ZACCHEUS THE PUBLICAN. The incident is peculiar to Luke, and is a proof of independence. ‘The fundamental idea of Luke's Gospel demanded that the favor shown to the rich publican should not be omitted. Matthew and Mark are so intent upon depicting the great procession to the feast in its unity, that... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:1. AND JESUS. The E. V. supplies ‘Jesus.' WAS PASSING THROUGH JERICHO. He had not yet passed entirely through, when He met Zaccheus. Hence it is not necessary to suppose that the house of Zaccheus was outside the city, on the way to Jerusalem. On Jericho, see Matthew 20:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:2. ZACCHEUS. The name is the Hebrew word meaning ‘pure,' with a Greek ending attached to it. He was therefore of Jewish origin (comp. Luke 19:9). A CHIEF PUBLICAN. Probably the superintendent of the ordinary tax-gatherers. The practice of farming out the revenues to the Roman knights encou... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:3. WHO HE WAS, or ‘which (among the crowd) was He.' Zaccheus had heard of Jesus, but had never seen Him. His curiosity alone is mentioned here; but some better motive, however ill-defined to himself, undoubtedly influenced him. COULD NOT FOR THE CROWD. He had tried, but failed because of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:4. SAN ON BEFORE. An evidence of great desire, especially in a man of wealth. A SYCAMORE TREE. The Egyptian fig tree, resembling in many respects the mulberry tree. Not identical with ‘sycamine' (chap. Luke 17:6), and altogether different from the modern sycamore. The derivation of the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:5. LOOKED UP, AND SAID. The correct reading brings out more strikingly the recognition of Zaccheus by our Lord. The knowledge of his name is less remarkable than the knowledge of his heart. Previous acquaintance is out of the question (comp. Luke 19:3). Some suppose that the man well known i... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:6. JOYFULLY. The curiosity was not a vain one; the presence and words of our Lord had wrought their appropriate effect.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:7. THEY ALL MURMURED. Scarcely the disciples, but the crowd of Jews, among whom doubtless were many priests, since Jericho was a priestly city. TO LODGE. Not necessarily to remain over night. The same word occurs in this sense in John 1:39, but the time of day is there specified, to show t... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:8. AND ZACCHEUS STOOD. The same word as in chap. Luke 18:11. Here it implies that he came forward and took a stand, in a formal way with joyful decision. This probably took place shortly after our Lord had entered the house. THE HALF OF MY GOODS I GIVE TO THE POOR. It is improbable that Za... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:9. SALVATION, in the fullest sense. FORASMUCH AS (the older editions of the E. V. read: ‘forsomuch as'). The reason salvation had come was, that HE ALSO, as well as the other Jews, who despised him as a sinner (Luke 19:7), was a SON OF ABRAHAM, having now availed himself of his rights as a... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:10. FOR, etc. Comp. Matthew 18:11, which the best authorities omit. TO SEEK, as a shepherd, comp. chap. Luke 15:4. It was ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel' to whom the Lord was sent (Matthew 15:24). Zaccheus was one of these, and acknowledging himself as such received the Master who... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN POUNDS. Probably spoken in the house of Zaccheus. The parable resembles that of the ‘talents' (Matthew 25:14-30) sufficiently to make the careless reader confound the two, but the distinction between them is marked, and the theory which identifies them is inconsistent with the... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:11. HEARD THESE THINGS, _i.e.,_ the conversation with Zaccheus. The parable was spoken in the house, probably from the open room looking into the court, where a good part of the multitude that had followed Him (Luke 19:3), had doubtless remained and murmured (Luke 19:7). To them the parable... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:12. THEREFORE, with this purpose, in view of this improper expectation. A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN. This ‘well-born' man represents the Lord Jesus; an indirect intimation of His kingly descent and dignity. WENT INTO A FAR COUNTRY, etc. The journey was to the residence of the supreme authority. A... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:13. TEN SERVANTS OF HIS. The number is given here, but not in the other parable; comp. the _ten_ virgins, Matthew 25:1. TEN POUNDS, or, ‘minæ.' To each one; not to each ‘according to his several ability' (Matthew 25:5). In the other case the man is represented as committing his whole prope... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:14. BUT HIS CITIZENS. His fellow-citizens. Peculiar to this form of the parable. HATED HIM. No reason is assigned for their hatred, which is the sole motive of their action. The world hates our Lord unreasonably, and therefore opposes Him. AN EMBASSY. This was sent to the supreme authori... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:15. HAVING RECEIVED THE KINGDOM. In spite of hostility, He returned as king; as our Lord will. HE COMMANDED THESE SERVANTS TO BE CALLED, etc. This first, before the judgment upon his enemies. The same order is suggested in regard to our Lord's return (comp. Matthew 13:41; Matthew 13:49; Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:16. THY POUND; not ‘I have gained' (Matt.). In the latter case, the trust was according to ability, here it was the same in every case; there the gain was proportioned to the trust, but here there was no such proportion; hence the more modest answer. This also favors the view which interpret... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:17. IN A VERY LITTLE. The ‘pound' was a very small sum. High as the ministerial office is relatively in this world, in the other (and in comparison with the ‘talents' even here) it is ‘very little;' certainly is not the sole channel of blessing to the church. TEN CITIES. The reward corresp... