King James Version
Luke 14
35 verses with commentary
Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath
And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
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KJV Study Commentary
Luke introduces another Sabbath controversy: 'And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.' Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with 'one of the chief Pharisees,' demonstrating His willingness to engage even hostile opponents. The meal occurred 'on the sabbath day,' setting up another confrontation over Sabbat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XIV.**
(1) **Into the house of one of the chief Pharisees.**—Better, *of the rulers of the Pharisees.* The meaning of the phrase is probably more definite than that suggested by the English. The man was either a “ruler” in the same sense as Nicodemus (John 3:1), or the rich young man in Luke 18:18 - i.e., a member of the Sanhedrin (which seems most likely)—or else occupied a high position in the...
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
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
Christ heals a man on the sabbath.(1-6)
He teaches humility.(7-14)
Parable of the great supper.(15-24)
The necessity of consideration and self-denial.
(25-35)
**Verses 1-6**
This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he kn...
Read full commentary →And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
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KJV Study Commentary
Luke notes: 'And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.' The man's presence 'before him' (ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, emprosthen autou) suggests he was positioned where Jesus couldn't avoid seeing him. 'Dropsy' (ὑδρωπικός, hydrōpikos) refers to edema, abnormal fluid accumulation causing swelling. This painful condition was often associated with heart, liver, or kidney disease. The ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **A certain man before him which had the dropsy.**—This is the only miracle of the kind recorded in the Gospels. The term which St. Luke uses is strictly technical (*hydropikos*)*,* and we may fairly see in the narrative another illustration of his professional character. He, more than others, had been led to specific inquiries as to the nature of the diseases which our Lord had healed. (See *...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35-40. loins ... girded--**to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
**lights, &c.--**(See on Mt 25:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
Christ heals a man on the sabbath.(1-6)
He teaches humility.(7-14)
Parable of the great supper.(15-24)
The necessity of consideration and self-denial.
(25-35)
**Verses 1-6**
This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he kn...
Read full commentary →And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus takes the initiative: 'And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?' Though no one had spoken, Jesus 'answering' (ἀποκριθεὶς, apokritheis) responds to their unspoken thoughts and hostile intentions. He addresses 'the lawyers and Pharisees'—experts in religious law who should know Scripture's true meaning. His question 'Is it lawfu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Unto the lawyers.**—See Note on Matthew 22:35. The teaching of our Lord is identical in substance, and nearly so in form, with that in Luke 6:6-11, Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6. Here, however, it will be noticed, our Lord takes the initiative in the controversy, whereas before the scribes and Pharisees had asked Him the question. Possibly some report of what had then passed had reached the ea...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35-40. loins ... girded--**to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
**lights, &c.--**(See on Mt 25:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
Christ heals a man on the sabbath.(1-6)
He teaches humility.(7-14)
Parable of the great supper.(15-24)
The necessity of consideration and self-denial.
(25-35)
**Verses 1-6**
This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he kn...
Read full commentary →And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
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KJV Study Commentary
The response: 'And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go.' The phrase 'they held their peace' (ἡσύχασαν, hēsychasan) indicates silence—they couldn't answer without self-incrimination. Their silence gave implicit permission, so Jesus 'took him' (ἐπιλαβόμενος, epilabomenos, took hold of), 'healed him' (ἰάσατο, iasato), and 'let him go' (ἀπέλυσεν, apelysen, released/s...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **And he took him.**—Better, *he laid hold on him.* The healing was, in this instance, effected by actual contact.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35-40. loins ... girded--**to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
**lights, &c.--**(See on Mt 25:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
Christ heals a man on the sabbath.(1-6)
He teaches humility.(7-14)
Parable of the great supper.(15-24)
The necessity of consideration and self-denial.
(25-35)
**Verses 1-6**
This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he kn...
Read full commentary →And answered them , saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus presses His argument: 'And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?' Again Jesus 'answered' though they remained silent—He addresses their unspoken objections. His question appeals to their own practice: they would rescue an animal on the Sabbath without hesitation. The phrase 'straightway' (εὐ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Which of you shall have an ass or an ox . . .**—The line of thought is all but identical with that of Luke 13:15. Here, as there, the outward features of Jewish life are the same as they had been in Exodus 20:17, and Isaiah 1:3. The “ox and the ass” are the beasts which common men use and value. The horse belongs to conquerors and kings. This is said with reference to the received text. Many...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35-40. loins ... girded--**to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
**lights, &c.--**(See on Mt 25:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
Christ heals a man on the sabbath.(1-6)
He teaches humility.(7-14)
Parable of the great supper.(15-24)
The necessity of consideration and self-denial.
