King James Version
Luke 18
43 verses with commentary
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
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KJV Study Commentary
Luke introduces the parable: Jesus spoke 'unto them a parable to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.' The phrase 'ought always to pray' (Greek 'dei pantote proseuchesthai,' δεῖ πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι) indicates necessity and constancy—continuous, persistent prayer, not occasional requests. 'Not to faint' (Greek 'mē enkakein,' μὴ ἐνκακεῖν) means not lose heart, grow weary, or g...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XVIII.
(1) **That men ought always to pray, and not to** **faint.**—The latter of the two verbs is noticeable as being used in the New Testament by St. Luke and St. Paul only (2Corinthians 4:1; 2Corinthians 4:16; Galatians 6:9; 2Thessalonians 3:13). The whole verse is remarkable as being one of the few instances (Luke 18:9 being another) in which a parable is introduced by a distinct statement as ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. may receive me, &c.--**Observe his one object--when cast out of one home to secure another. This is the key to the parable, on which there have been many differing views.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: in a city: Gr. in a certain city
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus describes the judge: 'Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man.' This judge had two defining characteristics: he 'feared not God' (τὸν θεὸν μὴ φοβούμενος, ton theon mē phoboumenos) and he 'regarded not man' (ἄνθρωπον μὴ ἐντρεπόμενος, anthrōpon mē entrepomenos, didn't respect people). He was utterly corrupt—answerable to no one, driven purely by self-int...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **There was in a city a judge.**—The words have an interest historically, as testifying to the general disorganisation and corruption of justice which prevailed under the then government of Galilee and Peræa. Under the direct administration of the Roman Procurator, severe as his rule was, there was probably a better state of things.
The case put for the purpose of the parable was obviously an ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-7. fifty ... fourscore--**deducting a half from the debt of the one, and a fifth from that of the other.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
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KJV Study Commentary
The widow's persistence: 'And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.' The 'widow' (χήρα, chēra) represents society's most vulnerable—without husband, social status, or legal protection. Yet she persistently 'came unto him' (ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν, ērcheto pros auton, imperfect tense indicating repeated action). Her request: 'Avenge me of mine adversa...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **There was a widow in that city.**—The neglect of the cause of the widow had always been noted by Lawgiver and Prophet—and it was one of the notes of a high ethical standard in both—as the extremest form of oppressive tyranny (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; Deuteronomy 27:19; Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 1:23; Ezekiel 22:7). Comp. also the speech of the widow of Tekoah (2Samuel 14:2; 2Samuel 14:5).
...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-7. fifty ... fourscore--**deducting a half from the debt of the one, and a fifth from that of the other.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man</strong>—the unjust judge's internal monologue reveals his godless character. The Greek phrase <em>ouk ephoboumēn ton theon</em> (οὐκ ἐφοβούμην τὸν θεόν) means 'I do not fear God,' showing complete lack of divine accountability. Similarly, <em>anthrōpon ou entrepomaiō</em> (ἄνθρωπον οὐ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **He would not for a while.**—The judge was callous and dead to pity, even for that extremest wretchedness. The pleadings of the widow were simply an annoyance, which at first he bore with indifference.
**Though I fear not God, nor regard man.**—Here, also, there is a graphic touch of intensity. The man had passed beyond the stage of hypocrisy, conscious or unconscious, and saw himself even as...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-7. fifty ... fourscore--**deducting a half from the debt of the one, and a fifth from that of the other.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
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KJV Study Commentary
The judge relents: 'Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' The judge's motive is purely selfish: 'because this widow troubleth me' (διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον τὴν χήραν ταύτην, dia ge to parechein moi kopon tēn chēran tautēn, because this widow causes me trouble). The phrase 'lest by her continual coming' (ἵνα μὴ εἰς τέλος ἐρχομένη, hi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Lest by her continual coming she weary me.**—The latter verb is again one which takes its place in the vocabulary of unusual words common to St. Luke and St. Paul. It meets us in 1Corinthians 9:27, and is there rendered “I k*eep under* my body.” Literally, however, it expresses the act of the pugilist when he strikes a blow which leaves a livid bruise on his opponent’s face, and it would see...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. the lord--**evidently the steward's lord, so called in Lu 16:3, 5.
**commended, &c.--**not for his "injustice," but "because he had done wisely," or prudently; with commendable foresight and skilful adaptation of means to end.
