Luke
From the Original 1599 Geneva Bible Notes
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Lu 1:1
1:1 Forasmuch as {1} many
have {a} taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things
which are most surely believed among us,
(1) Luke commends the
witnesses that saw this present account.
(a) Many took it in hand, but did not perform: Luke wrote his gospel before
Matthew and Mark.
Lu 1:2
1:2 {b} Even as they
delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and
ministers of the word;
(b) Luke was not any eye
witness, and therefore it was not he to whom the Lord appeared when Cleopas
saw him: and he was taught not only by Paul, but by others of the apostles
also.
Lu 1:3
1:3 It seemed good to me
also, having had perfect understanding of all things {c} from the very first,
to write unto thee in order, {d} most excellent Theophilus,
(c) Luke began his gospel a
great deal further in the past than the others did.
(d) It is "most mighty", and therefore Theophilus was a very honourable man,
and in a place of great dignity.
Lu 1:4
1:4 That thou mightest {e}
know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Lu 1:5
1:5 There {2} was {f} in the
days of {g} Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of
the {h} course of Abia: and his wife [was] of the daughters of Aaron, and her
name [was] Elisabeth.
(2) John, who was another
Elias and appointed to be the herald of Christ, coming from the family of
Aaron, and of two famous and blameless parents, has shown in his conception
(which was against the course of nature) a double miracle, to the end that
men should be more readily prepared for the hearing of his preaching,
according to the forewarning of the prophets.
(f) This is a Hebrew idiom which shows us how short and frail a thing the
power of princes is.
(g) Herod the great.
(h) For the posterity of Aaron was divided into courses.
Lu 1:6
1:6 And they were both {i}
righteous before God, {k} walking in all the {l} commandments and ordinances
of the Lord {m} blameless.
(i) The true mark of
righteousness is demonstrated when one is liked and accepted in the judgment
of God.
(k) Lived, as the Hebrews say, for our life is as a way in which we must
walk until we come to the mark.
(l) In all the moral and ceremonial law.
(m) Whom no man could justly reprove: now so it is that the fruits of
justification are set forth here, and not the cause, which is faith only,
and nothing else.
Lu 1:9
1:9 According to the custom
of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the {n}
temple of the Lord.
(n) The temple was one, and
the court another, for Zacharias went out of the court (or outward room)
where all the people were (and therefore they are said to be without) and
into the temple.
Lu 1:15
1:15 For he shall be great in
the {o} sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor {p} strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
(o) So the Hebrews say when
a rare kind of excellency is signified: so it is said of Nimrod in Ge 10:9 ,
"He was a mighty hunter before the LORD".
(p) Any drink that might make someone drunk.
Lu 1:16
1:16 And many of the children
of Israel shall he {q} turn to the Lord their God.
(q) Shall be a means to
bring many to repentance, and they will turn themselves to the Lord, from
whom they fell.
Lu 1:17
1:17 And he shall go {r}
before him {s} in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the {t} hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the {u} wisdom of the just; to
make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
(r) As they used to go
before kings, and when you see them, you know the king is not far off.
(s) This is spoken by the figure of speech metonymy, taking the spirit for
the gift of the spirit; as you would say, the cause of that which comes from
the cause.
(t) By the figure of speech synecdoche he shows that he will take away all
types of enmities which used to breed great troubles and turmoils among men.
(u) Wisdom and goodness are two of the main causes which make men revere and
honour their fathers.
Lu 1:19
1:19 And the angel answering
said unto him, I am Gabriel, {x} that stand in the presence of God; and am
sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
(x) That appears, for so
the Hebrews use this saying "to stand" to mean that they are ready to do his
commandment.
Lu 1:26
1:26 {3} And in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth,
(3) The angel, serving the
Lord who would be born, is sent to the virgin Mary, in whom the son of the
most high promised to David is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lu 1:27
1:27 To a virgin espoused to
a man whose name was Joseph, of the {y} house of David; and the virgin's name
[was] Mary.
(y) The same can be said of
Mary, otherwise Christ would not have been of the stock of David, nor his
son.
Lu 1:28
1:28 And the angel came in
unto her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] {z} highly favoured, the Lord [is]
with thee: {a} blessed [art] thou among women.
(z) It might be literally
rendered, "full of favour and grace", and he shows immediately after, laying
out plainly unto us, what that favour is in that he says, "The Lord is with
thee".
(a) Of God.
Lu 1:29
1:29 And when she saw [him],
she was {b} troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of
salutation this should be.
Lu 1:30
1:30 And the angel said unto
her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast {c} found favour with God.
(c) So the Hebrews said,
saying that those men have found favour who are in favour.
Lu 1:32
1:32 He shall be great, and
shall be {d} called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David:
(d) He will be declared to
be so, for he was the Son of God from everlasting, but was made manifest in
the flesh in his time.
Lu 1:34
1:34 Then said Mary unto the
angel, {e} How shall this be, seeing {f} I know not a man?
(e) The greatness of the
matter causes the virgin to ask this question, not that she distrusted by
any means at all, for she asks only of the manner of the conceiving, so that
it is plain she believed all the rest.
(f) So speak the Hebrews, signifying by this modest kind of speech the
company of man and wife together, and this is the meaning of it: how will
this be, for as I will be Christ's mother I am very sure I will not know any
man: for the godly virgin had learned by the prophets that the Messiah would
be born of a virgin.
Lu 1:35
1:35 And the angel answered
and said unto her, The Holy Ghost {g} shall come upon thee, and the power of
the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that {h} holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be {i} called the Son of God.
(g) That is, the Holy
Spirit will cause thee to conceive by his mighty power.
(h) That thing which is pure and void of all spot of uncleanliness: for he
that was to take away sin must of necessity be void of sin.
(i) Declared and shown to the world to be the Son of God.
Lu 1:36
1:36 And, behold, thy {k}
cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is
the {l} sixth month with her, who was called barren.
(k) Though Elisabeth was of
the tribe of Levi, yet it was possible for her to be Mary's cousin: for
whereas it was forbidden by the Law for maidens to be married to men of
other tribes, there was an exception among the Levites, who could take for
themselves wives out of any tribe: for the Levites had no portion allotted
to them when the land was divided among the people.
(l) This is now the sixth month from the time when she conceived.
Lu 1:39
1:39 {4} And Mary arose in
those days, and went into the {m} hill country with haste, into a {n} city of
Juda;
(4) Elisabeth being many
months pregnant with John, and Mary being pregnant with Christ, do rejoice
for each other by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
(m) Which is on the south side of Jerusalem.
