VIII. (1) AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTERWARD. — The last word is the same as that translated “in order,” in Luke 1:3, and is interesting as showing the continuance of St. Luke’s purpose to narrate events, so far as he could, in their exact sequence. He is the only writer in the New Testament who uses it... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CERTAIN WOMEN. — The words bring before us a feature in this period of our Lord’s ministry not elsewhere recorded, though implied in Luke 23:49. The Master and the disciples formed at this period one travelling company. When they arrived at town or village, they held what we, in the current Chur... [ Continue Reading ]
JOANNA, THE WIFE OF CHUZA. — Here again we have a convert of the upper class. The name was the feminine form of Joannes, and appears in modern languages abbreviated into Joanne, Joan, or Jane. Nothing further is known of Chuza — but the “steward” (the same word as in Matthew 20:8, and the “tutor” or... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN MUCH PEOPLE WERE GATHERED... — The narrative is less precise than that in St. Matthew. It is possible that the parable may have been repeated more than once.... [ Continue Reading ]
(5-15) A SOWER WENT OUT TO SOW. — See Notes on Matthew 13:3. Better, _the sower._ The vivid touch that the seed was “trodden down” is peculiar to St. Luke.... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON A ROCK. — Better, _upon the rock._ Note here also the use of a more accurate word than the “stony (or _rocky_) ground” of the other two reports, and the statement that it withered “because it lacked moisture.” This is obviously not without its force in the spiritual interpretation of the parabl... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THORNS SPRANG UP WITH IT. — Here again there is a distinctive feature. What made the thorns so fatal to the good seed was that they “grew with its growth, and strengthened with its strength,” and finally overpowered it.... [ Continue Reading ]
BARE FRUIT AN HUNDREDFOLD. — The graduated scale of fertility common to the other two reports is wanting in St. Luke, who dwells only on the highest.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT SEEING THEY MIGHT NOT... — St. Luke, like St. Mark, gives the words of Isaiah, but not as a quotation. On the difficulty presented by their form, as thus given, see Note on Mark 4:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD. — This takes the place in St. Luke’s interpretation of “the word of the kingdom” in St. Matthew. The “word of God” is obviously to be taken in its widest sense, as including every form by which a revelation from God is conveyed to the mind of man.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN COMETH THE DEVIL. — Note St. Luke’s use of this word instead of the “Satan” of St. Mark and “the wicked one” of St. Matthew, and his fuller statement of the purpose, “lest they should believe and be saved.”... [ Continue Reading ]
IN TIME OF TEMPTATION. — The form of the temptation (or better, _trial_) is explained by the “tribulation or persecution” of the other two reports. So St. Luke gives “fall away” where the others give “they are offended.”... [ Continue Reading ]
CARES AND RICHES AND PLEASURES OF THIS LIFE. — Better, simply, _of life,_ St. Luke’s word (_bios_) being different from that in the other two Gospels (_œon,_ a time, or period — and so used for “the world”). The insertion of “pleasures” is peculiar to St. Luke, as is also the specific “bring no frui... [ Continue Reading ]
IN AN HONEST AND GOOD HEART. — The Greek for “honest” has a somewhat higher meaning than that which now attaches to the English, and may be better expressed by _noble_ or _honourable._ The two adjectives were frequently joined together by Greek ethical writers (_kalok’agathos_)_,_ the nobly-good, an... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN, WHEN HE HATH LIGHTED A CANDLE. — Better, _a lamp;_ and for “a candlestick,” _the lampstand._ See Notes on Matthew 5:15; Mark 4:21. In St. Matthew the proverb comes into the Sermon on the Mount; in St. Mark it occupies a position analogous to that in which it stands here, and this agreement f... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR NOTHING IS SECRET. — Another of the maxims which were often in our Lord’s lips, and applied as circumstances presented themselves. In Matthew 10:26 (where see Note) it forms part of the charge to the twelve Apostles; here it follows on the interpretation of the parable of the Sower; in Luke 12:2... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE HEED THEREFORE HOW YE HEAR. — This again meets us in different contexts. Here and in Matthew 13:12 (where see Note), after the interpretation of the Sower; in Matthew 25:29, as the lesson of the parable of the Talents; in Luke 19:26, in an analogous position, as the lesson of the parable of the... [ Continue Reading ]
(19-21) THEN CAME TO HIM HIS MOTHER AND HIS BRETHREN. — See Notes on Matthew 12:46, and Mark 3:31. There cannot be any doubt that we have in those passages a report of the same incident; but it may be noted that St. Luke places it after the teaching by parables, and the other two Gospels before. In... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS TOLD HIM BY CERTAIN WHICH SAID,... — Better, more simply, _it was told Him._ Looking to the greater fulness of St. Mark’s report, we may, perhaps, infer that this was one of the facts which St. Luke learnt from St. Mark when they met at Rome. (See _Introduction._)... [ Continue Reading ]
MY MOTHER AND MY BRETHREN. — The answer agrees very closely with that in the other Gospels. But note the use of “the word of God,” instead of “the will of God” in St. Mark, and “the will of my Father” in St. Matthew, as throwing light on the meaning of the former phrase, and showing its fulness and... [ Continue Reading ]