**children of this world--**so Lu 20:34; compare Psa 17:14 ("their portion in this life"); Php 3:19 ("mind earthly things"); Psa 4:6, 7.
**their generation--*...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith</strong>—Jesus draws attention to His own interpretation of the parable. The phrase <em>ho kritēs tēs adikias</em> (ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας) literally means 'the judge of unrighteousness,' emphasizing his corrupt nature. The imperative <em>akousate</em> (ἀκούσατε) means 'hear and understand' the deeper lesson.<br><br>Jesus's commentary techn...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **The unjust judge.**—Literally, *the judge of injustice,* as with the unjust steward in Luke 16:8, the usual adjective giving way to the stronger, more Hebraic idiom of the characterising genitive.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. Make ... friends of--**Turn to your advantage; that is, as the steward did, "by showing mercy to the poor" (Da 4:27; compare Lu 12:33; 14:13, 14).
**mammon of unrighteousness--**treacherous, precarious. (See on Mt 6:24).
**ye fail--**in respect of life.
**they may receive you--**not generally, "ye may be received" (as Lu 6:38, "shall men give"), but "those ye have relieved may rise up a...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus applies the lesson: 'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?' This rhetorical question expects affirmative answer: of course God will avenge His elect! The term 'his own elect' (τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ, tōn eklektōn autou) refers to God's chosen people who 'cry day and night unto him' (βοώντων αὐτῷ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, boōntōn autō hē...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And shall not God avenge his own elect?**—There is at first something which jars on us in this choice of an extreme instance of human unrighteousness as a parable from which we are to learn the nature and the power of prayer. It is not as it was with the Unjust Steward, for there, according to the true interpretation of the parable, the unrighteous man stood for those who were relatively, at...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10. He, &c.--**a maxim of great pregnancy and value; rising from the prudence which the steward had to the fidelity which he had not, the "harmlessness of the dove, to which the serpent" with all his "wisdom" is a total stranger. Fidelity depends not on the amount entrusted, but on the sense of responsibility. He that feels this in little will feel it in much, and conversely.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →I tell you that he will avenge them speedily . Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
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KJV Study Commentary
The promise and question: 'I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?' Jesus promises: God 'will avenge them speedily' (ἐν τάχει, en tachei, quickly, soon). This seems to contradict 'bear long' (v. 7). The resolution: God's timing is 'speedy' from eternal perspective, though it may seem slow from human viewpoint. 'With t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith?**—The question implies, it is obvious, an answer in the negative. When St. Luke wrote his Gospel, men were witnessing a primary, though partial, fulfilment of the prophecy. Iniquity was abounding, and the love of many was waxing cold. And yet in one sense He was near, even at the doors (James 5:8-9), when men thought that the wheels of His cha...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-12. unrighteous mammon--**To the whole of this He applies the disparaging term "what is least," in contrast with "the true riches."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 18
Chapter Outline
The parable of the importunate widow.(1-8)
The Pharisee and the publican.(9-14)
Children brought to Christ.(15-17)
The ruler hindered by his riches.(18-30)
Christ foreshows his death.(31-34)
A blind man restored to sight.(35-43)
**Verses 1-8**
All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is...
Read full commentary →The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: that: or, as being righteous
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.</strong> This introduction to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector identifies the target audience and core issue Jesus addresses: self-righteousness and contempt for others. The Greek phrase "trusted in themselves" (<em>pepoithotas eph' heautois</em>, πεποιθότας ἐφ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Unto certain which trusted in themselves . . .**—Here, as above, the purpose of the parable is stated at the outset. It is, perhaps, open for us to think that isolated fragments of our Lord’s teaching, treasured up here and there in the memory of disciples, and written down in answer to St. Luke’s inquiries in the second stage of the growth of the Gospel records, would be likely to have such...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-12. unrighteous mammon--**To the whole of this He applies the disparaging term "what is least," in contrast with "the true riches."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-14**
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the ...
Read full commentary →Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican</strong>—Luke introduces the parable's stark contrast. The verb <em>anebēsan</em> (ἀνέβησαν) means 'went up,' reflecting Jerusalem's elevated position. <em>Pharisaios</em> (Φαρισαῖος) represented religious elite—separated ones devoted to Torah and tradition. <em>Telōnēs</em> (τελώνης) means tax collector,...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Went up into the temple.**—The peculiar form of the verb, “went *up,”* was strictly justified by the position of the Temple. It stood on what had been Mount Moriah, and rose high above the other buildings of the city.