(25-35)
**Verses 1-6**
This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he kn...
Read full commentary →And they could not answer him again to these things.
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KJV Study Commentary
The outcome: 'And they could not answer him again to these things.' Their continued silence—'they could not answer' (οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ἀνταποκριθῆναι, ouk ischysan antapokrithēnai, they were not able to reply)—indicates defeat. Jesus' logic was irrefutable. They couldn't deny they'd rescue animals, so they couldn't logically condemn healing humans. Their silence wasn't agreement but stubborn refusal to ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And they could not answer him again.**—The Greek is, perhaps, a little more emphatic—“They *had no power,* they were *powerless* to answer him.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35-40. loins ... girded--**to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
**lights, &c.--**(See on Mt 25:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 14
Chapter Outline
Christ heals a man on the sabbath.(1-6)
He teaches humility.(7-14)
Parable of the great supper.(15-24)
The necessity of consideration and self-denial.
(25-35)
**Verses 1-6**
This Pharisee, as well as others, seems to have had an ill design in entertaining Jesus at his house. But our Lord would not be hindered from healing a man, though he kn...
Read full commentary →The Parable of the Wedding Feast
And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus shifts to teaching: 'And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them.' Jesus observed the guests' behavior—'when he marked' (ἐπέχων, epechōn, paying attention to) 'how they chose out the chief rooms' (πῶς τὰς πρωτοκλισίας ἐξελέγοντο, pōs tas prōtoklisias exelegonto). The term 'chief rooms' (πρωτοκλισίας, prōtoklisias)...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And he put forth a parable.**—The passage has the interest of being, in conjunction with Luke 11:43, the germ of the great invective of Matthew 23:6, and the verses that follow. (See Notes there.)
**Chief rooms.**—Better, *chief places,* or *chief couches;* literally, the chief places to recline in after the Eastern fashion. This, again, implies the semi-public character of the feast. The ho...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35-40. loins ... girded--**to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
**lights, &c.--**(See on Mt 25:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus begins the parable: 'When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him.' The setting is 'a wedding' (γάμους, gamous), a joyful celebration requiring careful social navigation. Jesus advises: don't assume 'the highest room' (πρωτοκλισίαν, prōtoklisian, the place of honor). The reason: 'lest a more honourable m...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Sit not down.**—Literally, *recline not.*
**Lest a more honourable man than thou . . .**—The words imply that the common practice was for the guests to seat themselves; then, as in the parable of the wedding garment (Matthew 22:11), the host came in “to see the guests.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus describes the consequence: 'And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.' The host arrives and publicly redirects you: 'Give this man place' (δὸς τούτῳ τόπον, dos toutō topon). The result is shame—'thou begin with shame' (τότε ἄρξῃ μετὰ αἰσχύνης, tote arxē meta aischynēs) 'to take the lowest room' (τὸν ἔσχατον τόπ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **And thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.**—At first sight the words seem to suggest lower motives than those by which the disciples of Christ should regulate their lives—an artificial and calculating rather than a real humility. Three explanations may be given of what is a very real difficulty—(1) That all precepts bearing directly upon social ethics start naturally, as in the Book...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus presents the alternative: 'But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.' Instead of presuming honor, choose 'the lowest room' (ἔσχατον τόπον, eschaton topon, the last place). Then the host may invite you: 'Friend, go...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Sit down in the lowest room.**—Better, as before, *recline* for the verb, and *place,* or *couch,* for the noun.
**Friend.**—The Greek word is not the same as in Matthew 20:13 (where see Note), Matthew 22:12; Matthew 26:50, but is the same as in John 11:11; John 15:14. The difference is suggestive. The first word addressed to the humble and lowly guest speaks of confidence and affection. He...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This principle appears multiple times in Luke's Gospel (18:14) and throughout Scripture, establishing a divine law that operates in both earthly and eternal realms. The Greek words 'hupsoō' (exalt) and 'tapeinoō' (humble) are theological terms describing both self-promotion versus self-abasement and God's action of elevation versus demotion. This teaching follows Jesus' parable about seeking the l...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased.**—The reproduction of the teaching in words which are almost an echo of these, in 1Peter 5:5, is interesting as showing the impression which it had made on the minds of the disciples.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →The Parable of the Great Banquet
Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Jesus addresses the host: 'Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.' Jesus shifts from guests' behavior to the host's motives. Don't invite those who can reciprocate—'friends,' 'brethren,' 'kinsmen,' 'rich neighbou...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **A dinner or a supper.**—The two words were used respectively for the morning and the evening meal—the former, like the Continental *déjeûner,* being taken commonly a little before noon, the latter, about sunset.