(n) That is to say, Hebron: which was in times past called Kirjatharba:
which was one of the towns that were given to the Levites in the tribe of
Judah, and is said to be in the mountains of Judah; Jos 14:15; 21:11 .
Lu 1:41
1:41 And it came to pass,
that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe {o} leaped in her
womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
Lu 1:42
1:42 And she spake out with a
loud voice, and said, Blessed [art] thou among women, and {p} blessed [is] the
fruit of thy womb.
Lu 1:46
1:46 {5} And Mary said, My
soul doth magnify the Lord,
(5) Christ, the redeemer of
the afflicted and revenger of the proud, promised long ago to the fathers,
is now finally exhibited indeed.
Lu 1:48
1:48 For he hath {q} regarded
the {r} low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all
generations shall call me blessed.
(q) Has freely and
graciously loved.
(r) Literally, "My baseness", that is, my base estate: so that the virgin
did not boast of her deserts, but the grace of God.
Lu 1:50
1:50 And his mercy [is] on
them {s} that fear him from generation to generation.
(s) To those that live
godly and religiously, as the Hebrews say.
Lu 1:51
1:51 He hath shewed strength
with his {t} arm; he hath {u} scattered the proud in the {x} imagination of
their hearts.
(t) Here many more words
than necessary are used, which the Hebrews use very much: and "arm" here is
taken for strength.
(u) Even as the wind does to the chaff.
(x) He has scattered them, and the imagination of their hearts; or, by and
through the imagination of their own hearts; so that their wicked counsel
turned to their own destruction.
Lu 1:52
1:52 He hath {y} put down the
mighty from [their] seats, and exalted them of {z} low degree.
(y) The mighty and rich
men.
(z) Those of no account, who are vile in men's eyes, who are indeed the poor
in spirit, that is, those who claim nothing of themselves in the sight of
God.
Lu 1:53
1:53 He hath filled the {a}
hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
Lu 1:54
1:54 {b} He hath holpen his
servant Israel, in remembrance of [his] mercy;
(b) He has helped Israel up
with his arm, who had been completely cast down.
Lu 1:55
1:55 As he {c} spake to our
fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Lu 1:57
1:57 {6} Now Elisabeth's full
time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
Lu 1:65
1:65 And fear came on all
that dwelt round about them: and all {d} these sayings were noised abroad
throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
Lu 1:66
1:66 And all they that heard
[them] {e} laid [them] up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall
this be! And the {f} hand of the Lord was with him.
(e) Thought upon them
diligently and earnestly, and as it were, printed them in their hearts.
(f) That is, the present favour of God, and a singular type of virtue
appeared in him.
Lu 1:67
1:67 {7} And his father
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
(7) John, having just been
born, by the authority of the Holy Spirit is appointed to his office.
Lu 1:68
1:68 Blessed [be] the Lord
God of Israel; for he hath {g} visited and {h} redeemed his people,
(g) That he has shown
himself mindful of his people, to the extent that he came down from heaven
himself to visit us in person, and to redeem us.
(h) Has paid the ransom, that is to say, the price of our redemption.
Lu 1:69
1:69 And hath raised up an {i}
horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
(i) This word "horn", in
the Hebrew language, signifies strength, and it is a metaphor taken from
beasts that fight with their horns: And by raising up the might of Israel is
meant that the kingdom of Israel was defended, and the enemies of it laid on
the ground, even then when the strength of Israel seemed to be utterly gone.
Lu 1:72
1:72 To perform the mercy
[promised] to our fathers, and {k} to remember his holy covenant;
Lu 1:75
1:75 In holiness and
righteousness {l} before him, all the days of our life.
Lu 1:76
1:76 And thou, {m} child,
shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face
of the Lord to prepare his ways;
Lu 1:77
1:77 To {n} give knowledge of
salvation unto his people by the {o} remission of their sins,
Lu 1:78
1:78 Through the tender mercy
of our God; whereby the {p} dayspring from on high hath visited us,
(p) Or "bud", or "branch";
he alludes to Jer 23:5 Zec 3:8 6:12 ; and he is called a bud from on high,
that is, sent from God unto us, and not as other buds which bud out of the
earth.
Lu 1:79
1:79 To give light to them
that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the
{q} way of peace.
Lu 2:1
2:1 And {1} it came to pass
in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the
{a} world should be {b} taxed.
(1) Christ, the son of God,
taking upon himself the form of a servant, and making himself of no
reputation, is poorly born in a stable: and by the means of Augustus, the
mightiest prince in the world, (thinking nothing of it) has his cradle
prepared in Bethlehem, as the prophets foretold.
(a) As far as the empire of the Romans stretched.
(b) That is, the inhabitants of every city should have their names recorded,
and their goods rated at a certain value, that the emperor might understand
how rich every country, city, family, and house was.
Lu 2:4
2:4 And Joseph also went up
from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the {c} city of
David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of
David:)
Lu 2:8
2:8 {2} And there were in the
same country shepherds {d} abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
flock by night.
(2) The angels themselves
declare to poor shepherds (not at all regarding the pride of the mighty) the
Godhead and office of the child lying in the crib.
(d) Living outside, and in the open air.
Lu 2:9
2:9 And, lo, the angel of the
Lord {e} came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and
they were sore afraid.
(e) Came suddenly upon
them, when they were not at all thinking about such a matter.
Lu 2:13
2:13 And suddenly there was
with the angel {f} a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
(f) Whole armies of angels,
who compass the majesty of God round about, just as soldiers, as it were.
Lu 2:14
2:14 Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, {g} good will toward men.
(g) God's ready, good,
infinite, and gracious favour towards men.
Lu 2:21
2:21 {3} And when eight days
were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called
JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
(3) Christ, the head of the
Church, made subject to the law in order to deliver us from the curse of the
law (as the name of Jesus well declares) being circumcised, ratifies and
seals in his own flesh the circumcision of the flesh.
Lu 2:22
2:22 {4} And when the days of
{h} her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they
brought him to Jerusalem, to present [him] to the Lord;
(4) Christ, upon whom all
our sins were laid, being offered to God according to the law purifies both
Mary and us all in himself.
(h) This is meant for the fulfilling of the law: for otherwise the virgin
was not defiled, nor unclean, by the birth of this child.
Lu 2:25
2:25 {5} And, behold, there
was a man in Jerusalem, whose name [was] Simeon; and the same man [was] just
and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the {i} Holy Ghost was
upon him.