**The one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.**—The two words would be more pictorially suggestive to the disciples than they are, at first, to us. They would see the Pharis...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13. can serve--**be entirely at the command of; and this is true even where the services are not opposed.
**hate ... love--**showing that the two here intended are in uncompromising hostility to each other: an awfully searching principle!
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-14**
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the ...
Read full commentary →The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men</strong>—the Greek phrase <em>pros heauton</em> (πρὸς ἑαυτόν) is devastating: 'with himself' or 'to himself.' His prayer never reaches God; it's self-congratulatory monologue. <em>Eucharistō soi</em> (εὐχαριστῶ σοι) means 'I thank you,' but his thanksgiving is comparison-based: <em>ouk eimi hōspe...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.**—A false stress has often been laid on the Pharisee’s attitude, as though his standing erect was in itself an indication of his self-righteous pride. But the publican also stood, and although another tense of the same verb is used, it is an over-subtle refinement to see this difference between the two forms. Standing was, indeed, with the Je...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-18. covetous ... derided him--**sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-14**
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the ...
Read full commentary →I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess</strong>—the Pharisee's resume of religious performance. <em>Nēsteuō dis tou sabbatou</em> (νηστεύω δὶς τοῦ σαββάτου) means 'I fast twice per week'—Mondays and Thursdays, beyond the single required annual fast (Day of Atonement). <em>Apodekatoō panta hosa ktōmai</em> (ἀποδεκατῶ πάντα ὅσα κτῶμαι)—'I tithe all that I acquire,' eve...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **I fast twice in the week.**—From the negative side of his self-analysis the Pharisee passes to the positive. The Stoic Emperor is a little less systematic, or rather groups his thanksgiving after a different plan, and, it must be owned, with a higher ethical standard. On the fasts of the Pharisees on the third and fifth days of the week, see Note on Matthew 6:16.
**I give tithes of all that...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-18. covetous ... derided him--**sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-14**
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the ...
Read full commentary →And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
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KJV Study Commentary
The tax collector's prayer exemplifies genuine repentance and saving faith through three elements: physical distance ('standing afar off'), acknowledging unworthiness (not lifting eyes to heaven), and honest confession (beating his breast). The Greek word 'hilaskomai' (be merciful) is the verb form of 'hilastērion' (propitiation/mercy seat), essentially praying 'be propitiated to me, the sinner.' ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **The publican, standing afar off.**—The words point to a sense of shame which kept the publican away from the crowd of worshippers who pressed forward to the ark-end of the outer court of the Temple—away, above all, from the devout and respectable Pharisee. So might some “forlorn and desperate castaway” crouch, at some solemn service, in the remote corner of the nave of a cathedral. He, too,...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-18. covetous ... derided him--**sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-14**
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the ...
Read full commentary →I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other</strong>—Jesus delivers the shocking verdict. <em>Dedikaiōmenos</em> (δεδικαιωμένος) means 'declared righteous,' the same justification language Paul uses (Romans 3-5). The tax collector, not the Pharisee, received God's favorable verdict. <em>Par' ekeinon</em> (παρ᾽ ἐκεῖνον)—'rather than the other'—makes the contr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **This man went down to his house, justified rather than the other.**—The Greek participle is in the perfect, implying a completed and abiding justification. There is something suggestive in the fact that the “house” is made the test in each case. Home-life is the test of the reality and acceptableness of our worship. The Pharisee, in spite of his self-fratulation, betrayed a conscience ill a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-18. covetous ... derided him--**sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 9-14**
This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the ...
Read full commentary →Jesus Blesses the Children
And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them</strong>—parents brought <em>brephe</em> (βρέφη), 'babies' or 'infants,' to Jesus <em>hina autōn haptētai</em> (ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται)—'that he might touch them' for blessing. The disciples <em>epetimōn autois</em> (ἐπετίμων αὐτοῖς)—'rebuked them,' thinking infants unworthy of the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15-17) **And they brought unto him also infants.**—See Notes on Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16. St. Luke, for some reason or other (possibly because he had recorded like teaching in Luke 16:18), omits the previous teaching as to divorce. The use of the specific word for “infants” is peculiar to him. The use of the word in Luke 1:41; Luke 1:44; Luke 2:12; Luke 2:16, where it is rendered “babe,” s...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-18. covetous ... derided him--**sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-17**
None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our...