**Thy friends, nor thy brethren.**—The words were clearly chosen as including the classes of guests who were then present. Our Lord saw in that Sabbath feast nothing but an ostentat...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus presents the alternative: 'But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.' Instead of those who can repay, invite those who cannot: 'the poor' (πτωχούς, ptōchous, destitute), 'the maimed' (ἀναπείρους, anapeirous, crippled), 'the lame' (χωλούς, chōlous, unable to walk), 'the blind' (τυφλούς, typhlous, sightless). These groups were marginalized in ancient society...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **When thou makest a feast.**—Literally, as in Luke 5:29, *a reception.* In practice, it need hardly be said, the form of obedience to the precept must, of necessity, vary with the varying phases of social life, and with the lessons of experience. Relief given privately, thoughtfully, discriminatively, may be better both for the giver, as less ostentatious, and for the receivers, as tending t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus promises reward: 'And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.' The blessing comes precisely because recipients 'cannot recompense thee' (οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνταποδοῦναί σοι, ouk echousin antapodounai soi)—their inability to repay makes the act genuinely gracious. However, God will repay: 'thou shalt be recompensed at the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **At the resurrection of the just.**—The passage has the interest of being the first occurrence of the word “resurrection” in our Lord’s teaching. On this point our Lord, while rebuking the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, accepted the fundamental doctrine of their system, and so furnished a precedent for St. Paul’s conduct in Acts 23:6.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 7-14**
Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but t...
Read full commentary →And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
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KJV Study Commentary
A guest responds: 'And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.' This statement seems pious—acknowledging the blessing of participating in God's kingdom. The phrase 'eat bread in the kingdom of God' (φάγεται ἄρτον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, phagetai arton en tē basileia tou Theou) uses meal imagery for ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Blessed is he that shall eat bread . . .**—The form of the exclamation was obviously determined by the words which our Lord had just spoken. It may have been a more or less familiar formula among devout Jews who expected the coming of the Christ. It may have embodied some recollections of the great discourse at Capernaum (John 6:26-59). On the whole it seems more natural to see in it a burs...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-48. unto us or even to all?--**us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus responds with a parable: 'Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many.' The parable begins innocuously—'a certain man' (ἄνθρωπός τις, anthrōpos tis) 'made a great supper' (ἐποίησεν δεῖπνον μέγα, epoiēsen deipnon mega) 'and bade many' (καὶ ἐκάλεσεν πολλούς, kai ekalesen pollous, invited many). This pictures God's gracious invitation to enter His kingdom. The 'great...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **A certain man made a great supper.**—Historically this has the interest of being the first occurrence of the “feast” imagery in our Lord’s teaching. Here, as with so many of His parables, it is suggested by the occasion. Afterwards, as in Matthew 22:1-13, it is reproduced in an altered and expanded form. Here, as there, the giver of the feast is God.
**And bade many.**—The sequel determines...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**49-53. to send--**cast.
**fire--**"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to introduce into this earth (compare Mt 3:11), with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeeme...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The summons goes out: 'And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.' The host 'sent his servant' (ἀπέστειλεν τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ, apesteilen ton doulon autou) with the message 'Come; for all things are now ready' (Ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστιν, Erchesthe, hoti ēdē hetoima estin). The verb 'come' (Ἔρχεσθε, Erchesthe) is imperative—this is com...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **And sent his servant.**—The servant stands in this parable as the representative of the whole order of prophets and apostles—of all who, like the Baptist and the Twelve, had been sent to invite men to the Kingdom. “The time of supper” is, in the primary application, the time of our Lord’s coming, when the Kingdom of Heaven was first proclaimed as nigh at hand. All things—pardon, peace, bles...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**49-53. to send--**cast.
**fire--**"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to introduce into this earth (compare Mt 3:11), with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeeme...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The first excuse: 'And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.' The phrase 'they all with one consent' (ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς πάντες παραιτεῖσθαι, ērxanto apo mias pantes paraitesthai) indicates unanimous rejection. The first excuse involves property—'I have bought a piece of g...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **They all with one consent . . .**—The Greek phrase, as the italics show, is elliptical; but the English idiom expresses its meaning whether we take the omitted noun to be “voice,” or “consent” or “mind.”