(5) Simeon openly in the
temple foretells the death of the coming of Messiah, of the casting out of
the greatest part of Israel, and of the calling of the Gentiles.
(i) He was endued with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and this is said using
the figure of speech metonymy.
Lu 2:27
2:27 And he came by the
Spirit into the temple: and when the {k} parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him after the custom of the law,
Lu 2:29
2:29 Lord, now {l} lettest
thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy {m} word:
(l) Let me depart out of
this life, to be joined to my Father.
(m) As you promised me.
Lu 2:30
2:30 For {n} mine eyes have
seen thy {o} salvation,
(n) That is, for I have
seen with my very eyes: for he saw before in mind, as it is said of Abraham,
"He saw my day and rejoiced."
(o) That in which your salvation is contained.
Lu 2:31
2:31 Which thou hast prepared
{p} before the face of all people;
Lu 2:34
2:34 And Simeon blessed them,
and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this [child] is {q} set for the {r}
fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a {s} sign which shall be
spoken against;
(q) Is appointed and set by
God for a mark.
(r) Fall of the reprobate who perishes because of their own fault: and for
the rising of the elect, unto whom God will give faith to believe.
(s) That is, a mark, which all men will strive earnestly to hit.
Lu 2:35
2:35 (Yea, a sword shall {t}
pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed.
Lu 2:36
2:36 {6} And there was one
Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of
a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
(6) Another witness besides
Simeon, against whom no objection may be brought, inviting all men to the
receiving of the Messiah.
Lu 2:40
2:40 And the child grew, and
waxed strong in spirit, {u} filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon
him.
(u) As Christ grew up in
age, so the virtue of his Godhead showed itself more and more.
Lu 2:41
2:41 {7} Now his parents went
to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
(7) The scribes and
Pharisees are aroused to hear the wisdom of Christ in his time by an
extraordinary deed.
Lu 2:48
2:48 {8} And when they saw
him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus
dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
(8) All duties which we owe
to men, even though they are not to be neglected, so are they (according to
the position in life which God has set us) not to be preferred before the
glory of God.
Lu 2:51
2:51 {9} And he went down
with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother
kept all these sayings in her heart.
(9) Christ, very man, is
made like us in every way except sin.
Lu 3:1
3:1 Now {1} in the fifteenth
year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea,
and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of
Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of
Abilene,
(1) John comes at the time
foretold by the prophets and lays the foundation of the gospel which is
exhibited unto us, setting forth the true observing of the law and free
mercy in Christ, which comes after John, using also baptism which is the
outward sign both of regeneration and also forgiveness of sins.
Lu 3:2
3:2 {a} Annas and Caiaphas
being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in
the wilderness.
Lu 3:13
3:13 And he said unto them,
Exact no more than that which is {b} appointed you.
Lu 3:14
3:14 And the soldiers
likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them,
Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your
{c} wages.
Lu 3:15
3:15 {2} And as the people
were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he
were the Christ, or not;
(2) If we would rightly and
fruitfully receive the sacraments, we must neither rest in the signs,
neither in him that ministers the signs, but lift up our eyes to Christ, who
is the author of the sacraments, and the giver of that which is represented
by the sacraments.
Lu 3:17
3:17 {3} Whose fan [is] in
his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat
into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
Lu 3:19
3:19 {4} But Herod the
tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and
for all the evils which Herod had done,
Lu 3:21
3:21 {5} Now when all the
people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and
praying, the heaven was opened,
(5) Our baptism is
sanctified in the head of the Church, and Christ also by the voice of the
Father is pronounced to be our everlasting King, Priest, and Prophet.
Lu 3:23
3:23 {6} And Jesus himself
began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of
Joseph, which was [the son] of Heli,
(6) Christ's lineage,
according to the flesh, is traced back even to Adam, and so to God, that it
might appear that it was only he whom God promised to Abraham and David, and
appointed from everlasting to his Church, which is composed of all sorts of
men.
Lu 4:1
4:1 And {1} Jesus being full
of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the
wilderness,
(1) Christ, being carried
away (as it were out of the world) into the desert, comes suddenly as if
from heaven, having fasted for forty days and overcoming Satan three times,
and thus begins his office.
Lu 4:3
4:3 {2} And the devil said
unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
(2) Christ, being tempted
by Satan, first to distrust in God, secondly to the desire of riches and
honour, and lastly to a vain confidence in himself, overcomes him three
times by the word of God.
Lu 4:6
4:6 And the devil said unto
him, All this {a} power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is
{b} delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
(a) By this word "power"
are meant the kingdoms themselves which have the power: and so this is said
using the figure of speech metonymy.
(b) This is surely so, for he is prince of the world, but not absolutely,
and is the sovereign of it only by permission and request, and therefore he
does not truly say that he can give it to whom he will.
Lu 4:7
4:7 If thou therefore wilt
worship me, all shall be {c} thine.
(c) Out of a high place,
from which would be seen a good and first-class country, and thus the devil
showed him all countries.
Lu 4:16
4:16 {3} And he came to
Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into
the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Lu 4:17
4:17 And there was delivered
unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had {d} opened the book,
he found the place where it was written,
(d) Their books in those
days were rolled up as scrolls upon a ruler: and so Christ unrolled or
unfolded it, which is here called "opened".
Lu 4:22
4:22 {4} And all {e} bare him
witness, and {f} wondered at the {g} gracious words which proceeded out of his
mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
(4) Familiarity causes
Christ to be condemned and therefore he often goes to strangers.
(e) Approved those things which he spoke with common consent and voice: for
this word "witness" signifies in this place (and many others) "to allow and
approve a thing with open confession".
(f) Present at this meeting of the scriptures were not only the learned, but
also the common people: and besides that, their mother tongue was used, for
how else could the people have wondered? Paul appointed the same manner for
doing things in the Church at Corinth; 1Co 14:1-40 .
(g) Words full of the mighty power of God, which appeared in all his doings,
and as well allured men marvellously unto him; see Ps 45:2 , "grace is
poured into thy lips".
Lu 4:25
4:25 But I tell you of a
truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was
shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the
{h} land;
Lu 4:28
4:28 {5} And all they in the
synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
(5) The more sharply the
world is rebuked the more it openly rages: but the life of the godly is not
always subject to the desires of the wicked.
Lu 4:34
4:34 {6} Saying, Let [us]
alone; what have we to do with thee, [thou] Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come
to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.
(6) Christ astonishes not
only men, be they ever so stupid, but even the demons as well, whether or
not they want to be.