Read full commentary →But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus rebukes disciples: 'Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.' The command 'suffer' (Greek 'aphete,' ἄφετε, allow, permit) and 'forbid them not' doubles the imperative—don't hinder children from Jesus. The reason follows: 'of such is the kingdom of God.' Children exemplify kingdom citizenship—humble, dependent, trusting, without pretense....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Suffer little children to come unto me.**—The close agreement with St. Mark in this and the following verse, makes it probable that this is one of the passages which St. Luke derived from personal communication with him. (See *Introduction.*)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. purple and fine linen, &c.--**(Compare Es 8:15; Re 18:12); wanting nothing which taste and appetite craved and money could procure.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-17**
None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our...
Read full commentary →Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein .
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein</strong>—Jesus uses the solemn formula <em>amēn legō hymin</em> (ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν), 'truly I tell you,' indicating critical importance. <em>Hos ean mē dexētai tēn basileian tou theou hōs paidion</em> (ὃς ἐὰν μὴ δέξηται τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς παιδίον)—'whoever does not rec...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20-21. laid--**having to be carried and put down.
**full of sores--**open, running, "not closed, nor bound up, nor mollified with ointment" (Is 1:6).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-17**
None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our...
Read full commentary →The Rich Young Ruler
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?</strong>—a <em>archōn tis</em> (ἄρχων τις), 'certain ruler,' approaches Jesus addressing Him as <em>didaskale agathe</em> (διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ), 'good teacher.' His question reveals tragic misunderstanding: <em>ti poiēsas zōēn aiōnion klēronomēsō</em> (τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω)—'what having ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18-23) **And a certain ruler asked him, . . .**—See Notes on Matthew 19:16-25; Mark 10:17-22. St. Luke alone describes the inquirer as a “ruler.” As used without any defining genitive, and interpreted by Luke 23:13; Luke 23:35, John 3:1; John 7:26; John 7:48, *et al.,* it seems to imply that he was a member of the Council or *Sanhedrin.* The term “youth,” in Matthew 19:20, is not at variance with...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20-21. laid--**having to be carried and put down.
**full of sores--**open, running, "not closed, nor bound up, nor mollified with ointment" (Is 1:6).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God</strong>—Jesus challenges the ruler's casual use of <em>agathos</em> (ἀγαθός), 'good.' <em>Ti me legeis agathon</em> (τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν)—'why do you call me good?' <em>Oudeis agathos ei mē heis ho theos</em> (οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός)—'no one is good except one, God.'<br><br>Jesus isn't denying ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Why callest thou me good?**—The agreement with St. Mark is again closer than with St. Matthew.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. died--**His burial was too unimportant to mention; while "the rich man died and was buried"--his carcass carried in pomp to its earthly resting-place.
**in to Abraham's bosom--**as if seen reclining next to Him at the heavenly feast (Mt 8:11).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother</strong>—Jesus quotes the Decalogue, specifically the second table (duties toward others) from Exodus 20. <em>Tas entolas oidas</em> (τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας)—'you know the commandments'—assumes the ruler's Torah education.<br><br>Jesus lists commandments ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **Thou knowest the commandments.**—St. Luke here agrees with St. Matthew in omitting the “defraud not,” which we find in St. Mark.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. in hell--**not the final place of the lost (for which another word is used), but as we say "the unseen world." But as the object here is certainly to depict the whole torment of the one and the perfect bliss of the other, it comes in this case to much the same.
**seeth Abraham--**not God, to whom therefore he cannot cry [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up</strong>—the ruler's confident claim: <em>tauta panta ephylaxa ek neotētos</em> (ταῦτα πάντα ἐφύλαξα ἐκ νεότητος)—'all these I have kept from youth.' <em>Ephylaxa</em> (ἐφύλαξα) means 'guarded,' 'observed,' 'kept carefully.' He's not lying or boasting—he genuinely believes he's maintained external conformity to the commandments since his ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **From my youth up.**—The detail may be noted as a point in common with St. Mark, as also is the omission of the question, “What lack I yet?” given in St. Matthew.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24. Father Abraham--**a well-founded, but unavailing, claim of natural descent (Lu 3:8; Joh 8:37).