IT CAME TO PASS ON A CERTAIN DAY. — See Notes on Matthew 8:18; Matthew 8:23, and Mark 4:35. Literally, _on one of the days._ The vagueness of St. Luke’s note of time, as compared with the more precise statements in St. Matthew (Matthew 8:18) and St. Mark (Mark 4:35), is perhaps characteristic of thi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE FELL ASLEEP. — The verb so rendered differs from the “was asleep” of the other Gospels, and this is the only place of the New Testament in which it occurs. It is a somewhat more technical word, and is so far -characteristic of the physician-historian. THEY WERE FILLED. — Better, _they were filli... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER, MASTER. — We note another characteristic feature of Luke’s phraseology. The Greek word (_epistatès_) which he, and he only, uses in the New Testament, is his equivalent, here and elsewhere, for the “Rabbi” or “Master” (_didaskalos_)_,_ in the sense of “teacher,” which we find in the other Go... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT MANNER OF MAN. — Better, _Who then is this?_ AND WATER. — Better, _and the water. _... [ Continue Reading ]
(26-39) AND THEY ARRIVED AT THE COUNTRY OF THE GADARENES. — See Notes on Matthew 8:28, and Mark 5:1. Here again St. Mark and St. Luke agree in their order, and differ from St. Matthew. The better MSS. give “Gerasenes” or “Gergesenes.” See Note on Matthew 8:28 for the localities. WHICH IS OVER AGAIN... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WARE NO CLOTHES. — The English is stronger than the Greek warrants. Better, _wore no cloak,_ or _outer garment._ (Comp. Note on Matthew 5:40.) Singularly enough, St. Luke is the only Evangelist who mentions this fact. It is as though he had taken pains to inquire whether this case of frenzied in... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH THEE? — Note the exact agreement with St. Mark’s report rather than St. Matthew’s, both as to there being but one demoniac, and as to the words used by him.... [ Continue Reading ]
DRIVEN OF THE DEVIL... — Better, _by the demon,_ to show that it is still the unclean spirit, and not the great Enemy, that is spoken of. INTO THE WILDERNESS. — The Greek word is plural, as in Luke 1:80; Luke 5:16. St. Luke, it may be noted, is the only writer who so uses it.... [ Continue Reading ]
LEGION. — Here again St. Mark and St. Luke agree.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GO OUT INTO THE DEEP. — Better, _into the abyss._ The word is not found in the other Gospels, and it clearly means, not the deep waters of the Galilean lake, but the pit, the “bottomless pit” of Revelation 9:1; Revelation 9:11. The man, identifying himself with the demons, asks for any doom rathe... [ Continue Reading ]
DOWN A STEEP PLACE. — Better, _down the cliff. _... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE COUNTRY. — Better, _in the farms._ The noun is in the plural, and is so rendered in Matthew 22:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS. — This feature is peculiar to St. Luke’s narrative. The demoniac was now in the same attitude of rapt attention as that in which we find afterwards Mary the sister of Lazarus (Luke 10:39).... [ Continue Reading ]
BY WHAT MEANS... — Better, _how;_ stress being laid on the manner rather than the instrumentality.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE TAKEN WITH GREAT FEAR. — Better, _they were oppressed. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY. — The city was, of course, according to the reading adopted, Gerasa, or Gadara.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JESUS WAS RETURNED. — The narrative implies that our Lord and His disciples re-crossed the lake from the eastern to the western shore, and that the crowd that waited belonged to Capernaum and the neighbouring towns.... [ Continue Reading ]
(41-56) AND, BEHOLD, THERE CAME A MAN NAMED JAIRUS. — See Notes on Matthew 9:18, and Mark 5:21. St. Luke’s narrative agrees with St. Mark’s more closely than with St. Matthew’s.... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT TWELVE YEARS OF AGE. — St. Luke, as with the precision of a practised writer, names the age at the beginning of the narrative, St. Mark incidentally (Mark 5:42) at its close.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER COULD BE HEALED OF ANY. — It is, perhaps, worth noting that while St. Luke records the failure of the physicians to heal the woman, he does not add, as St. Mark does, that she “rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26).... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER. — The same word as in Luke 8:24, where see Note.... [ Continue Reading ]
SOMEBODY HATH TOUCHED ME. — What St. Mark gives historically as a fact, St. Luke reports as uttered by our Lord Himself. THAT VIRTUE IS GONE OUT OF ME. — See Note on Mark 5:30. To St. Luke the word was probably familiar as a technical term.... [ Continue Reading ]
GO IN PEACE. — See Note on Luke 7:50.... [ Continue Reading ]
BELIEVE ONLY. — There is a slight difference in the shade of meaning of the Greek tense as compared with the like command in St. Mark’s report, the latter giving “Believe” as implying a permanent state — _Be believing_ — St. Luke’s report laying stress on the immediate act of faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAVE PETER, AND JAMES, AND JOHN. — It will be noticed that St. Luke agrees with St. Mark in giving the names; St. Matthew omits them. St. Mark, however, states more definitely that none others were allowed even to go with Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL WEPT, AND BEWAILED HER. — Better, _all were weeping and bewailing her. _... [ Continue Reading ]
HER SPIRIT CAME AGAIN. — The precise form of expression is peculiar to St. Luke, and is, perhaps, characteristic of the more accurate phraseology that belonged to him as a physician.... [ Continue Reading ]