**To make excuse.**—To *beg off* would, perhaps, be too colloquial, but it exactly expresses the force of the Greek verb.
**I have bought a piece of ground.**—The Greek noun implies a littl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**49-53. to send--**cast.
**fire--**"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to introduce into this earth (compare Mt 3:11), with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeeme...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.</strong> This verse is the second excuse in Jesus' parable of the Great Supper, illustrating rejection of God's kingdom invitation. The Greek <em>ezēgoras</em> (ἐζήγορας) means "I have bought," indicating a completed transaction. Five yoke of oxen (ten animals) represents significant wea...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Five yoke of oxen.**—The number was one which came within the reach of any peasant farmer of moderate competence. (Comp. Elisha’s twelve yoke of oxen, 1Kings 19:19.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**49-53. to send--**cast.
**fire--**"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to introduce into this earth (compare Mt 3:11), with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeeme...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.</strong> This third excuse in the Great Supper parable is the most absolute—he doesn't even request to be excused (<em>parēteō</em>, παραιτέω) as the previous two did. The Greek <em>gunaika egēma</em> (γυναῖκα ἔγημα, "I married a wife") uses the aorist tense indicating a recently completed action. His assertion <em>dia t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **I have married a wife.**—It may be noted that the Law of Moses allowed men to plead this, and the building of a house, or planting of a vineyard, as a ground for exemption from military service (Deuteronomy 20:5-7). The sin of the invited guests was that they treated the invitation to the feast as though it were as burdensome as a military conscription. In the interpretation of the parable,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**49-53. to send--**cast.
**fire--**"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to introduce into this earth (compare Mt 3:11), with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeeme...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.</strong> The servant's report prompts the master's <em>orgistheis</em> (ὀργισθείς, "being angry")—righteous indignation at the insult to his gen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The master of the** house being angry** . . .**—The element of righteous indignation is more strongly emphasised in the analogous parable of Matthew 22:6-7, where the mere apathy of those who were invited passes into scornful outrage.
**The streets and lanes . . .**—See Note on Matthew 6:2. The former word includes the “piazza” or “place” of an Eastern town; the latter is the long, narrow “...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Lu 12:54-59. Not Discerning the Signs of the Time.
**54. to the people--**"the multitude," a word of special warning to the thoughtless crowd, before dismissing them. (See on Mt 16:2, 3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.</strong> The servant's faithful obedience (<em>gegonen hōs epetaxas</em>, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, "it has been done as you commanded") contrasts with the disobedient guests. Yet despite gathering the urban poor, the declaration <em>eti topos estin</em> (ἔτι τόπος ἐστίν, "yet there is room") reveals the banqu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **It is done as thou hast commanded.**—Literally, *What thou didst command is come to pass.*
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
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KJV Study Commentary
The final commission: 'And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.' After those originally invited refused and others from the city were brought in, the master orders a third search: 'go out into the highways and hedges' (ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμούς, exelthe eis tas hodous kai phragmous)—outside the city en...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **The highways and hedges.**—In the frame-work of the parable, this points to a yet lower class of the population of an Eastern country—to the tramps and the squatters who had no home, and who were content to sleep under the shelter of a hedge or fence. For the most part, these were low walls or palisades, rather than hedges in the English sense of the word. In the application of the parable,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**56. how ... not discern, &c.--**unable to perceive what a critical period that was for the Jewish Church.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.</strong> The master's solemn pronouncement <em>legō gar humin</em> (λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, "for I say to you") introduces divine judgment. The emphatic <em>oudeis</em> (οὐδείς, "none") allows no exceptions—total exclusion for those who refused. The phrase <em>tōn andrōn ekeinōn tōn keklēmenōn</em> (τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **None of those men which were bidden . . .**—Here again we may not press a literal interpretation of the parable. The absolute exclusion of the whole company of the first-invited guests has its anti-type in the general rejection of Israel from fellowship with the Church of Christ. It lies in the very nature of a parable that it deals roughly with general facts, and so it passes over in this ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**57. why even of yourselves, &c.--**They might say, To do this requires more knowledge of Scripture and providence than we possess; but He sends them to their own conscience, as enough to show them who He was, and win them to immediate discipleship.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-24**
In this parable observe the free grace and mercy of God shining in the gospel of Christ, which will be food and a feast for the soul of a man that knows its own wants and miseries. All found some pretence to put off their attendance. This reproves the Jewish nation for their neglect of the offers of Christ's grace. It shows also the backwardness there is to close with the gosp...