**mercy on me--**who never showed any (Jas 2:3).
**send Lazarus--**the pining victim of his merciless neglect.
**that he may--**take me hence? No; that he dares not to ask.
**dip ... tongue--**that is the least conceivable and the most momentary abatement of his torment; that is all. But ev...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus tells the rich ruler: 'Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.' The ruler claimed to have kept all commandments (v. 21), but Jesus exposed the one thing missing—his wealth was his god. The command 'sell all' addresses this specific idol. 'Distribute unto the poor' demonstrates genuine conc...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Yet lackest thou one thing.**—It may be noted that the words almost imply the previous question, which has just been referred to.
**And come, follow me.**—St. Luke, with St. Matthew, omits the “taking up thy cross,” which is found in many, but not all, MSS. of St. Mark.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-26. Son--**stinging acknowledgment of the claimed relationship.
**thou ... Lazarus, &c.--**As it is a great law of God's kingdom, that the nature of our present desires shall rule that of our future bliss, so by that law, he whose "good things," craved and enjoyed, were all bounded by time, could look for none after his connection with time had come to an end (Lu 6:24). But by this law,...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich</strong>—Jesus's command to sell everything and follow Him (v. 22) produces <em>perilypos egenēthē</em> (περίλυπος ἐγενήθη)—'he became very sorrowful.' <em>Ēn gar plousios sphodra</em> (ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα)—'for he was extremely rich.' The <em>gar</em> (γάρ, 'for') reveals causation: his sorrow stems from his wealth.<br...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **He was very sorrowful.**—St. Luke’s word stands half-way between St. Matthew’s “sorrowing” and St. Mark’s vivid “lowering” or “frowning.” (See Note on Mark 10:22.)
**He was very rich.**—St. Luke’s equivalent for *he had great possessions.* There is, perhaps, something suggestive, especially on the view which has been taken as to the identity of the young ruler, and the purport of the parabl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25-26. Son--**stinging acknowledgment of the claimed relationship.
**thou ... Lazarus, &c.--**As it is a great law of God's kingdom, that the nature of our present desires shall rule that of our future bliss, so by that law, he whose "good things," craved and enjoyed, were all bounded by time, could look for none after his connection with time had come to an end (Lu 6:24). But by this law,...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!</strong>—<em>Idōn auton perilypon genomenon</em> (ἰδὼν αὐτὸν περίλυπον γενόμενον)—'seeing him become very sorrowful,' Jesus responds with sober warning. <em>Pōs dyskolōs hoi ta chrēmata echontes eisporeuontai eis tēn basileian tou theou</em> (πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήμ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24-27) **When Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful.**—See Notes on Matthew 19:23-26; Mark 10:23-27. The better MSS. give simply, “When Jesus saw him, He said . . .”
**How hardly shall they that have riches . . .**—Another verbal agreement with St. Mark.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-31. Then he said--**now abandoning all hope for himself.
**send him to my father's house, &c.--**no waking up of good in the heart of the lost, but bitter reproach against God and the old economy, as not warning him sufficiently [Trench]. The answer of Abraham is, They are sufficiently warned.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God</strong>—Jesus uses vivid, absurd imagery. <em>Eukopōteron gar estin kamēlon dia trēmatos belonēs eiselthein</em> (εὐκοπώτερον γάρ ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρήματος βελόνης εἰσελθεῖν)—'it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye.' <em>Kamēlos</em> (κάμηλος) is the largest anim...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Through a needle’s eye.**—The Greek word for “needle” in the better MSS. differs from that in St. Matthew and St. Mark, and is a more classical word. That which the others use was unknown to Attic writers. The fact, small as it is, takes its place among the signs of St. Luke’s culture.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-31. Then he said--**now abandoning all hope for himself.
**send him to my father's house, &c.--**no waking up of good in the heart of the lost, but bitter reproach against God and the old economy, as not warning him sufficiently [Trench]. The answer of Abraham is, They are sufficiently warned.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?</strong> This verse captures the disciples' astonishment at Jesus' statement about the difficulty of the rich entering God's kingdom. The Greek verb <em>akousantes</em> (ἀκούσαντες, "having heard") indicates they comprehended Jesus' radical teaching. Their question, <em>Tis dynatatai sōthēnai</em> (Τίς δύναται σωθῆναι, "Who is able to be ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **And they that heard it.**—St. Luke’s way of putting the fact suggests the thought either that others may have been present besides the disciples who are named in the other Gospels, or that only some of the disciples heard what had been said.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-31. Then he said--**now abandoning all hope for himself.