Lu 4:38
4:38 {7} And he arose out of
the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was
taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
(7) In that Christ heals
the diseases of the body with only his word, he proves that he is God
Almighty, sent for man's salvation.
Lu 4:41
4:41 {8} And devils also came
out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he
rebuking [them] suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
(8) Satan, who is a
continual enemy of the truth, ought not to be heard, not even when he speaks
the truth.
Lu 4:42
4:42 {9} And when it was day,
he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came
unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.
(9) No zealous response on
the part of the people ought to hinder us in the race that God has appointed
unto us.
Lu 5:1
5:1 And {1} it came to pass,
that, as the people {a} pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by
the lake of Gennesaret,
(1) Christ reveals to the
four disciples whom he had taken unto himself the office of the apostleship,
which would be committed unto them in the future.
(a) Did as it were lie upon him, so desirous were they both to see him and
hear him, and therefore he taught them out of a ship.
Lu 5:5
5:5 And Simon answering said
unto him, {b} Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing:
nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Lu 5:12
5:12 {2} And it came to pass,
when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus
fell on [his] face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean.
(2) Christ, by healing the
leper with only his touch and sending him to the priest, witnesses that it
is he, through whom and by whom, apprehended by faith, all we who are
unclean according to the law are pronounced to be pure and clean by the
witness of God himself.
Lu 5:15
5:15 {3} But so much the more
went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear,
and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
(3) Christ would rather be
well known by his doctrine than by miracles, and therefore he departs from
those that seek him as a physician of the body, and not as the author of
salvation.
Lu 5:17
5:17 {4} And it came to pass
on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of
the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea,
and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord {c} was [present] to heal them.
(4) Christ, in healing him
that was sick from paralysis, shows the cause of all diseases, and the
remedy.
(c) The mighty power of Christ's Godhead showed itself in him at that time.
Lu 5:27
5:27 {5} And after these
things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt
of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
(5) The Church is a company
of sinners who are repentant through the grace of Christ, who banquet with
him to the great offence of the proud and envious people of the world.
Lu 5:33
5:33 {6} And they said unto
him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise
[the disciples] of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
(6) Hypocrites and ignorant
men make a point of making fasting and unimportant things a matter of
holiness.
Lu 5:34
5:34 {7} And he said unto
them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom
is with them?
(7) Laws generally made
without any consideration of circumstances; for fasting and other things of
like sort are not only tyrannous but very harmful to the Church.
Lu 6:1
6:1 And {1} it came to pass
on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields;
and his disciples {a} plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing [them] in
[their] hands.
(1) Christ shows against
the superstitious, who dwell on every trifling matter, that the law of the
very sabbath was not given to be kept without exception: much less that the
salvation of man should consist in the outward keeping of it.
(a) Epiphanius notes well in his treatise, where he refutes Ebion, that the
time when the disciples plucked the ears of the corn was in the feast of
unleavened bread. Now, in those feasts which were kept over a period of many
days, as the feast of tabernacles and passover, their first day and the last
were very solemn; see Le 23:1-44 . Luke then fitly calls the last day the
second sabbath, though Theophylact understands it to be any of the sabbaths
that followed the first.
Lu 6:6
6:6 {2} And it came to pass
also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and
there was a man whose right hand was withered.
Lu 6:9
6:9 Then said Jesus unto
them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good,
or to do evil? to save life, or to {b} destroy [it]?
(b) Whoever does not help
his neighbour when he can, he kills him.
Lu 6:12
6:12 {3} And it came to pass
in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all
night in prayer to God.
(3) In using earnest and
long prayer in choosing twelve of his own company to the office of the
apostleship, Christ shows how religiously we ought to behave ourselves in
the choice of ecclesiastical persons.
Lu 6:17
6:17 And he came down with
them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great
multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the {c} sea
coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their
diseases;
(c) From all the sea coast,
which is called Syrophoenecia.
Lu 6:20
6:20 {4} And he lifted up his
eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed [be ye] poor: for yours is the
kingdom of God.
(4) Christ teaches against
all philosophers, and especially the Epicureans, that the greatest happiness
of man is laid up in no place here on earth, but in heaven, and that
persecution for righteousness' sake is the right way to achieve it.
Lu 6:22
6:22 Blessed are ye, when men
shall hate you, and when they shall {d} separate you [from their company], and
shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's
sake.
(d) Cast you out of their
synagogues, as John expounds in Joh 16:2 , which is the severest punishment
the Church has, if the elders judge rightfully, and by the word of God.
Lu 6:23
6:23 Rejoice ye in that day,
and {e} leap for joy: for, behold, your reward [is] great in heaven: for in
the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
(e) Leap for exceeding joy,
as cattle do who are spurred on by food.
Lu 6:24
6:24 But woe unto you that
are rich! for ye have {f} received your consolation.
(f) That is, you reap now
of your riches all the convenience and blessing you are ever likely to have,
and therefore you have no other reward to look for; Mt 6:2 .
Lu 6:27
6:27 {5} But I say unto you
which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
(5) Christian charity,
which is very different from worldly charity, not only does not revenge
injuries, but is even extended to our most grievous enemies, and that for
our Father's sake who is in heaven: in well doing it is not at all seeking
its own.
Lu 6:32
6:32 For if ye love them
which love you, {g} what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love
them.
(g) What is there in this
your work that is to be accounted of? For if you look to have reward by
loving, seek those rewards which are indeed rewards: love your enemies, and
so will you show to the world that you look for those rewards which come
from God.
Lu 6:35
6:35 But love ye your
enemies, and do good, and lend, {h} hoping for nothing again; and your reward
shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind
unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.
(h) When you will lend, do
it only to benefit and please with it, and not with the hope of receiving
the principal again.
Lu 6:37
6:37 {6} Judge not, and ye
shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: {i} forgive,
and ye shall be forgiven:
(6) Brotherly judgments
must not proceed from curiosity nor rudeness nor malice, but they must be
just, moderate and loving.
(i) He does not speak here of civil judgments, and therefore by the word
"forgive" is meant that good nature which the Christians use in patiently
suffering and pardoning wrongs.
Lu 6:38
6:38 Give, and it shall be
given unto you; good measure, {k} pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that
ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
(k) These are borrowed
types of sayings, taken from those who used to measure dry things, as corn
and such things, who do it in a rather forceful manner, and thrust it down
and shake it together, and press it and put it into a pile.
Lu 6:39
6:39 {7} And he spake a
parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into
the ditch?
(7) Unskillful reprehenders
hurt both themselves and others: for as the teacher is, so is the student.