Read full commentary →The Cost of Discipleship
And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,</strong> The phrase <em>syneporeonto autō ochloi polloi</em> (συνεπορεύοντο αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί, "great crowds were traveling with him") uses an imperfect tense indicating ongoing action—masses continuously following Jesus as He journeyed toward Jerusalem (9:51). Yet Jesus <em>strapheis</em> (στραφείς, "having turne...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**58. When thou goest, &c.--**(See on Mt 5:25, 26). The urgency of the case with them, and the necessity, for their own safety, of immediate decision, was the object of these striking words.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus states discipleship's cost: 'If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' The term 'hate' (μισεῖ, misei) is Semitic hyperbole for radical prioritization—Jesus must come before all human relationships, even the most intimate and sacred. The list encompasses all family relat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **If any man come to me, and hate not his father.**—Like words had been spoken before, as in Matthew 10:37-39, where see Notes. Here they appear in a yet stronger form, “not hating” taking the place of “loving more,” and they are spoken, not to the Twelve only, but to the whole multitude of eager would-be followers. Self-renunciation, pushed, if necessary, to the extremest issues, is with Jes...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus declares: 'And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.' The present tense 'doth not bear' (Greek 'ou bastazei,' οὐ βαστάζει) indicates continuous action—ongoing cross-bearing, not one-time event. The cross represents death to self-will, embracing suffering, following Jesus' path of obedience unto death. The phrase 'cannot be my disciple' (Greek 'ou dynata...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Whosoever doth not bear his cross . . .**—See Note on Matthew 10:38. As now uttered, however, the words had a fresh significance as interpreted by what the disciples had heard from their Master’s lips between Peter’s confession and the Transfiguration (Luke 9:22-23). That “bearing of the cross” was becoming every day more clear and terrible in its growing nearness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus illustrates with a parable: 'For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?' The example of building a 'tower' (πύργον, pyrgon)—likely an agricultural watchtower for guarding crops—requires planning. The phrase 'sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost' (καθίσας πρῶτον ψηφίζει τὴν δαπάνην, kathisas pr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28-30) **Which of you, intending to build a tower** . .?—The words do not depend for their meaning on any local or personal allusion, but it is quite possible that their force may have been heightened for those who heard them by the memory of recent facts. Pilate had begun to build—certainly an aqueduct, probably a tower—and had not been able to finish. (See Notes on Luke 13:4; Matthew 27:16.) He...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 13 Lu 13:1-9. The Lesson, "REPENT OR Perish," Suggested by Two Recent Incidents, and Illustrated by the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.
**1-3. Galileans--**possibly the followers of Judas of Galilee, who, some twenty years before this, taught that Jews should not pay tribute to the Romans, and of whom we learn, from Ac 5:37, that he drew after him a multitude of followers, who on his bein...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,</strong> The phrase <em>hina mēpote</em> (ἵνα μήποτε, "lest perhaps/haply") introduces a purpose clause warning of consequences for incomplete commitment. The construction <em>thentos autou themelion kai mē ischyontos ektelesai</em> (θέντος αὐτοῦ θεμέλιον καὶ μὴ ἰσχύοντος ἐκτε...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 13 Lu 13:1-9. The Lesson, "REPENT OR Perish," Suggested by Two Recent Incidents, and Illustrated by the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.
**1-3. Galileans--**possibly the followers of Judas of Galilee, who, some twenty years before this, taught that Jews should not pay tribute to the Romans, and of whom we learn, from Ac 5:37, that he drew after him a multitude of followers, who on his bein...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.</strong> The mockers' taunt <em>houtos ho anthrōpos ērxato oikodomein kai ouk ischysen ektelesai</em> (οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἤρξατο οἰκοδομεῖν καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐκτελέσαι, "this man began to build and was not strong to finish") captures the essence of failed discipleship. The demonstrative <em>houtos</em> (οὗτος, "this") points derisive...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 13 Lu 13:1-9. The Lesson, "REPENT OR Perish," Suggested by Two Recent Incidents, and Illustrated by the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.