**send him to my father's house, &c.--**no waking up of good in the heart of the lost, but bitter reproach against God and the old economy, as not warning him sufficiently [Trench]. The answer of Abraham is, They are sufficiently warned.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.</strong> This verse is Jesus' response to the disciples' question, "Who then can be saved?" (verse 26) following His statement about the difficulty of the rich entering God's kingdom. The phrase "The things which are impossible with men" (<em>ta adynata para anthrōpois</em>, τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις) establishes ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **The things which are impossible with men.**—The answer is substantially the same as we find in the other Gospels, but it assumes in St. Luke something more of the form of a generalised axiom.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-31. Then he said--**now abandoning all hope for himself.
**send him to my father's house, &c.--**no waking up of good in the heart of the lost, but bitter reproach against God and the old economy, as not warning him sufficiently [Trench]. The answer of Abraham is, They are sufficiently warned.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Lo, we have left all, and followed thee</strong> (ἀφήκαμεν πάντα, aphēkamen panta)—Peter's declaration uses the aorist tense, emphasizing a definite past action of total abandonment. The Greek <em>panta</em> (all things) is comprehensive: boats, nets, tax booth, security, reputation. This follows Jesus's encounter with the rich ruler who couldn't leave his possessions, creating a stark con...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28-30) **Then Peter said, . . .**—See Notes on Matthew 19:27-30; Mark 10:28. The better MSS. have, “We have left our own (possessions).” “All” was probably substituted from a recollection of the words as found in the other reports.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27-31. Then he said--**now abandoning all hope for himself.
**send him to my father's house, &c.--**no waking up of good in the heart of the lost, but bitter reproach against God and the old economy, as not warning him sufficiently [Trench]. The answer of Abraham is, They are sufficiently warned.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake</strong>—Jesus validates sacrifice made <em>heneken tēs basileias</em> (for the kingdom's sake). The list (house, parents, siblings, wife, children) covers all earthly attachments. <em>Aphēken</em> (left) means subordinating to Christ. Discipleship may c...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **There is no man that hath left . . .**—There is possibly something characteristic in the omission of the “lands,” which we find in the other Gospels. To leave a “house” implied the breaking-up of the life of home and its relationships, but the companion of Paul and Barnabas might well have thought so little of parting with a “field,” as a simple possession (comp. Acts 1:18-19; Acts 4:34), t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting</strong>—Jesus promises double recompense. <em>Pollaplasiona</em> (manifold more) <em>en tō kairō toutō</em> (in this time): church as new family. <em>En tō aiōni tō erchomenō</em> (in the age to come): <em>zōēn aiōnion</em> (eternal life).<br><br>Jesus doesn't promise material wealth but re...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Who shall not receive manifold more.**—Note, as again, perhaps, characteristic, the omission of the essentially Jewish image of the “sitting on twelve thrones” in St. Matthew, of the clause “with persecutions,” in St. Mark, and of the words, “Many that are first shall be last . . .” which we find in both.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 17 Lu 17:1-10. Offenses--Faith--Humility.
1-2. (See Mt 18:6, 7).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 18-30**
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve b...
Read full commentary →Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Behold, we go up to Jerusalem</strong> (ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, idou anabainomen eis Ierousalēm)—This is Jesus's third and most detailed passion prediction in Luke. The present tense <em>anabainomen</em> (we are going up) conveys both immediacy and inevitability. Jerusalem sits at 2,500 feet elevation; 'going up' was literal, but also theological—the city where prophets die (13:33...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31-34) **Then he took unto him the twelve.**—See Notes on Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34. St. Luke, like St. Mark, passes over the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. The insertion of the reference to the prophecies of the Passion is, on the other hand, peculiar to him, and is, perhaps, connected with the prominence given to those prophecies in Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44-45.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 17 Lu 17:1-10. Offenses--Faith--Humility.
1-2. (See Mt 18:6, 7).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-34**
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1Pe 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mis...
Read full commentary →For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles</strong> (παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, paradothēsetai tois ethnesin)—The verb <em>paradidōmi</em> (to hand over, betray) appears throughout the passion narrative. Ironically, God's chosen people will deliver their Messiah to pagans for execution—a prophetic reversal. Roman crucifixion, a Gentile penalty, was considered so shameful that Jewish law forb...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles.**—The words are nearly the same as in the other Gospels, but the “spitefully entreated” is peculiar to St. Luke.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3-4. (See on Mt 18:15-17; Mt 18:21, 22).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-34**
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1Pe 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mis...