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:19. FIVE CITIES. The reward is proportioned to the gain; the commendation is omitted here. In Matthew it is repeated; there the gain was in each case proportioned to the trust.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:20. IN A NAPKIN. It is asserted that the Jews frequently used this for such a purpose. This refers to idleness in office.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:21. The excuse is substantially the same as in Matthew 25:24-25. AUSTERE, ‘hard' (Matthew.).... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:22. OUT OF THY MOUTH, etc. On your own statement.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:23. INTO THE BANK, or, ‘a bank.' The latter form opposes the view that the ‘bank' represents the Church, and the putting of the pound there as resignation of the office.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:25. AND THEY, _i.e.,_ the by-standers in the parable, not in the house of Zaccheus, SAID UNTO HIM. This expression of surprise was probably introduced to bring out the answer of the King in Luke 19:26, on which see Matthew 13:12; Matthew 25:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:27. BUT (= but in addition to this sentence) THESE MINE ENEMIES. Still the language of the king to the attending officers. SLAY THEM BEFORE ME. This strong expression sets forth the hopelessness and severity of the punishment which shall fall upon those who oppose Christ as King. It did no... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke agrees closely with the other Evangelists in the account of the entry to Jerusalem. He mentions in addition a murmur of the Pharisees and our Lord's reply (Luke 19:39-40), as well as the fact that He wept over the city (Luke 19:41-42); and then, after the cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:45-46)... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:29. AND WHEN HE HAD THUS SPOKEN, etc. On the afternoon of Friday, the 8th of Nisan. He could reach the neighborhood of Bethany before sundown.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:29-38. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. See on Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; John xii 12-19.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:30. AND IT CAME TO PASS. This leaves room for the intervening events in Bethany on Saturday evening, at the house of Simon the leper. Hence we begin a paragraph here. HIGH TO BETHPHAGE AND BETHANY. The village nearest Jerusalem is mentioned first (so Mark).... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:31. THE VILLAGE OVER AGAINST YOU. Bethphage, as we think.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:33. THE OWNERS. Peculiar to Luke, but fairly implied in Mark 11:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:34. The best authorities insert after THEY SAID a word which may either be a sign of quotation, or mean ‘because.' The last clause of Luke 19:31 corresponds exactly, and the translation must be the same in both cases, though the sense is not affected.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:37. AT THE DESCENT OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. On the brow of the hill, as Jerusalem came in sight. A fitting place for the culmination of their enthusiasm. ALL THE MIGHTY WORKS, etc. All the miracles performed on this journey, but doubtless with special reference to the raising of Lazarus, fr... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:38. PEACE IN HEAVEN, AND GLORY IN THE HIGHEST. Here Luke, by a poetic parallelism, paraphrases the ‘Hosanna' mentioned by the other Evangelists. Luke 19:39-40. THE MURMUR OF THE PHARISEES. Peculiar to Luke. SOME OF THE PHARISEES FROM THE MULTITUDE, etc. Evidently not of His DISCIPLES, who... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:41. AND WHEN HE DREW NIGH, SEEING THE CITY. Tradition, assuming that our Lord took the direct road, over the summit of the Mount of Olives, points out the spot as half-way down the western slope. But it is more probable that the road taken was the main or southern one, passing between two pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:41-44. OUR LORD WEEPS OVER JERUSALEM. This incident is related by Luke alone, although similar to Matthew 23:37-39.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:42. IF THOU HADST KNOWN. The pathetic expression of a fruitless wish. IN THIS DAY. That day of entry is meant, as concentrating in itself all the intimations and proofs of His Messiahship, and becoming a direct offer of Himself for their acceptance; comp. ‘the time of thy visitation' (Luke... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:43. FOR. This introduces a prophetic proof that these things _were_ hidden; and is also ‘the awful reason for the fervent wish just expressed' (Alford). Because our Lord knew that the judgment was inevitable, He voices His sorrow not only in loud weeping but in this pathetic unavailing wish.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:44. SHALL DASH TO THE GROUND THEE. The word here used has this sense in the LXX., and it is more appropriate here, since it is applied to THY CHILDREN WITHIN THEE. The ‘children' are the inhabitants, not merely infants; the city, which has been personified throughout, is conceived of as a mo... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:45-46. THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE. This took place on Monday; see notes on Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17. This is the briefest account, with no peculiarities.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 19:47-48. OUR LORD'S CLOSING LABORS IN THE TEMPLE. DAILY (comp. chap. Luke 21:37). On Monday and Tuesday. On the last named day, He solemnly and formally took leave of the temple; see on Matthew 24:1. THE CHIEF MEN OF THE PEOPLE. The worldly aristocracy in distinction from the common people... [ Continue Reading ]