Lu 6:41
6:41 {8} And why beholdest
thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that
is in thine own eye?
(8) Hypocrites who are very
severe reprehenders of others are very quick to spitefully spot other men's
faults, but very blind to see their own.
Lu 6:43
6:43 {9} For a good tree
bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit.
(9) Skill in reprehending
others does not make a good man, but rather he that proves his uprightness
both in word and deed.
Lu 6:47
6:47 {10} Whosoever cometh to
me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is
like:
Lu 7:1
7:1 Now {1} when he had ended
all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
(1) Christ admonishes the
Jews that for their obstinacy and rebellion he will go to the Gentiles, by
setting before them the example of the centurion.
Lu 7:11
7:11 {2} And it came to pass
the day after, that he went into a city called {a} Nain; and many of his
disciples went with him, and much people.
(2) Christ openly affirms
his power over death.
(a) Nain is the name of a town in Galilee which was situated on the other
side of the Kishon, which runs into the sea of Galilee.
Lu 7:18
7:18 {3} And the disciples of
John shewed him of all these things.
Lu 7:21
7:21 And {b} in that same
hour he cured many of [their] infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits;
and unto many [that were] blind he gave sight.
Lu 7:24
7:24 {4} And when the
messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning
John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the
wind?
(4) That which the prophets
showed long before, John shows presently: and Christ himself presents it
daily unto us in the gospel, but for the most part in vain, because many
seek nothing else than foolish toys and vain glory.
Lu 7:29
7:29 And all the people that
heard [him], and the publicans, {c} justified God, being baptized with the
baptism of John.
(c) Said that he was just,
good, faithful and merciful.
Lu 7:30
7:30 But the Pharisees and
lawyers rejected the counsel of God {d} against themselves, being not baptized
of him.
Lu 7:31
7:31 {5} And the Lord said,
Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they
like?
(5) Whatever manner God
uses in offering us the gospel, most men bring offences upon themselves: yet
nevertheless a Church is gathered together.
Lu 7:36
7:36 {6} And one of the
Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the
Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
(6) Proud men deprive
themselves of the benefits of the presence of Christ, even when he is at
home with them in their houses; and these benefits the humble and base
enjoy.
Lu 7:39
7:39 {7} Now when the
Pharisee which had bidden him saw [it], he spake within himself, saying, This
man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this
is] that toucheth him: {e} for she is a sinner.
(7) Rashness is the
companion of pride.
(e) The Pharisee respects the law, which holds that those who touch the
defiled are defiled.
Lu 7:40
7:40 {8} And Jesus answering
said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master,
say on.
Lu 7:47
7:47 Wherefore I say unto
thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; {f} for she loved much: but to
whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little.
(f) That is, says
Theophylact, she has shown her faith abundantly: and Basil in his "Sermon of
Baptism" says, "He that owes much has much forgiven him, that he may love
much more". And therefore Christ's saying is so plain in light of this that
it is a wonder to see the enemies of the truth so badly distort and
misinterpret this place in such a thorough manner in order to establish
their meritorious works: for the greater sum a man has forgiven him, the
more he loves him that has been so gracious to him. And this woman shows by
deeds of love how great the benefit was she had received: and therefore the
charity that is here spoken of is not to be taken as the cause of her
forgiveness, but as a sign of it: for Christ does not say as the Pharisees
did that she was a sinner, but bears her witness that the sins of her past
life are forgiven her.
Lu 7:50
7:50 And he said to the
woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; {g} go in peace.
Lu 8:4
8:4 {1} And when much people
were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a
parable:
(1) The same gospel is sown
everywhere, but does not everywhere yield the same fruit, and this is only
due to the fault of men themselves.
Lu 8:10
8:10 And he said, Unto you it
is given to know the {a} mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not
understand.
(a) Those things are called
secret which may not be uttered: for the word used here is equivalent to our
saying, "to hold a man's peace".
Lu 8:14
8:14 And that which fell
among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, {b} go forth, and are
choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and {c} bring no
fruit to perfection.
(b) That is, as soon as
they have heard the word, they go about their business.
(c) They do not bring forth perfect and full fruit to the ripening: or, they
begin, but they do not bring to an end.
Lu 8:15
8:15 But that on the good
ground are they, which in an {d} honest and good heart, having heard the word,
{e} keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience.
(d) Who seek not only to
seem to be such, but are indeed so: so that this word "honest" refers to the
outward life, and the word "good" refers to the good gifts of the mind.
(e) With much difficulty, for the devil and the flesh fight against the
Spirit of God, who is a new guest.
Lu 8:16
8:16 {2} No man, when he hath
lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but
setteth [it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
(2) That which every man
has received in private he ought to bestow to the use and profit of all men.
Lu 8:18
8:18 {3} Take {f} heed
therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and
whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that {g} which he seemeth to
have.
(3) Heavenly gifts are lost
when one is sparing with them, and increase when one is liberal with them.
(f) That is, with what minds you come to hear the word, and how you behave
yourselves when you have heard it.
(g) Either to himself, or to others, or to both: for there are none so proud
as these fellows, if it were possible to see those things which they
disguise: neither are there those that deceive the simple more than they do.
Lu 8:19
8:19 {4} Then came to him
[his] mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
(4) There is no
relationship of flesh and blood among men so intimate and upright as the
band which is between Christ and those who embrace him with a true faith.
Lu 8:22
8:22 {5} Now it came to pass
on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said
unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched
forth.
(5) It is expedient for us
sometimes to come into extreme danger, as though Christ was not with us,
that we may have a better test, both of his power, and also of our weakness.
Lu 8:23
8:23 But as they sailed he
fell {h} asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and {i} they
were filled [with water], and were in jeopardy.
(h) Jesus fell asleep, and
it appears that he was very fast asleep, because they called him twice
before he awoke.
(i) Not the disciples, but the ship.
Lu 8:27
8:27 {6} And when he went
forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils
long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in [any] house, but in the
tombs.
(6) Christ shows by casting
out a legion of demons by his word alone that his heavenly power was
appointed to deliver men from the slavery of the devil: but foolish men for
the most part will not redeem this so excellent grace freely offered unto
them if it means the loss of even the least of their wealth.
Lu 8:29
8:29 (For he had commanded
the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him:
and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, {k}
and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
(k) By force and violence,
as a horse when he is spurred.
Lu 8:39
8:39 Return to thine own
house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way,
and published {l} throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done
unto him.