Read full commentary →And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They shall scourge him, and put him to death</strong> (μαστιγώσαντες ἀποκτενοῦσιν, mastigōsantes apoktenousin)—<em>Mastigoō</em> refers to the Roman <em>flagellum</em>, a whip embedded with bone and metal designed to flay flesh. Scourging often killed victims before crucifixion. <em>Apokteinō</em> (to kill) is blunt—Jesus doesn't euphemize His death.<br><br><strong>And the third day he sha...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3-4. (See on Mt 18:15-17; Mt 18:21, 22).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-34**
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1Pe 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mis...
Read full commentary →And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And they understood none of these things</strong> (καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐδὲν τούτων συνῆκαν, kai autoi ouden toutōn synēkan)—Despite Jesus's clarity, the disciples remain utterly uncomprehending. <em>Syniēmi</em> (to understand, comprehend) is negated by <em>ouden</em> (nothing, not at all). This isn't intellectual confusion but theological blindness—their Messianic expectations of earthly kingdom a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **They understood none of these things.**—The whole verse is peculiar to St. Luke, and reproduces what had been said before in Luke 9:45, where see Note. It is as though his professional habit of analysis led him to dwell on these psychological phenomena as explaining the subsequent bewilderment of the disciples, and their slowness to believe that their Lord had risen from the dead (Luke 24:1...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. Lord--**(See on Lu 10:1).
**increase our faith--**moved by the difficulty of avoiding and forgiving "offenses." This is the only instance in which a spiritual operation upon their souls was solicited of Christ by the Twelve; but a kindred and higher prayer had been offered before, by one with far fewer opportunities. (See on Mr 9:24.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-34**
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1Pe 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mis...
Read full commentary →Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>As he was come nigh unto Jericho</strong> (ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεριχώ, en tō engizein auton eis Ierichō)—Jericho, seventeen miles from Jerusalem, was the final stop before the arduous ascent. This sets the miracle just before Passion Week, creating theological symmetry: Jesus opens blind eyes before Jerusalem's leaders close theirs to His identity.<br><br><strong>A certain blind man s...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **As he was come nigh unto Jericho.**—Better, *as He was coming nigh.* See Notes on Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52. St. Luke, for some reason, passes over the ambitious request of the sons of Zebedee. He agrees with St. Mark, and not with St. Matthew, as to there being *one* blind man, and as to the miracle being wrought on the approach to Jericho, not on the departure from it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. sycamine--**mulberry. (See on Mr 11:22-24.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant</strong> (ἀκούσας ὄχλου διαπορευομένου ἐπυνθάνετο τί εἴη τοῦτο, akousas ochlou diaporeuomenou epynthaneto ti eiē touto)—Blindness heightens hearing; the beggar detects unusual commotion. The verb <em>diaporeuomai</em> (to pass through, travel past) in participle form emphasizes movement's immediacy—this is his moment. <em>Epynthaneto</e...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(36) **Hearing the multitude pass by.**—Better, *a multitude,* the Greek having no article, and its absence better expressing the vague impression left on the blind man by the sound of many footsteps and voices.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7-10. say unto him by and by--**The "by and by" (or rather "directly") should be joined not to the saying but the going: "Go directly." The connection here is: "But when your faith has been so increased as both to avoid and forgive offenses, and do things impossible to all but faith, be not puffed up as though you had laid the Lord under any obligations to you."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by</strong> (ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτῷ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος παρέρχεται, apēngeilan de autō hoti Iēsous ho Nazōraios parerchetai)—The crowd's answer is factual but minimal. <em>Apangellō</em> (to announce, report) conveys information without interpretation. They identify Jesus geographically—<strong>of Nazareth</strong> (ὁ Ναζωραῖος)—a designation of...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7-10. say unto him by and by--**The "by and by" (or rather "directly") should be joined not to the saying but the going: "Go directly." The connection here is: "But when your faith has been so increased as both to avoid and forgive offenses, and do things impossible to all but faith, be not puffed up as though you had laid the Lord under any obligations to you."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me</strong> (ἐβόησεν λέγων, Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με, eboēsen legōn, Iēsou huie Dauid, eleēson me)—<em>Boaō</em> (to cry out, shout) suggests loud, desperate calling. The blind man's theological confession is stunning: <strong>Son of David</strong> (υἱὲ Δαυίδ) was a Messianic title rooted in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and Isaiah 11:1-10. H...