CHAPTER VII. _Christ heals the servant of a centurion, who is commended_ _for his faith_, 1-10. _Raises a widow's son to life at Nain_, 11-17. _John Baptist hears of his fame, and sends two of his disciples_ _to inquire whether he was the Christ_, 18-23. _Christ's character of John_, 24-30. _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:2. _A CERTAIN CENTURION'S SERVANT_] See this miracle explained on Matthew 8:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:3. _ELDERS OF THE JEWS_] These were either _magistrates_ in the place, or the _elders_ of the _synagogue_ which the centurion had built, Luke 7:5. He sent these, probably, because he was afraid to come to Christ himself, not being a Jew, either by nation or religion. In the parallel pla... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:5. _HE LOVETH OUR NATION_] He is a warm friend to the Jews; and has given a full proof of his affection to them in building them a synagogue. This he had done at his own proper charges; having no doubt employed his own men in the work.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:10. _FOUND THE SERVANT WHOLE_] This cure was the effect of the _faith, prayer_, and _humility_ of the centurion, through which the almighty energy of Jesus Christ was conveyed to the sick man. But these very graces in the centurion were the products of grace. It is God himself who, by... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:11. _NAIN_] A small city of Galilee, in the tribe of Issachar. According to Eusebius, it was two miles from Mount Tabor, southward; and near to Endor.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:12. _CARRIED OUT_] The Jews always buried their dead _without_ the city, except those of the family of David. No burying places should be tolerated _within_ cities or towns; much less in or about _churches_ and _chapels_. This custom is excessively injurious to the inhabitants; and espe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:16. _GOD HATH VISITED HIS PEOPLE._] Several MSS. and versions add, εις αγαθον, _for good_. Sometimes God visited his people in the way of judgment, to consume them in their transgressions; but it was now plain that he had visited them in the most tender compassion and mercy. This seems... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:18. _THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN SHOWED HIM_, c.] It is very likely that John's disciples attended the ministry of our Lord at particular times and this, we may suppose, was a common case among the disciples of different Jewish teachers. Though bigotry existed in its most formidable shape bet... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:19. _ART THOU HE THAT SHOULD COME?_] That is, _to save_. Art thou the promised Messiah? Matthew 11:3. Some have thought that this character of our Lord, ο ερχομενος, _he who cometh_, refers to the prophecy of Jacob, Genesis 49:10, where he is called שילה _Shiloh_, which _Grotius_ and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:21. _INFIRMITIES AND PLAGUES_] The following judicious note from Bp. PEARCE is worthy of deep attention: "Luke mentions here νοσοι, μαϚιγες, _leprosias_, and πνευματα πονηρα, i.e. diseases or ill habits of body, sores or lamenesses, and evil spirits: from whence we may conclude that _ev... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:22. See these verses explained at large on Matthew 11:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _JUSTIFIED GOD_] Or, _declared God to be just _- εδικαιωσαν τον Θεον. The sense is this: John preached that the Divine wrath was coming upon the Jews, from which they might flee by repentance, Luke 3:7. The Jews, therefore, who were baptized by him, with the baptism of repentance, did the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD_] Or, _frustrated the will _ _of God _- την βουλην του Θεου ηθετησαν. _Kypke_ says the verb αθετειν has two meanings: - 1, to _disbelieve_; 2, _despise_, or _disobey_: and that both senses may be properly conjoined here. The will of God was that all the inhabit... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _AND THE LORD SAID_] Almost every MS. of authority and importance, with most of the _versions_, omit these words. As the _Evangelistaria_ (the books which contained those portions of the Gospels which were read in the Churches) began at this verse, the words were probably at first used by... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _THEY ARE LIKE UNTO CHILDREN_] See on Matthew 11:16. It is probable that our Lord alludes here to some _play_ or _game_ among the Jewish children, no account of which is now on record.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED_, c.] Probably the _children of_ _wisdom_ is a mere Hebraism here for the _products_ or _fruits of_ _wisdom_ hence the _Vatican_ MS., one other, and some _versions_, have εργων, _works_, instead of τεκνων, _sons_, in the parallel place, Matthew 11:19. True wisdom shows... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _ONE OF THE PHARISEES_] Called _Simon_, Luke 7:40. This account is considered by many critics and commentators to be the same with that in Matthew 26:6, c., Mark 14:3 and John 12:3. This subject is considered pretty much at large in the notes on Matthew 26:6, c., to which the reader is req... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _A WOMAN - WHICH WAS A SINNER_] Many suppose that this woman had been a _notorious public prostitute_; but this is taking the subject by the very _worst_ handle. My own opinion is, that she had been a _mere heathen_ who dwelt in this city, (probably Capernaum,) who, through the ministry o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _STOOD AT HIS FEET BEHIND HIM_] In taking their meals, the eastern people reclined on one side; the loins and knees being bent to make the more room, the feet of each person were turned outwards behind him. This is the meaning of _standing BEHIND at his_ _FEET_. _BEGAN TO WASH HIS FEET WI... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 41. _A CERTAIN CREDITOR_, c.] It is plain that in this parable our Lord means, by the _creditor_, GOD, and, by the _two_ _debtors, Simon_ and the _woman_ who was present. _Simon_, who had the light of the _law_, and who, in consequence of his profession as a _Pharisee_, was obliged to abstain... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 42. _WHICH OF THEM WILL LOVE HIM MOST?_] Which is under the greater _obligation_ and _should_ love him most?... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 43. He _TO WHOM HE FORGAVE MOST._] By this acknowledgment he was, unknowingly to himself, prepared to receive our Lord's reproof.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 44. _THOU GAVEST ME NO WATER_] In this respect Simon was sadly deficient in _civil_ respect, whether this proceeded from _forgetfulness_ or _contempt_. The custom of giving water to wash the guest's feet was very ancient. See instances in Genesis 18:4; Genesis 24:32; Judges 19:21; 1 Samuel 25:... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 45. _SINCE THE TIME I CAME IN_] Rather, _Since the time SHE_ _came in_, αφ' ἡς εισηλθεν, not εισηλθον, I _came in_, for it is clear from Luke 7:37 that the woman came in _after_ Christ, having heard that he was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's house. The reading which I have adopted is suppo... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 46. _MY HEAD WITH OIL THOU DIDST NOT ANOINT_] _Anointing_ the head with oil was as common among the Jews as _washing_ the face with _water_ is among us. See Ruth 3:3; 2 Samuel 12:20; 2 Samuel 14:2; 2 Kings 4:2; and Psalms 23:5, where the author alludes to the Jewish manner of receiving and ent... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:47. _FOR SHE LOVED MUCH_] Or, _THEREFORE she loved much_. It appears to have been a consciousness of God's forgiving love that brought her at this time to the Pharisee's house. In the common translation her forgiveness is represented to be the _consequence_ of her loving much, which is... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:48. _THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN._] He gave her the fullest assurance of what he had said before to Simon, (Luke 7:47), _Thy sins are forgiven_. While the _Pharisee_ murmured, the poor _penitent_ rejoiced.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Luke 7:50. _THY FAITH HATH SAVED THEE_] Thy _faith_ hath been the _instrument_ of receiving the _salvation_ which is promised to those who _repent_. _Go in peace_. Though peace of conscience be the inseparable consequence of the pardon of sin, yet here it seems to be used as a _valediction_ o... [ Continue Reading ]