**1-3. Galileans--**possibly the followers of Judas of Galilee, who, some twenty years before this, taught that Jews should not pay tribute to the Romans, and of whom we learn, from Ac 5:37, that he drew after him a multitude of followers, who on his bein...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?</strong> This second parable intensifies the cost-counting theme through military analogy. The phrase <em>tis basileus poreuomenos heterō basilei symbalein eis polemon</em> (τίς βασιλεὺς πορευόμενος ἑτέρῳ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **What king, going to make war against another king . .?**—Here also there may have been a side-glance at contemporary history. The Tetrarch’s divorce of his first wife had involved him in a war with her father Aretas, an Arabian king or ethnarch (see Note on Luke 3:14), in which his army was destroyed, and the Jewish historian sees in this the commencement of all his subsequent misfortunes (...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-5. tower in Siloam--**probably one of the towers of the city wall, near the pool of Siloam. Of its fall nothing is known.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.</strong> The alternative scenario: <em>ei de mē ge</em> (εἰ δὲ μή γε, "but if not") introduces the king's prudent response to recognized inadequacy. While the enemy is <em>eti autou porrō ontos</em> (ἔτι αὐτοῦ πόρρω ὄντος, "yet being far off"), the outmatched king <em>aposteias presb...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **Desireth conditions of peace.**—Literally, *the things that make for peace.* The phrase is the same as that in Luke 19:42, “the things that belong unto thy peace.” Are we to see any special significance in this addition to the general teaching of the previous verse, and if so, what is it? The answer seems to be that what our Lord teaches is the necessity of thoroughness in what we do. If we...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-5. tower in Siloam--**probably one of the towers of the city wall, near the pool of Siloam. Of its fall nothing is known.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus concludes: 'So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.' The phrase 'forsaketh not all' (Greek 'ouk apotassetai pasin tois heautou hyparchousin,' οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπάρχουσιν) means to renounce, say goodbye to, release claim on everything possessed. This doesn't necessarily mean literal poverty but holding possessions loo...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not . . .**—Better, *that renounceth not.* This, then, was the immediate lesson which the company of eager disciples had to learn: to say good-bye to their “all,” whatever that might be. Fishing-nets and hired servants, or great possessions, or ease and safety, or besetting sins, or fancied righteousness—all had to be renounced. The word for “forsake” i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-9. fig tree--**Israel, as the visible witness of God in the world, but generally all within the pale of the visible Church of God; a familiar figure (compare Is 5:1-7; Joh 15:1-8, &c.).
**vineyard--**a spot selected for its fertility, separated from the surrounding fields, and cultivated with special care, with a view solely to fruit.
**came and sought fruit--**a heart turned to God; t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →Salt Without Taste Is Worthless
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?</strong> (Καλὸν τὸ ἅλας· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἀρτυθήσεται;)—Jesus declares salt (<em>halas</em>) <em>kalon</em> (good, excellent, valuable). Salt preserved food, enhanced flavor, and was used in sacrifices (Leviticus 2:13). But if salt <em>mōranthē</em> (becomes foolish, loses taste)—from <em...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **Salt is good.**—The words are all but identical with those of Matthew 5:13, and resemble those of Mark 9:50. (See Notes on those passages.) They appear now, however, in a very different context, and the train of thought is not at first sight so clear. The common element in all three instances is that salt represents the purifying element in life, the principle of unselfish devotion. Here, t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-9. fig tree--**Israel, as the visible witness of God in the world, but generally all within the pale of the visible Church of God; a familiar figure (compare Is 5:1-7; Joh 15:1-8, &c.).
**vineyard--**a spot selected for its fertility, separated from the surrounding fields, and cultivated with special care, with a view solely to fruit.
**came and sought fruit--**a heart turned to God; t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear</strong> (οὔτε εἰς γῆν οὔτε εἰς κοπρίαν εὔθετόν ἐστιν· ἔξω βάλλουσιν αὐτό. Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω)—worthless salt is <em>euthe ton</em> (fit, suitable) for nothing—not <em>eis gēn</em> (for the land, as fertilizer) nor <em>eis koprian</em> (for the dunghill, as compost...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill.**—The illustration, differing as it does from that in Matthew 5:13 and Mark 9:50, proves the independence of the saying as here recorded. A new use of salt, distinct from that of preserving food, or its symbolic meaning in sacrifice, is brought before us, and becomes the ground-work of a new parable. The use is obviously a lower and ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-9. fig tree--**Israel, as the visible witness of God in the world, but generally all within the pale of the visible Church of God; a familiar figure (compare Is 5:1-7; Joh 15:1-8, &c.).
**vineyard--**a spot selected for its fertility, separated from the surrounding fields, and cultivated with special care, with a view solely to fruit.
**came and sought fruit--**a heart turned to God; t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-35**
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; con...
Read full commentary →