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7-10. say unto him by and by--**The "by and by" (or rather "directly") should be joined not to the saying but the going: "Go directly." The connection here is: "But when your faith has been so increased as both to avoid and forgive offenses, and do things impossible to all but faith, be not puffed up as though you had laid the Lord under any obligations to you."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>They which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace</strong> (οἱ προάγοντες ἐπετίμων αὐτῷ ἵνα σιωπήσῃ, hoi proagontes epetimōn autō hina siōpēsē)—<em>Proagō</em> (to go before) identifies Jesus's advance guard, likely disciples or prominent followers who control access. <em>Epitimaō</em> (to rebuke, charge sternly) is the verb used for silencing demons (4:35, 41)—they treat t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(39) **They which went before**—*viz.,* those who were in advance of Jesus; probably, if we suppose Mark 10:32 to represent the usual order, not the disciples, but a portion of the crowd. On “the Son of David,” see Note on Matthew 9:27.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7-10. say unto him by and by--**The "by and by" (or rather "directly") should be joined not to the saying but the going: "Go directly." The connection here is: "But when your faith has been so increased as both to avoid and forgive offenses, and do things impossible to all but faith, be not puffed up as though you had laid the Lord under any obligations to you."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him</strong> (σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν, statheis de ho Iēsous ekeleusen auton achthēnai pros auton)—<em>Statheis</em> (having stood, stopped) is decisive. Jesus halts the entire procession for one marginalized man. <em>Keleuō</em> (to command, order) carries authority—what the crowd tried to prevent, Jesus ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Lu 17:11-19. Ten Lepers Cleansed.
**11-13. through the midst of Samaria and Galilee--**probably on the confines of both.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?</strong> (Τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; Ti soi theleis poiēsō?)—Jesus's question seems obvious—a blind beggar wants sight. But <em>thelō</em> (to will, desire) requires articulation of desire, transforming vague hope into specific faith-request. The question dignifies the man: Jesus doesn't presume but asks, treating him as person with agency, not object o...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(41) **Lord, that I may receive my sight.**—As St. Luke uses “Lord” (*kyrie*) for St. Mark’s “Rabboni,” it may be inferred that he uses it in a somewhat higher sense than either of his two words for Master. (See Notes on Luke 5:5; Luke 8:24.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Lu 17:11-19. Ten Lepers Cleansed.
**11-13. through the midst of Samaria and Galilee--**probably on the confines of both.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee</strong> (Ἀνάβλεψον· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε, Anablepson; hē pistis sou sesōken se)—The aorist imperative <em>anablepson</em> (receive sight!) is instantaneous command, not gradual process. But the healing's cause is crucial: <strong>thy faith hath saved thee</strong> (ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε). The verb <em>sōzō</em> means both 'to heal' and 'to...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(42) **Thy faith hath saved thee.**—Better, as in St. Mark, *Thy faith hath made thee whole,* the immediate reference being obviously to the restoration of the man’s sight, and that which was in the immediate future being recognised as already ideally completed. Beyond this, as in the use of the same formula in Luke 7:50, there lies in the word a reference to the salvation, the healthiness of spir...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Lu 17:11-19. Ten Lepers Cleansed.
**11-13. through the midst of Samaria and Galilee--**probably on the confines of both.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And immediately he received his sight</strong> (καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνέβλεψεν, kai parachrēma aneblepsen)—<em>Parachrēma</em> (immediately, instantly, on the spot) emphasizes the miracle's instantaneous nature. The aorist tense <em>aneblepsen</em> (he saw) denotes completed action: darkness to sight in a moment. No gradual adjustment, no recovery period—immediate, total restoration demonstrating...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(43) **Glorifying God.**—The account of the effect of the miracle on the blind man himself, and on the people, is peculiar to St. Luke, and seems to belong to the class of phenomena which he loved to study (Luke 5:25-26; Luke 7:16; Acts 3:8; Acts 14:10-11).
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. show yourselves--**as cleansed persons. (See on Mt 8:4.) Thus too would the Samaritan be taught that "salvation is of the Jews" (Joh 4:22).
**as they went, were cleansed--**In how many different ways were our Lord's cures wrought, and this different from all the rest.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 35-43**
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we fo...
Read full commentary →