(l) That is, the city of
the Gadarenes: and though Mark says that he preached it in Decapolis, these
accounts do not differ, for Pliny records in lib. 5, chap. 18, that Gadara
is a town of Decapolis: so that Decapolis was partly on this side of Jordan,
and partly on the other side.
Lu 8:40
8:40 And it came to pass,
that, when Jesus was returned, the people {m} [gladly] received him: for they
were all waiting for him.
(m) The multitude was glad
he had come again, and greatly rejoiced.
Lu 8:41
8:41 {7} And, behold, there
came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down
at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
Lu 8:43
8:43 And a woman having an
issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her {n} living upon
physicians, neither could be healed of any,
Lu 8:52
8:52 And all wept, and {o}
bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
(o) The word signifies to
beat and strike, and is used in the mournings and lamentations that are at
burials, at which times men used this type of behaviour.
Lu 8:55
8:55 And her spirit came
again, and she {p} arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
(p) The corpse was lying
there, and then the young girl received life, and rose out of the bed, that
all the world might see that she was not only restored to life, but also
void of all sickness.
Lu 9:1
9:1 Then {1} he called his
twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils,
and to cure diseases.
(1) The twelve apostles are
sent forth only at the commandment of Christ and equipped with the power of
the Holy Spirit: both that none of the Israelites might pretend ignorance,
and also that they might be better prepared for their general mission.
Lu 9:4
9:4 And whatsoever house ye
enter into, there {a} abide, and thence depart.
(a) When you depart out of
any city, depart from that place where you first took up your lodging: so
that in these few words the Lord forbids them to change their lodgings: for
this publishing of the gospel was as it were a publishing throughout the
whole land, that no one in Judea might pretend ignorance, as though he had
not heard that Christ had come.
Lu 9:7
9:7 {2} Now Herod the
tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he {b} was perplexed, because
that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;
(2) As soon as the world
hears tidings of the gospel it is divided into differing opinions, and the
tyrants especially are afraid.
(b) He stuck as it were fast in the mire.
Lu 9:10
9:10 {3} And the apostles,
when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them,
and went aside privately into a {c} desert place belonging to the city called
Bethsaida.
(3) They that follow Christ
will lack nothing, not even in the wilderness.
(c) The word signifies a desert: note, this was not in the town Bethsaida,
but part of the fields belonging to the town.
Lu 9:13
9:13 But he said unto them,
Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two
fishes; {d} except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
(d) This is said
imperfectly, and therefore we must understand it to mean something like
this: "We cannot give them to eat unless we go and buy, etc.".
Lu 9:16
9:16 Then he took the five
loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, {e} he blessed them, and
brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
(e) He gave God thanks for
these loaves and fishes, and prayed at the same time that God would feed
this multitude which was so great with such a small quantity, and to put it
briefly, that this whole banquet might be to the glory of God.
Lu 9:18
9:18 {4} And it came to pass,
as he was {f} alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them,
saying, Whom say the people that I am?
(4) Although the world be
tossed up and down between different errors, yet we ought not to condemn the
truth but be all the more desirous to know it, and be more steadfast to
confess it.
(f) Alone from the people.
Lu 9:22
9:22 {5} Saying, The Son of
man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.
(5) Christ himself attained
to the heavenly glory, by the cross and invincible perseverance.
Lu 9:23
9:23 And he said to [them]
all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross {g} daily, and follow me.
(g) Even as one day follows
another, so does one cross follow another, and the cross is by the figure of
speech metonymy taken for the miseries of this life: for to be hanged on the
cross was the most grievous and cruel punishment that there was amongst the
Jews.
Lu 9:28
9:28 {6} And it came to pass
about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and
went up into a mountain to pray.
(6) So that his disciples
do not stumble at his debasing himself in his flesh, he teaches them that it
is voluntary, showing in addition for a moment the brightness of his glory.
Lu 9:31
9:31 Who appeared in glory,
and spake of his {h} decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Lu 9:36
9:36 And when the voice was
past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept [it] close, and told no man in {i}
those days any of those things which they had seen.
Lu 9:37
9:37 {7} And it came to pass,
that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met
him.
(7) Nothing offends Christ
as much as incredulity, although he bears with it for a time.
Lu 9:39
9:39 And, lo, a spirit taketh
him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and
{k} bruising him hardly departeth from him.
Lu 9:43
9:43 {8} And they were all
amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all
things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
(8) We have no reason to
promise ourselves rest and quietness in this world, seeing that they
themselves who seemed to fawn upon Christ crucify him shortly after.
Lu 9:44
9:44 {l} Let these sayings
sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands
of men.
(l) Give diligent ear to
them, and once you have heard them see that you keep them.
Lu 9:46
9:46 {9} Then there arose a
reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
(9) Ambition results in
dishonour, but the result of modest obedience is glory.
Lu 9:49
9:49 {10} And John answered
and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad
him, because he followeth not with us.
Lu 9:51
9:51 {11} And it came to
pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly {m}
set his face to go to Jerusalem,
(11) Christ goes willingly
to death.
(m) Literally, "he hardened his face": that is, he resolved with himself to
die, and therefore ventured upon his journey and cast away all fear of
death, and went on.
Lu 9:54
9:54 {12} And when his
disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we
command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
(12) We must take heed of
zeal and fond imitation which is not moderated, even in good causes, that
whatever we do, we do it to God's glory, and the profit of our neighbour.
Lu 9:55
9:55 But he turned, and
rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of {n} spirit ye are of.
(n) So the Hebrews say,
that is, you do not know what will, mind, and counsel you are of: so the
gifts of God are called the spirit because they are given by God's Spirit,
and so are the things that are contrary to them also called the spirit,
which proceed from the wicked spirit, such as the spirit of covetousness, of
pride, and madness.
Lu 9:57
9:57 {13} And it came to
pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain [man] said unto him, Lord, I
will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Lu 9:59
9:59 {14} And he said unto
another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my
father.
(14) The calling of God
ought to be preferred without any question, before all duties that we owe to
men.
Lu 9:60
9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let
the dead bury {o} their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
(o) Who, even though they
live in this frail life of man, yet are strangers from the true life, which
is everlasting and heavenly.
Lu 9:61
9:61 {15} And another also
said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which
are at home at my house.
Lu 10:1
10:1 After {1} these things
the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his
face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Lu 10:3
10:3 {2} Go your ways:
behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
(2) The faithful ministers
of the word are in this world as lambs among wolves: but if they are
diligent to do their duty, he who sent them will also preserve them.
