extreme anguish, regret, and rage. The excluded w...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28, 29) **There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.**—See Notes on Matthew 8:11-12; but notice, as an interesting variation, the addition of the “prophets” to the names of the three patriarchs.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus reveals salvation's universal scope: 'And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.' This imagery echoes Isaiah 49:12, 59:19 and Psalm 107:3, prophecies about God gathering His scattered people. The four directions represent universality—people from all nations will enter God's kingdom. The phrase 'sit ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus concludes with a reversal principle: 'And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.' This paradox appears throughout Jesus' teaching (Matthew 19:30, 20:16, Mark 10:31) and illustrates kingdom values inverting worldly values. The 'first' (privileged, powerful, prestigious by worldly or religious standards) will be 'last' if they trust their status ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **And, behold, there are last . . .**—See Note on Matthew 19:30. In point of time, it may be noticed, this is the first utterance of the great law that God’s judgment reverses man’s. When it was uttered in reference to the young ruler, it was but a fresh application of the wider law. Here the application is primarily national. Israel had been the first of nations, but it should become, in its...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 23-30**
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, m...
Read full commentary →Lament over Jerusalem
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
Pharisees approach with a warning: 'The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.' The Pharisees' warning seems helpful but may have been intended to manipulate Jesus away from their territory. Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee and Perea, had beheaded John the Baptist (Luke 9:9) and wanted to see Jesus (Luke 9:9, 23:8). ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **Herod will kill thee.**—This is the only intimation of such a purpose, and it is, of course, a question whether the Pharisees reported what they actually knew, out of feelings more or less friendly to our Lord, or invented a false tale in order that *they* might get rid of His presence among them, or were sent by Herod to announce his purpose as a threat that *he* might be rid of it. Our Lo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have b...
Read full commentary →And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus responds defiantly: 'And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' Calling Herod a 'fox' is contemptuous—foxes symbolize cunning, destruction, and insignificance (Nehemiah 4:3, Song of Solomon 2:15, Ezekiel 13:4). Jesus refuses to be intimidated. His statement 'I cast out devils, and I...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **Go ye, and tell that fox . . .**—The word was eminently descriptive of the character both of the Tetrarch individually, and of the whole Herodian house. The fact that the Greek word for “fox” is always used as a feminine, gives, perhaps, a special touch of indignant force to the original. He had so identified himself with Herodias that he had lost his manliness, and the proverbial type of t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have b...
Read full commentary →Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus states His determination: 'Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.' The word 'must' indicates divine necessity—Jesus is under compulsion to fulfill His mission. The 'to day, and to morrow, and the day following' structure parallels v. 32, emphasizing His controlled progress toward Jerusalem. The statement...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Nevertheless I must walk.**—Better, *I must journey,* or, *I must go onward,* the word being that used in Luke 9:51; Luke 9:53. The words indicate the intensity of conviction and of purpose as that expressed before. I cannot bring myself to accept the words that follow—“to-day and to-morrow . . .”—as meaning that there were but three days to pass before He should enter Jerusalem. It would n...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
22-31. (See on Mt 6:25-33).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have b...
Read full commentary →O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus laments: 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!' (Ἰερουσαλὴμ Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἡ ἀποκτείνουσα τοὺς προφήτας καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτήν, ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυνάξαι τὰ τέκνα σου ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις τὴν ἑαυτῆς ν...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34, 35) **O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets.**—See Notes on Matthew 23:37-39. Here, as in other like cases, we have to choose between the alternatives of the words having been spoken on two different though similar occasions, or of one of the Evangelists misplacing the words which were actually spoken but once. As with most other passages thus re-appearing in a different context,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32. little flock, &c.--**How sublime and touching a contrast between this tender and pitying appellation, "Little flock" (in the original a double diminutive, which in German can be expressed, but not in English)--and the "good pleasure" of the Father to give them the Kingdom; the one recalling the insignificance and helplessness of that then literal handful of disciples, the other holding u...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have b...
Read full commentary →Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus declares: 'Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord' (ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος· λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐ μή με ἴδητε ἕως ἥξει ὅτε εἴπητε, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου). 'Your house' (ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν) likely refers to the temple, once ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**33-34. Sell, &c.--**This is but a more vivid expression of Mt 6:19-21 (see on Mt 6:19-21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-35**
Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have b...
Read full commentary →