Lu 10:4
10:4 Carry neither purse, nor
scrip, nor shoes: and salute {a} no man by the way.
(a) This is spoken
figuratively, which manner of speech men use when they put down more in
words than is meant. This is usual among the Hebrews when they command a
thing to be done speedily without delay, as is found in 2Ki 4:29 ; for in
any other case courteous and gentle salutations are matters of Christian
duty: as for the calling, it was only for a limited time.
Lu 10:6
10:6 And if {b} the son of
peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you
again.
(b) So say the Hebrews:
that is, he that favours the doctrine of peace and embraces it.
Lu 10:7
10:7 And in the same house
{c} remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is
worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
(c) Take up your lodging in
that house which you enter into first, that is, do not be concerned about
comfortable lodging, as men do who plan to stay in a place a long time: for
here that solemn preaching of the gospel, which was used afterward when the
Churches were settled, is not instituted: but these are sent abroad to all
the coasts of Judea to show them that the last jubilee is at hand.
Lu 10:8
10:8 And into whatsoever city
ye enter, and they receive you, {d} eat such things as are set before you:
Lu 10:10
10:10 {3} But into whatsoever
city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of
the same, and say,
Lu 10:17
10:17 {4} And the seventy
returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us {e}
through thy name.
(4) Neither the gift of
miracles, neither any other excellent gift, but only our election gives us
an occasion of true joy. And only the publishing of the gospel is the
destruction of Satan.
(e) For Christ's disciples used no absolute authority, but performed the
miracles they did by calling upon Christ's name.
Lu 10:18
10:18 And he said unto them,
I beheld Satan as lightning {f} fall from heaven.
(f) Paul writes that the
location of the devil and his angels is in the air, as is found in Eph 6:12
, and he is said to be cast down from there by force, when his power is
abolished by the voice of the Gospel.
Lu 10:19
10:19 Behold, I give unto you
power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:
and nothing shall by any means {g} hurt you.
Lu 10:21
10:21 {5} In that hour Jesus
rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things from the {h} wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
(5) The Church is
contemptible, if we consider its outward appearance, but the wisdom of God
is most marvellous in it.
(h) Of this world.
Lu 10:22
10:22 {6} All things are
delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the
Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and [he] to whom the Son will
reveal [him].
Lu 10:23
10:23 {7} And he turned him
unto [his] disciples, and said privately, Blessed [are] the eyes which see the
things that ye see:
Lu 10:25
10:25 {8} And, behold, {i} a
certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to
inherit eternal life?
(8) Faith does not take
away but establishes the doctrine of the law.
(i) One of those who proclaimed himself to be learned in the rites and laws
of Moses.
Lu 10:29
10:29 {9} But he, willing {k}
to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
(9) The law defines our
neighbour as anyone at all that we may help.
(k) That is, to vouch his righteousness, or show that he was just, that is,
void of all faults: and Jas 5:1-20 uses the word of justification in this
sense.
Lu 10:38
10:38 {10} Now it came to
pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain
woman named Martha received him into her house.
(10) Christ does not desire
to be waited upon in a delicate manner, but to be heard diligently; this is
that which he especially requires.
Lu 11:2
11:2 And he said unto them,
When ye pray, say, {1} Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Lu 11:3
11:3 Give us {a} day by day
our daily bread.
(a) That is, as much as is
needed for us this day, by which we are not prevented from having an honest
care for the maintenance of our lives; but that complaining care, which
kills a number of men, is cut off and restrained.
Lu 11:5
11:5 {2} And he said unto
them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and
say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
Lu 11:8
11:8 I say unto you, Though
he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his
{b} importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
(b) Literally, "impudence":
but that impudency which is spoken of here is not to be found fault with,
but is very commendable before God, for he is well pleased by such
importunity.
Lu 11:15
11:15 {3} But some of them
said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
(3) An example of horrible
blindness, and such as cannot be healed, when the power of God is blasphemed
by an evil conscience and pretended malice.
Lu 11:17
11:17 {4} But he, knowing
their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation; and a house [divided] against a house falleth.
(4) The true way to know
the true Christ from the false is this, that the true Christ has no harmony
or agreement with Satan: and once we know him it is left for us to
acknowledge him.
Lu 11:18
11:18 If Satan also be
divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I
cast out devils {c} through Beelzebub.
Lu 11:20
11:20 But if I with the {d}
finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
(d) That is, by the power
of God: so it says in Geneva "Ex 8:19".
Lu 11:21
11:21 When a strong man armed
keepeth his {e} palace, his goods are in peace:
(e) The word properly
signifies an open and empty room in front of a house, and so in translation
is taken for noblemen's houses.
Lu 11:23
11:23 {5} He that is not with
me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
(5) Against indifferent
men, and such as love to have a compromise, who seek means to reconcile
Christ and Satan together.
Lu 11:24
11:24 {6} When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and
finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
(6) He that does not
continue, but is in a worse case, than he that never began.
Lu 11:27
11:27 {7} And it came to
pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her
voice, and said unto him, Blessed [is] the womb that bare thee, and the paps
which thou hast sucked.
(7) Christ does not seek
praise for himself, but in our salvation.
Lu 11:33
11:33 {9} No man, when he
hath lighted a candle, putteth [it] in a secret place, neither under a bushel,
but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
(9) Our minds are therefore
lightened with the knowledge of God, that we should give light unto others,
and therefore our main labour ought to be to pray for that light.
Lu 11:37
11:37 {10} And as he spake, a
certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down
to meat.
(10) The service of God
consists not in outward cleanliness and planned rites or ceremonies, but in
the spiritual righteousness of the heart and charity.
Lu 11:41
11:41 But rather give alms
{f} of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
(f) That is, according to
your ability: as one would say, instead of your extortion which hindered you
so that you could not eat cleanly, use charity, and in accordance with your
ability be good to the poor, and in this way will that which is within the
platter be sanctified even though the platter is unwashed.
Lu 11:42
11:42 {11} But woe unto you,
Pharisees! for ye {g} tithe mint and rue and {h} all manner of herbs, and pass
over {i} judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to
leave the other undone.
(11) It is the
characteristic of hypocrites to stand firmly for little trifles and to let
greater matters pass.
(g) You decide by God's law that the tenth part is due to be paid.
(h) Of all types of herbs, some as Augustine expounds it in his Enchiridion
to Laurence, chap. 99, where he shows in like manner how that place of Paul,
(God "will have all men to be saved"), 1Ti 2:4 , is to be expounded after
the same manner.
(i) That is to say, that which is right and reasonable to do, for this word
"judgment" contains the commandments of the second table, and the other
words, "the love of God", contain the commandments of the first.
Lu 11:43
11:43 {12} Woe unto you,
Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in
the markets.
Lu 11:44
11:44 {13} Woe unto you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and
the men that walk over [them] are not aware [of them].
Lu 11:45
11:45 {14} Then answered one
of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us
also.
(14) Hypocrites are very
severe against other men, but think that all things are lawful for
themselves.
Lu 11:47
11:47 {15} Woe unto you! for
ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
(15) Hypocrites honour
those saints when they are dead whom they persecute most cruelly when they
are alive.
Lu 11:48
11:48 Truly {k} ye bear
witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them,
and ye build their sepulchres.
(k) When you persecute
God's servants like mad men, even as your fathers did, though you try and
cover it with a pretence of godliness, yet nonetheless, by beautifying the
sepulchres of the prophets, what else are you doing but glorying in your
father's cruelty, and setting up monuments (as it were) in glory and triumph
of it?
Lu 11:49
11:49 Therefore also said the
wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they
shall slay and {l} persecute:
(l) They will so vex them
and trouble them, that at length they will banish them.
Lu 11:50
11:50 That the blood of all
the prophets, which was {m} shed from the foundation of the world, may be
required of this generation;
(m) That you may be called
to give an account for it, yea, and be punished for the shedding of that
blood of the prophets.
Lu 11:52
11:52 {16} Woe unto you,
lawyers! for ye have {n} taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in
yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
(16) Those who ought to be
the door keepers of the Church have for a long time mainly hindered the
people from entering into the knowledge of God.
(n) You have hidden and taken away, so that it cannot be found anywhere.
Lu 11:53
11:53 {17} And as he said
these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge [him]
vehemently, and to {o} provoke him to speak of many things:
(17) The more the world is
reprehended, the worse it is, and yet we must not betray the truth.
(o) They proposed many questions to him, to draw something out of his mouth
which they might traitorously find fault with.
Lu 12:1
12:1 In {1} the mean time,
when there were gathered together {a} an innumerable multitude of people,
insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples
first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
(1) The faithful teachers
of God's word, who are appointed by him for his people, must both take good
heed of those who corrupt the purity of doctrine with smooth speech, and
also take pains through the help of God to set forth sincere doctrine,
openly and without fear.
(a) Literally, "ten thousand of people", a certain number which is given for
an uncertain number.
Lu 12:4
12:4 {2} And I say unto you
my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no
more that they can do.
(2) Although hypocrites
have princes to execute their cruelty, yet there is no reason why we should
be afraid of them, even by the smallest amount that may be, seeing that they
can do nothing except that which pleases God, and God does not will anything
that may be against the salvation of his elect.
Lu 12:5
12:5 But I will {b} forewarn
you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to
cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
(b) He warns them of
dangers that presently hang over their heads, for those that come upon one
suddenly make a greater wound.
Lu 12:8
12:8 {3} Also I say unto you,
Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess
before the angels of God:
(3) Great is the reward of
a constant confession: and horrible is the punishment for denying Christ;
yea, it will be impossible to call the punishment back again, if on purpose,
both with mouth and heart we blaspheme a known truth.
Lu 12:11
12:11 {4} And when they bring
you unto the synagogues, and [unto] magistrates, and powers, take ye no
thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
(4) It is a great and
difficult conflict to confess the truth, yet God who can do all things and
is almighty will provide strength to the weakest who struggle greatly and do
battle in God's appointed time.
Lu 12:13
12:13 {5} And one of the
company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the
inheritance with me.
(5) For three reasons
Christ would not be a judge to divide an inheritance. First, because he
would not support and uphold the fleshly opinion that the Jews had of
Messiah: secondly, because he wanted to distinguish the civil government
from the ecclesiastical: thirdly, to teach us to beware of those which abuse
the show of the gospel, and also the name of ministers, for their own
private well-being.
Lu 12:15
12:15 And he said unto them,
Take heed, and beware of {c} covetousness: for a man's life {d} consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
(c) By covetousness is
meant that greedy desire to get, commonly causing hurt to other men.
(d) God is the author and preserver of man's life; goods are not.
Lu 12:16
12:16 {6} And he spake a
parable unto them, saying, The {e} ground of a certain rich man brought forth
plentifully:
(6) There are none more mad
than rich men who depend upon their riches.
(e) Or rather country, for here is set forth a man that possesses not only a
piece of ground, but a whole country, as they do who join house to house,
and field to field; Isa 5:8 .
Lu 12:17
12:17 And he {f} thought
within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to
bestow my fruits?
(f) Reckoned with himself,
which is the characteristic of covetous surly men who spend their life in
those trifles.
Lu 12:19
12:19 And I will say to my
soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat,
drink, [and] {g} be merry.
Lu 12:21
12:21 So [is] he that layeth
up treasure {h} for himself, and is not rich toward God.
(h) Caring for no man but
for himself, and making sure to trust in himself.
Lu 12:22
12:22 {7} And he said unto
his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what
ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
(7) Earnestly thinking upon
the providence of God is a present remedy for this life against the most
foolish and wasting worry of men.
Lu 12:29
12:29 And seek not ye what ye
shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither {i} be ye of doubtful mind.
(i) A metaphor taken of
things that hang in the air, for those that care too much for this worldly
life, and rely upon the arm of man, always have wavering and doubtful minds,
swaying sometimes this way, and sometimes that way.
Lu 12:31
12:31 {8} But rather seek ye
the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Lu 12:32
12:32 {9} Fear not, little
flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
(9) It is a foolish thing
not to look for small things at the hands of him who freely gives us the
greatest things.
Lu 12:33
12:33 {10} Sell that ye have,
and give {k} alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in
the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth
corrupteth.
(10) A godly bountifulness
is a proper way to get true riches.
(k) This is the figure of speech metonymy, for by this word "alms" is meant
that compassion and friendliness of a heart that cares tenderly for the
misery and poor condition of a man, and shows this feeling by some gift, and
has the name given to it in the Greek language of mercy and compassion: and
therefore he is said to give alms who gives something to another, and gives
to the poor, showing by this that he pities their poor condition.
Lu 12:35
12:35 {11} Let your loins be
girded about, and [your] lights burning;
(11) The life of the
faithful servants of God in this world is certainly a diligent journey,
having the light of the word going before the journey.
Lu 12:40
12:40 {12} Be ye therefore
ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
